Williams, Cremer frustrate New Zealand

Maiden Test half-centuries for Craig Ervine and Sean Williams and a stubborn stint at the crease from captain Graeme Cremer made it Zimbabwe's best session yet in the first Test at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.
Not only did they survive against a New Zealand attack searching for victory, but also ensured runs came at more than a fair clip as they handled pace and swing from Tim Southee and Trent Boult, bouncers from Neil Wagner and the spin of Ish Sodhi with class and character.

After lack of application caused a first-innings implosion, Zimbabwe's batsmen put their minds to batting time and frustrated New Zealand. The visitor's only success this morning came in the second over when Ervine played inside the line of a delivery from Boult and was given out caught behind by debutant umpire Michael Gough. Replays showed Ervine had not hit the ball and the noise was likely bat-pad.

He was replaced by Williams, who got a rough decision in the first innings when he was caught off the helmet. Now battling flu, Williams, who wasn't on the field for New Zealand's first innings, put his illness aside to play an authoritative knock, the most assured of his short Test career yet.

He began with a quartet of crisp drives off Southee and beat the close catching trap Kane Williamson had set for him courtesy two slips, two gullies, two short covers and a backward point. He responded with a pull to the vacant leg side.

With neither Southee nor Boult able to dislodge him, Williamson turned to first-innings hero Neil Wagner, who seemed to have been issued a license to attack. Wagner hit Cremer, who was content to let Williams take on the bowling and held his end, on the thigh pad, the left shoulder and eventually the left fore-arm, which Cremer broke earlier this year. The Zimbabwe captain, as he did with ball in hand, fought through it all.

Williams dealt well with the short ball and even forced Wagner to change his lengths and try a fuller delivery, which he then creamed through the covers. His most audacious shot followed - a cheeky ramp. Spin proved no problem for Williams either. Unlike his team-mates, whose footwork was marginal, Williams moved well at the crease and executed the sweep shot well.

His fifty came off 63 balls and even as lunch approached, he did not slow down his scoring rate. His partnership with Cremer had reached 97 by the break and although the deficit remained high, they would look to keep fighting through the afternoon.