Taylor and rain woe for New Zealand

Keep up to date with all that's new around the world - read match reports and more from every international played

Ross Taylor pulls up with a calf strain, which immediately forced the skipper to retire hurt on 122 during a shortened second day

New Zealand captain Ross Taylor suffered a calf injury on a severely truncated second day in Napier that is set to rule him out of the series with Zimbabwe.

Taylor, who resumed with 111 of his side’s overnight 331 for five, added 11 before pulling up attempting a single off paceman Shingi Masakadza.

He retired hurt and is expected to miss the three one-day and two Twenty20 internationals that follow this one-off Test. The Blacks Caps’ consequent action is a limited-overs rubber at home to South Africa from mid-February.

Despite the threat of rain, play began on time at McLean Park with BJ Watling picking up on 52 having added 35 with Taylor yesterday.

Watling cover-drove left-armer Brian Vitori to the rope in the first over before picking up fours either side of the wicket off Vitori’s fellow seamer Kyle Jarvis.

Hamilton Masakadza replaced Vitori and together with Jarvis dried up the boundaries, causing the batsmen to look for quick singles like the one from which Taylor was injured.

Doug Bracewell replaced the right-hander, whose 13 fours and two sixes among 201 deliveries came yesterday, and the new batsman was shelled by Forster Mutizwa at cover off fellow Test debutant Shingi Masakadza.

Watling clipped both Masakadzas off his pads for four, in consecutive overs, and Bracewell lofted Shingi to the square-leg boundary for another four the ball before drinks.

Immediately after the short break, Watling brought up a half-century in fortuitous fashion by edging Hamilton Masakadza through a vacant first slip.

Bracewell also sliced a streaky boundary off the returning Vitori, but the heavens opened and no further play was possible today beyond those 15.2 overs.

New Zealand will resume on 392 for five with Watling on 52 and Bracewell 11.