The clock had just struck 1pm, the second day's play was abut to reach its midway point and New Zealand were already ahead. Tom Latham, who was on the brink of his fourth Test century, put them in the lead while Kane Williamson, who added a half-century on his Test captaincy debut, was at the other end.

For Zimbabwe, that meant nothing but more misery. Their attack was a bowler short after Sean Williams did not make it to the ground with illness and the rest struggled to put consistent pressure on New Zealand.

They were also without wicketkeeper Regis Chakabva, who has tonsilitis. Opening batsman Brian Chari, who is not known for his glovework, had to take over behind the stumps and his inexperience in that position cost Zimbabwe dearly.

A stumping chance and two catches went abegging with Zimbabwe's sole success coming in the morning session when Chamu Chibhabha dismissed Martin Guptill.

Chibhabha, a medium-pacer, remained the only seamer to challenge the batsmen with frontliners Donald Tiripano and Michael Chinouya struggling to have an impact with predictable lines and lengths.

Both stuck to a strategy of deliering full and outside the of stump and did not attempt to emulate Neil Wagner's short-ball approach at all. As a result, they were able to contain New Zealand, but only until the batsmen had become comfortable.

Guptill and Latham eased their way in with 43 runs in the first hour of play, in which Graeme Cremer kept close catchers in, but eventually spread the field.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Cremer bowled 35 overs of the 100 in New Zealand&#39;s innings; the visitors lead by 151 at the end of day two <a href="https://t.co/hWtw3JPOlf">https://t.co/hWtw3JPOlf</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ZIMvNZ?src=hash">#ZIMvNZ</a></p>&mdash; ESPNcricinfo (@ESPNcricinfo) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNcricinfo/status/759038651216998400">July 29, 2016</a></blockquote>

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The only moments of nervousness came for Guptill when Chibhabha found some shape away and cramped him for room. Gutpill was drawn into a drive and got a thick edge, which carried to Craig Ervine at gully.

The pitch slowed things down a touch but New Zealand brought up their 100 before lunch, by when Zimbabwe would have been lamenting their lack of options.

With only two frontline seamers, no-one with any express pace and one specialist spinner in Cremer, they needed the part-timers to contain and New Zealand saw that as their chance to press the advantage.

Masvaure took the early brunt of the post-lunch aggression, with Latham bringing up his fifty off him and Cremer brought himself on. He also gave Sikandar Raza an opportunity but New Zealand treated him even more harshly and his four overs cost 28 runs.

In total, Zimbabwe had three deliveries worth shouting about. Cremer confused Williamson with one that dipped, turned, bounced and ripped across the face of the bat.

Williamson had his back foot in the air but Chari was not in a position to collect cleanly and stump him.

Williamson was on 32 at the time and had moved to 49 before Cremer beat him again, with a ball that turned out of the footmarks and snuck between the keeper and first slip.

As the session went on, Cremer found more turn and asked more questions. Chibhabha was the only other bowler who looked likely to take a wicket.

He induced an edge off Latham when he was on 85 but Chari moved too late to attempt to take the catch. - cricinfo