New Zealand beats Zimbabwe by 9 wickets in the First Test at Bulawayo:
New Zealand produced an emphatic match to overpower Zimbabwe by nine wickets in the first match at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo, and ending the match in two and a half daysThis win gives the Black Caps a 1-0 lead in the two-Test seriesNewZealand played an authoritative game to crush Zimbabwe by nine wickets in the 1 st Test at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo ending the game in two and a half days
In this win, the Black Caps have led the two Test series 1-0.
Match Summary and Key Figure:
1st Innings - Zimbabwe
- Zimbabwe, who won the toss, elected to bat into use and were soon dismissed for 149 all out
- New Zealand attack was led by Matt Henry who bowled brilliantly to take 6 for 39 runs in 15.3 overs.
- Nathan Smith came in with 3/20 to complement brilliantly and destroy the top order of Zimbabwe
- The only ones who defied in the middle order were captain Craig Ervine (39) and wicketkeeper Tafadzwa Tsiga (30)
1st Innings- New Zealand:
- New Zealand responded with a decent score of 307 all out, a lead of 158 runs
- Devon Conway led the way with a dogged 88 (170 balls, 12 fours) after putting on 92 with Will Young (41).
- Daryl Mitchell also contributed 80 (119 balls, five fours and a six) which was important.
- Zimbabwe's bowler, especially Blessing Muzarabani (3/73) Tanaka Chivanga (2/51), gave fight but were not able to avert the huge loss
2nd InningsZimbabwe:
- Zimbabwe crumble once again against a mammoth deficit, folding up for 165 courtesy of sharp bowling spells by New Zealand bowlers:
- Mitchell Santner 4/27
- Will O Rourke (3/28)
- Matt Henry 3/51
- The hosts did not put up much resistance to partnerships; Sean Williams was the top scorer with 49, Tsiga contributed 27, but it was not enough
2nd Innings: New Zealand
- New Zealand started well chasing an eight runs target, but they lost Conway cheaply at first over bowled by Newman Nyamhuri.
- But in the third over after tea, Henry Nicholls composedly hit the winning boundary off Nyamhuri and the match was finished in a trifle more than 2.2 overs (14 balls) by a margin of nine wickets
The Player of the Match: Matt Henry
- Matt Henry received Player of the Match award in view of his brilliant performance with the bowling ball taking 9 wickets in the match (6/39 and 3/51).
- His opening spell of six wickets in his first eight overs put Zimbabwe on the back foot as they were reduced to 69 for 5 early.
- Henry was relentless in his accuracy and speed which destroyed both the top and bottom of the Zimbabwe order
Tactical & Team Analysis:
- The control bowling attack of New Zealand, spearheaded by Henry and aided by Santner and O Rourke, took advantage of the Bulawayo wicket right at the beginning.
- There was also a recurring weakness in Zimbabwe batting-lack of partnerships, shot selection, and exposure to facing movement of the seam.
- With the exception of Ervine, Tsiga, and Williams, the rest of the batting line up was also out of form when it came to pressure.
- New Zealand were comfortable in the chase with Conway laying down the foundation of batting through his discipline and a strong middle order player in Mitchell.
- Dispite Missing regular captain Tom Latham was injured, Mitchell Santner took the captaincy role and led his team well
Brief Scorecard:
Innings Team Runs Key Performers
1st (ZIM) Zimbabwe 149 Ervine 39, Tsiga 30;
Henry 6/39 Smith 3/20
reply (NZ) New Zealand 307 Conway 88, Mitchell 80;
Muzarabani 3/73 Chivanga 2/51
2nd (ZIM) ZImbabwe 165 (Williams 49, Tsiga 27)Santner 4/27, O Rourke 3/28, Henry 3/51
Final (NZ chase) New Zealand 8/1 Conway 4, Nicholls 4*
What Next?
- New Zeland has now taken the lead in the series 1-0 and will seek to conclude the brief tour with second Test beginning 7 August 2025, again at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo
- Zimbabwe will have to pick themselves up fast- at least, on the batting and formation of partnerships under pressure.
- In the case of New Zealand, it will be important to keep the momentum going and stay fit with bowlers such as Henry and Santner, and increase their clinical performance.
in Summary:
- The crushing nine-wicket win by New Zealand on 1 August 2025 in Bulawayo was founded on strong bowling performance and Solid batting from Conway and Mitchell.
- The outstanding performance was the tackle by Matt Henry with the ball (9 for 90) which made him get the award of the Player of the Match.
- Having won the first game of the series with a convincing margin, New Zealand goes into the second Test with a lot of confidence and it is a real struggle that Zimbabwe must put behind to have a turnaround in the series.
Brief scores: Zimbabwe 149 (Craig Ervine 39, Tafadzwa Tsiga 30; Matt Henry 6-39, Nathan Smith 3-20) & 165 (Sean Williams 49; Mitchell Santner 4-27, William O'Rourke 3-28, Matt Henry 3-51) lost to New Zealand 307 (Devon Conway 88, Daryl Mitchell 80; Blessing Muzarabani 3-73) & 8/1 (Henry Nicholls 4*) by 9 wickets.