Black Caps crush Zimbabwe by nine wickets in three-day first test
Zimbabwe avoided an innings defeat with some resistance from its tailenders as the home team was bowled out for 165 in its second innings, setting New Zealand a tiny target of eight runs.
After the interval, fast bowler Newman Nyamhuri bowled Devon Conway before New Zealand reached 8-1 and finished the game inside three days at the Queens Sports Club. It is the same venue where both teams met last time in the longer format in 2016 and New Zealand won by 254 runs.
The series was not part of the World Test Championship, but Zimbabwe's batting woes have continued in red-ball cricket in 2005 as it lost seven out of eight test matches.
After being dismissed for 149 in the first innings and later conceding a 158-run lead, Zimbabwe batters once again failed despite New Zealand fast bowler Nathan Smith being ruled out with an abdominal tear he picked up while batting on Thursday.
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Matt Henry followed his superb 6-39 in the first innings with 3-51 but was denied his first test match haul of 10 wickets when Michael Bracewell spilt a catch of Tafadzwa Tsiga in the slips. Ajaz Patel, substituting for Smith, dropped Blessing Muzarabani and also missed a runout of Tsiga before Zimbabwe had wiped out the deficit.
Captain Mitchell Santner (4-27) was the standout bowler in the second innings.
Earlier, Zimbabwe slumped to 114-6 by lunch after resuming on a wobbly 31-2.
Sean Williams (49) and captain Craig Ervine (22) showed some resilience and combined in a half-century stand before both left-handers perished late in the first session.
Williams was brilliantly snapped by wicketkeeper Tom Blundell down the leg side off captain Santner's delivery that slanted into the batter and Williams got a big tickle of the bat.
Henry beat the batters with wobble seam and was finally rewarded when he found the edge of Ervine's bat in the penultimate over of the first session. Will O'Rourke (3-28) struck twice and removed Nick Welch (4) and Vincent Masekesa (2) as Zimbabwe slipped to 53-4.
Sikandar Raza (5) disappointed in his comeback test match when he top-edged a pull to Henry soon after lunch.
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The second test begins at the same venue on Friday.
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Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
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Henry humble as Black Caps seal victory
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1News
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Zimbabwe limps to 31-2 after NZ takes big lead in first Test
Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell missed out on centuries but New Zealand was still in command after day two of the first cricket Test against Zimbabwe overnight. Conway made 88 and Mitchell was the last man out for 80 as the Black Caps were bowled out for 307 in their first innings. New Zealand's fast bowlers then made early inroads by removing Ben Curran (11) and Brian Bennett (18) as Zimbabwe reached 31-2 at stumps, still trailing by 127 runs. Tall paceman Blessing Muzarabani was the stand-out bowler for Zimbabwe with 3-73, and Tanaka Chivanga ignited a middle-order collapse with 2-51 before Mitchell batted well with the tail-enders to give New Zealand a clear advantage. No. 9 batter Nathan Smith braved several body blows against Muzarabani's short deliveries before he finally retired hurt for 22 due to an abdominal tear. ADVERTISEMENT It is highly unlikely that Smith will bowl in Zimbabwe's second innings as he walked off in pain after being struck on the body by Muzarabani. The morning's headlines in 90 seconds, including fleeing driver hits house, severe turbulence hits US flight, and massive new bug found in Australia. (Source: 1News) Earlier, Zimbabwe couldn't have asked for a better start when Muzarabani had Will Young (41) caught at forward short leg off the first ball. Nick Welch moved timely to his left and grabbed a stunning one-handed catch to dismiss Young before Henry Nicholls (34) and Conway produced a 66-run stand. Both left-handed batters were briefly troubled by pace bowler Newman Nyamhuri, when edges fell short of the fielders behind the wicket, before Conway lifted New Zealand past Zimbabwe's first-innings score of 149 with a straight-driven boundary off Nyamhuri. Nicholls, playing his first Test since Dec. 2023, completed 3,000 test runs when he reached 27 but gifted his wicket when he slashed Muzarabani straight to Bennett at gully. Sikandar Raza got some turn from the pitch and accounted for Rachin Ravindra (2), when captain Craig Ervine caught him at the second attempt as the lone slip. ADVERTISEMENT Conway was fluent with his driving, especially on the off side, bisecting the fielders against anything over-pitched by Zimbabwe's fast bowlers. But Conway, who hit a dozen boundaries, fell soon after lunch when Chivanga's short ball got big on him and Bennett took a smart head-high catch at gully. The fast bowler followed up with the wicket of Tom Blundell (2), who holed out at deep square leg. Nyamhuri (1-64) finally ended New Zealand's innings when Mitchell went for an over-ambitious ramp shot and got his middle stump uprooted off a full pitched delivery. The two-match series is not part of the World Test Championship, but it is the first Test between the two nations since 2016.
1News
4 days ago
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Black Caps crush Zimbabwe by nine wickets in three-day first test
Rampant New Zealand had to go to tea before crushing Zimbabwe by nine wickets in the first test between the two countries after a break of almost nine years. Zimbabwe avoided an innings defeat with some resistance from its tailenders as the home team was bowled out for 165 in its second innings, setting New Zealand a tiny target of eight runs. After the interval, fast bowler Newman Nyamhuri bowled Devon Conway before New Zealand reached 8-1 and finished the game inside three days at the Queens Sports Club. It is the same venue where both teams met last time in the longer format in 2016 and New Zealand won by 254 runs. The series was not part of the World Test Championship, but Zimbabwe's batting woes have continued in red-ball cricket in 2005 as it lost seven out of eight test matches. After being dismissed for 149 in the first innings and later conceding a 158-run lead, Zimbabwe batters once again failed despite New Zealand fast bowler Nathan Smith being ruled out with an abdominal tear he picked up while batting on Thursday. ADVERTISEMENT Matt Henry followed his superb 6-39 in the first innings with 3-51 but was denied his first test match haul of 10 wickets when Michael Bracewell spilt a catch of Tafadzwa Tsiga in the slips. Ajaz Patel, substituting for Smith, dropped Blessing Muzarabani and also missed a runout of Tsiga before Zimbabwe had wiped out the deficit. Captain Mitchell Santner (4-27) was the standout bowler in the second innings. Earlier, Zimbabwe slumped to 114-6 by lunch after resuming on a wobbly 31-2. Sean Williams (49) and captain Craig Ervine (22) showed some resilience and combined in a half-century stand before both left-handers perished late in the first session. Williams was brilliantly snapped by wicketkeeper Tom Blundell down the leg side off captain Santner's delivery that slanted into the batter and Williams got a big tickle of the bat. Henry beat the batters with wobble seam and was finally rewarded when he found the edge of Ervine's bat in the penultimate over of the first session. Will O'Rourke (3-28) struck twice and removed Nick Welch (4) and Vincent Masekesa (2) as Zimbabwe slipped to 53-4. Sikandar Raza (5) disappointed in his comeback test match when he top-edged a pull to Henry soon after lunch. ADVERTISEMENT The second test begins at the same venue on Friday.
