Read the article of New Zealand vs Zimbabwe 16th Match Reliance World Cup 1987 - Reliance World Cup 1987 tournament of the 16th ODI match played between Zimbabwe and New Zealand at Eden Gardens, Calcutta in 23rd October 1987.
A superb unbeaten 88 by captain Jeff Crowe and Martin Crowe's run-a-ball 58 steers to New Zealand convincing four-wicket victory over Zimbabwe in the 16th match of a Reliance World Cup.
Zimbabwe scored 227-5 in 50 overs with top scorer by Andy Pycroft hit a unbeaten 52 off 46-balls including 2-fours & a six.
Kevin Arnott cracked a 51 off 83-balls including 5-fours, Dave Houghton struck 50 off 57-balls included 5-fours and Ali Shah scored 41 off 90-balls with two boundaries.
New Zealand best bowler by Stephen Boock took 2-wickets and one for Willie Watson.
New Zealand chased 228-6 in 47.4 overs with top scorer by Jeff Crowe cracked a unbeaten 88 off 105-balls, Martin Crowe hit a run-a-ball 58-runs including 8-fours, Ken Rutherford 22, Ian Smith 17 not out and Andrew Jones 15.
Zimbabwe best bowler by Ali Shah, Eddo Brandes both took 2-wickets and one for Malcolm Jarvis - John Traicos.
Jeff Crowe named Player of the match for his match-winning captain innings of unbeaten 88 off facing 105-balls including 8-fours.
This match reported by a special correspondent (Third Party Reference from The Daily Telegraph)
NEW ZEALAND made heavy weather of beating Zimbabwe in a Group A World Cup match in Calcutta, needing an inspirational innings of 88 not out by their captain Jeff Crowe to see them home by four wickets with 14 balls to spare.
Zimbabwe batted first after Watched by an Eden Gardens crowd of 50,000, New Zealand reached 228 for six off the fourth ball of the 48th over after Zimbabwe had made a modest 227 for five.
When New Zealand lost Martin Crowe for 58 to make the score 125 for four in the 29th over and then slipped to 158 for five in the 38th over, a Zimbabwean victory became a distinct possibility.
Winning blow
But Jeff Crowe, admirably composed, negotiated his team through the final tense stages and fittingly struck the winning blow off Malcolm Jarvis. He faced 105 balls and hit eight fours.
Zimbabwe batted first after Jeff Crowe won the toss and decided that dew on the ground and a green pitch would help his bowlers. But the conditions had nothing to do with an early catastrophe for the Zimbabweans, Grant Paterson being run out in the second over with only one on the board.
Aggressive fifty
Kevin Arnott and Ali Shah added 81 cautiously, but it was only while David Houghton was making a half century off 58 balls that Zimbabwe managed to raise their their run rate significantly.
Andrew Pycroft sustained the latter part of Zimbabwe's innings with an increasingly aggressive fifty.
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