18 Oct 2011

Bracewell feeling the love after Black Caps sweep series

6:48 am on 18 October 2011

The New Zealand cricket team made it two from two this morning to complete a whitewash of Zimbabwe in their two-match Twenty/20 series with young seamer Doug Bracewell claiming three wickets in just his second international for the Black Caps.

The New Zealand top order again shone with the bat with openers Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill smashing a combined 131 runs off 114 balls as the Black Caps reached 187 for 3 off a rain-reduced 18 overs in Harare.

However it was Bracewell who sealed the result with a couple of crucial strikes as the hosts middle order looked to be racing towards victory, and the 21-year-old paceman was delighted to have helped his side to a series clean sweep.

Zimbabwe launched a likely looking run chase until they threw away their last four wickets for no runs to be all out for 154.

Martin Guptill was named man of the match for his innings of 67.

The first of three one day internationals is on Thursday night.