BULAWAYO, ZIMBABWE – New Zealand secured a comprehensive nine-wicket win against Zimbabwe on the third day of the first Test at Queens Sports Club. The victory was a result of a strong collective performance, as noted by stand-in captain Mitch Santner, who led the Black Caps for the first time in a Test match.
Pacer Matt Henry was the star of the match, named Player of the Match for his outstanding bowling figures of nine wickets for 90 runs across both innings. Henry’s performance came on the back of his Player of the Tournament accolade in the recent T20 series in Harare, showcasing his adaptability across formats. “When you have assistance, it was great we were able to exploit it,” said Henry.
New Zealand’s bowlers were in control throughout the match. They dismissed Zimbabwe for 149 in the first innings and 165 in the second, setting up a simple chase of just eight runs for the win. While the bowling attack was excellent, Santner admitted there was room for improvement in the batting department, as the team could have posted a larger total than their first innings score of 307. The only significant contributions came from Devon Conway (88) and Daryl Mitchell (80), with a lack of meaningful partnerships being a key concern.
The Black Caps’ win was slightly marred by an injury to seamer Nathan Smith, who took three wickets for just 20 runs in the first innings of his third Test match. He was unable to take the field in Zimbabwe’s second innings due to an abdominal injury, which, according to Santner, “doesn’t look good for him” for the remainder of the series.
Despite the loss, Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine found some positives, noting that his batsmen showed more resilience and application compared to their recent Tests against South Africa. He highlighted a key partnership between Sean Williams and himself, which saw them add 57 runs for the fifth wicket in the second innings.
The two-match series is not part of the World Test Championship, but the teams will face each other again in the second and final Test at the same venue from Thursday.