Cairns hits century off 96 balls

Chris Cairns hit one of the most spectacular of Test centuries yesterday as New Zealand reached 441 for 5 declared, setting Zimbabwe 367 to win the second Test at Eden Park, Auckland.

Cairns struck nine sixes and 10 fours on his way to 120 off 96 balls on the fourth day of the deciding Test. His six-hitting ranked second only to Walter Hammond for the most sixes in a Test innings; Hammond hit 10 for England, against New Zealand on the same ground in 1933.

Cairns' first Test hundred came off 86 balls, the second fastest by a New Zealander after Bruce Taylor's 83-ball effort against the West Indies in 1969.

Earlier Craig Spearman scored his maiden Test century as he and Roger Twose added 214 for the first wicket.

(Fourth day; New Zealand won toss)

NEW ZEALAND - First Innings 251 (S P Fleming 84, C L Cairns 57)

ZIMBABWE - First Innings 326 (D L Houghton 104)

NEW ZEALAND - Second Innings

(Overnight: 138 for 0)

C J Spearman c Carlisle b Streak 112

R G Twose c and b Streak 94

S P Fleming c Wishart b Streak 3

A C Parore not out 76

N J Astle c A Flower b Brandes 13

C L Cairns b Streak 120

*L K Germon not out 1

Extras (b6 lb15 nb1) 22

Total (for 5 dec, 133 overs) 441

Fall: 1-214 2-217 3-221 4-261 5-427

Did not bat: D N Patel, G R Larsen, R A Kennedy, G J Allott.

Bowling: Streak 30-7-110-4; Brandes 13-3-41-1; B Strang 27-8-64-0; Whittall 13-4-40-0; P Strang 43-7-142-0; Campbell 2-0-3-0; G Flower 5-0-20-0.

ZIMBABWE - Second Innings

G W Flower not out 22

S V Carlisle not out 14

Extras (lb1 nb2) 3

Total (for 0, 19 overs) 39

To bat: *A Flower, A D R Campbell, D L Houghton, G J Whittall, P A Strang, H H Streak, C Wishart, E A Brandes, B Strang.

Bowling: Allott 3-1-3-0; Cairns 5-1-11-0; Kennedy 7-1-13-0; Patel 4-0- 11-0.