Zimbabwe have saved their best until last, blasting 2-200 to give New Zealand a testing target in the second Twenty20 cricket international in Hamilton on Tuesday night.

Their innings was set up by a 76-run opening partnership between Hamilton Masakadza and Stuart Matsikenyeri, before skipper Brendan Taylor joined in the assault with an unbeaten 74 off 42 balls.

Zimbabwe went into the match facing a tour whitewash, having lost the one-off Test, the three one-dayers and the first T20 international.

They had shown encouraging signs in the opening T20 fixture in Auckland at the weekend in getting to 8-159 before losing by seven wickets, and this time they stepped up another couple of gears.

They won the toss and, after Taylor elected to bat on a flat wicket, Masakadza and Matsikenyeri came out swinging.

Boundaries became plentiful, with Matsikenyeri smacking two consecutive sixes in one early Michael Bates over, that cost 16 runs.

Having raced to a 50 partnership in just 29 balls, the pair continued their onslaught before they were separated when Matsikenyeri holed out for 32 off 19 balls.

Masakadza was also caught in the deep as he tried to add to his four sixes and three fours, finishing with 62 off 42 balls for his second successive half-century.

At 2-121, Taylor was joined by Elton Chigumbura and the pair maintained the pace, Chigumbura getting to 30 not out from 17 deliveries.

New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum used eight bowlers to try to stem the flow of runs, with Tim Southee being the pick of them, managing to trouble the batsmen at times as he ended with 0-35 from his four overs.