New Zealand smashed Zimbabwe by 60 runs on Wednesday in the Tri Series. Tim Seifert hit 75. Rachin Ravindra made 63. They put up 190 for 6. Ish Sodhi then ripped through Zimbabwe with 4 for 12. The hosts got bowled out for 130. That's four wins from four games for New Zealand. They're in Saturday's final against South Africa. 

Seifert and Ravindra put together 108 runs for the second wicket. Seifert got dropped on 13 but didn't waste his luck. He smacked the ball all over the place after that. The pitch wasn't too bad for batting. Sodhi was brilliant with his leg-spin. Zimbabwe had no clue how to play him. The ball was turning square and their batsmen looked lost. Sodhi's now got 150 T20I wickets. That puts him third all-time behind only Rashid Khan and Tim Southee.

Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza didn't sugarcoat things. "I don't think we batted well at all," he said after the game. "The two individuals we let off, Bracewell and Seifert, hurt us. We keep digging ourselves a hole, and when we try to climb out, we don't." Only three Zimbabwe players got into double figures. Their best partnership was 37 runs. That's just not good enough at this level. 

New Zealand have had to make changes for the Test series. Glenn Phillips hurt his groin playing in that Major League Cricket final for Washington Freedom. Michael Bracewell gets called up to replace him.

Coach Rob Walter said it made sense. "Glenn's injury created a gap in the Test squad, and Michael is the closest like-for-like replacement. His experience and skillset will be a great asset."

There's just one problem. Bracewell can only play the first Test. Then he's off to England for The Hundred with Southern Brave. Bracewell hasn't played a Test since March 2023. He's got 24 wickets in eight Tests at 41.79. With the Bulawayo pitches expected to turn, they need all the spin they can get.

Matt Henry's been outstanding in this tournament. Six wickets in two games at an average of 10. His short ball has been deadly on these surfaces. Mitchell Santner and the other bowlers have done their part, too.

Zimbabwe is in real trouble, though. Richard Ngarava has bowled well with the new ball, but that's about it for positives.

This tour was supposed to be Zimbabwe's chance to impress at home. Instead it's shown how far behind they are. The gap between the top teams and the rest keeps getting bigger. That's not good for world cricke,t but it's the reality right now.