NZ in ZIM, 2 Tests, 2025 Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo 3^rd Day

2.2: Newman Nyamhuri to Henry Nicholls, FOUR! Here comes the winning runs from the bat of Henry Nicholls. Short-pitched, on middle and off. Henry Nicholls pulls this flat and through the mid-wicket region for a boundary to win the first Test by 9 wickets.

2.1: Newman Nyamhuri to Henry Nicholls, On a length around the pads, Henry Nicholls gets inside and goes for the flick but misses. 

1.6: Sean Williams to Will Young, Fuller on off, Will Young blocks this off his back foot. A maiden over. 

1.5: Sean Williams to Will Young, Pushed through around off, Will Young edges this to short third for another dot.

1.4: Sean Williams to Will Young, Short of a length on off, Will Young cuts this to point for no run.

1.3: Sean Williams to Will Young, Fuller, on middle and leg, Will Young goes for the slog sweep, gets it off the inside edge and onto his pads for no run.

1.2: Sean Williams to Will Young, Tossed up on off, Will Young defends this well.

1.1: Sean Williams to Will Young, Fuller around off, Will Young drives this to cover for no run. 

Right then, that wraps up the first Test match of this 2-match short series, where New Zealand have taken a 1-0 lead. All eyes now turn to the second Test, which will begin on Thursday, August 7, at 8 am GMT. But you can join us an hour earlier for the pre-match coverage. Until then, stay tuned, and just change the tabs to catch up on the ongoing fifth Test between England and India at The Oval. CIAO!:

New Zealand captain, Mitchell Santner, applauds his team's performance first, highlighting a strong collective effort. Mentions that the bowlers did well, exceeding expectations with the ball's movement, and restricting Zimbabwe to under 150 runs in the first inning. Santner notes that the batting could have been more clinical, but building a lead was a positive outcome. Praises the Zimbabwean bowlers, particularly Blessing Muzarabani, for making batting challenging with the ball bouncing sharply. Also acknowledges that his team needs to improve their batting in the next match. He also commends Nathan Smith's exceptional bowling, although an injury limited his contribution. The captain saw the silver lining in Smith's injury, as it gave Michael Bracewell and him extra practice with the ball.:

Matt Henry is adjudged the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his total of 9 wickets in the match. He says that the transition from T20s to Test cricket is a bit tough, as adapting at the international level requires belief in the preparation and a strong skillset to back it up. Feels pleased with how the team was able to exploit the conditions on day one and establish a solid platform. Speaking about the injuries to Nathan Smith and Will O'Rourke, Henry mentions that both were being assessed and expresses hope that they would return before the second Test, while also acknowledging the importance of managing their workload with a long summer ahead. Concludes by saying it was great to be back playing Test cricket.:

Zimbabwe captain, Craig Ervine, reflects on the team's performance in the Test match, noting that there was a lot more application from the team this time around. Feels that the pitch offered a lot on the first day, but the players tried to grind through it, sticking to their plans and showing intent. Although a few questionable decisions went against them, Ervine believes the team showed promise. Ervine mentions that the team had expected the pitch to play better than it did, with unexpected lateral movement, as he thought 250 would have been a competitive score on the first day, but Zimbabwe ended up about 100 runs short. Despite there being enough on the surface to take early wickets, things didn't go their way in the New Zealand innings. Praises the bowlers' effort on Day 2, saying they responded well and put in a solid performance. Acknowledges the team's fatigue after a long Test season, emphasising the importance of mental and physical freshness. The team will take a few days off to reassess and recharge before aiming to bounce back strong:

Time for the Post-Match Presentations... :

This win will be a huge morale booster for New Zealand, after winning the Tri-Nation series earlier. They were clinical from start to finish and stayed ahead every day of the match. They adapted better to the pitch, showed discipline with both bat and ball, and made Zimbabwe pay for every mistake. :

Zimbabwe’s first innings collapse set the tone for them. The batters lacked focus and got out playing poor shots or failing to read the conditions. Only Craig Ervine looked settled, but the rest of the top order fell too cheaply. Bennett, Curran, and Raza fell within moments, and although Tsiga and Welch tried to rebuild, it never looked enough. They need to sort out their batting, which has been the major issue for them in this defeat. Henry’s 6-fer ripped through the line-up, and Zimbabwe’s inability to stitch partnerships cost them dearly. Even in the second innings, apart from Williams and Ervine, the batters looked out of sorts and failed to apply themselves again on a pitch that wasn’t overly challenging.:

For New Zealand, it was a complete performance. The top order did the job with composed fifties from Conway and Daryl, while Young’s early start and Nicholls’ steady knock ensured stability. With the ball, Matt Henry was relentless across both innings, finishing with 9 wickets in the match, while Santner’s control and O’Rourke’s breakthroughs ensured Zimbabwe never got any breathing room. Though they did lose their two bowlers in the third inning, where Nathan Smith was ruled due to an abdominal tear, and Will O'Rourke complained of back stiffness and didn't take the field in the second session of Day 3, but skipper Santner did well to rotate his limited options smartly and won the game. :

Day 3 offered Zimbabwe a faint glimmer of hope when Craig Ervine and Sean Williams put together a 57-run stand. But their dismissals just before lunch broke the back of Zimbabwe’s resistance. Tsiga tried his best again, adding 27 valuable runs, and a late 9th-wicket partnership with Blessing Muzarabani gave some cheer to the home fans. However, Mitchell Santner’s four-wicket haul wiped out the tail with ease. The pitch had a variable bounce, but New Zealand's bowlers also remained accurate and patient, making life hard for Zimbabwe's unsettled batters.:

From the start, it was a one-sided contest with Zimbabwe constantly on the back foot. On Day 1, their batters collapsed against a sharp new-ball spell by Matt Henry and Nathan Smith, with only Craig Ervine and Tafadzwa Tsiga showing some grit. New Zealand responded assertively as Devon Conway and Will Young cruised to 92/0 by stumps. On Day 2, Zimbabwe clawed back slightly by taking regular wickets, but Daryl Mitchell’s gritty 80 and Smith’s late resistance helped the visitors to a sizeable total. The hosts ended Day 2 already trailing by 127 runs and two wickets down in their second innings.:

CLINICAL AND DOMINANT. That would be the first two words to describe this thumping win for New Zealand as they have stamped their authority in Bulawayo with this pumping nine-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the opening Test of the two-match series. After electing to bat first, the hosts looked under pressure across the three days. The disciplined bowling attack of New Zealand dismantled Zimbabwe for 149 in the first innings, and a strong response with the bat saw them post 307, building a commanding 158-run lead. Zimbabwe, needing to bat long to force a fightback, couldn’t hold off the Kiwi pace and spin duo on Day 3 and were bowled out for just 165. Chasing a paltry target of 8 runs, New Zealand finished the game within three overs to take a 1-0 lead in the 2-match series.:

Henry Nicholls walks out at 3. :

67.1: Mitchell Santner to Tafadzwa Tsiga, OUT! CAUGHT! DONE! Zimbabwe have been bowled out for 165 and New Zealand need just eight runs to win the game. Santner tosses it up and keeps it around off, Tafadzwa Tsiga gets down on his knee and looks to go for a big lofted shot downtown, but the ball is slow and too close to his body. Generates a top edge that goes in the air towards cover point, where Devon Conway moves to his left and goes to catch it low around his knee height, but fails to grab it in the first attempt. The ball lobs up, and Conway manages to snatch it and grab it on the second attempt. Santner smiles there, having his hands on his head, as he would have believed that it would also go down, but Devon manages to take it, and Zimbabwe have managed a lead of just 7 runs.

66.6: Michael Bracewell to Tanaka Chivanga, Fuller on off, Tanaka Chivanga rolls this to deep mid on and wants a single but is sent back by Tafadzwa Tsiga. 

66.5: Michael Bracewell to Tanaka Chivanga, Fuller around off, Tanaka Chivanga defends this out. 

66.4: Michael Bracewell to Tanaka Chivanga, Floated up and outside off, Tanaka keeps it out into the off side.

66.3: Michael Bracewell to Tanaka Chivanga, Full and around off, Tanaka Chivanga defends it towards cover.

66.2: Michael Bracewell to Tafadzwa Tsiga, Tossed it up and around off, Tafadzwa Tsiga uses his feet and knocks it down to long on for one.

66.1: Michael Bracewell to Tafadzwa Tsiga, Nagging length and around off, Tafadzwa Tsiga tucks it to short leg.

65.6: Mitchell Santner to Tanaka Chivanga, Drifting on the pads, tucked it to square leg off the back foot. 

65.5: Mitchell Santner to Tanaka Chivanga, Full and around off, Tanaka comes forward and flicks it but onto his pads only.

65.4: Mitchell Santner to Tanaka Chivanga, Full and outside off, left alone.

65.3: Mitchell Santner to Tanaka Chivanga, NOT-OUT! Full and around off, Tanaka Chivanga comes forward and drives it towards mid off. Tafadzwa Tsiga wants a quick single but is sent back quickly. The fielder there quickly moves to his left and collects the ball before making a direct hit at the bowling end, where Tsiga has dragged his bat in the crease to get back. The replays suggest that Tsiga has made it but this is too much risk to take a single only. Also, the frustration of New Zealand is rising with each ball and appeal.

65.2: Mitchell Santner to Tanaka Chivanga, Full and around off, Tanaka Chivanga comes forward and defends it.

65.1: Mitchell Santner to Tanaka Chivanga, Nagging length and outside off, left alone.