New Zealand Crush Zimbabwe By Nine Wickets To Claim First Test Victory

New Zealand wrapped up a dominant victory over Zimbabwe in just three days, clinching the first Test by nine wickets at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Friday.

Stand-in captain Mitchell Santner led from the front, claiming four wickets as Zimbabwe were bundled out for 165 in their second innings after resuming the day at 31-2. That left the visitors needing just eight runs to win the match, a target they chased down in only 14 deliveries.

The chase, however, wasn’t without a hiccup. Opener Devon Conway was bowled for four by Newman Nyamburi in the first over. But Henry Nicholls calmly struck the winning run in the third over after tea, putting New Zealand 1-0 up in the two-match series.

Zimbabwe had started the day hoping to erase a 158-run first-innings deficit and set a challenging target for the Black Caps. But the hosts were always facing an uphill battle, especially as New Zealand were two bowlers down Nathan Smith sustained an abdominal strain on Day 2, while Will O’Rourke did not bowl after lunch on Friday due to back stiffness.

The collapse resumed early as Zimbabwe managed only three runs before Nick Welch edged behind off O’Rourke. By lunch, they had slumped to 114-6, still trailing by 44 runs. Key wickets had already fallen Sean Williams, their top scorer with 49, was caught down the leg side, and captain Craig Ervine edged Matt Henry for 22.

Henry, who had taken 6-39 in the first innings, continued as the sole pace option after lunch. He picked up the crucial wicket of Sikandar Raza, completing a nine-wicket haul in the match. Santner then cleaned up the tail, finishing with figures of 4-27 from 17.1 overs. Henry ended with 3-51 in the second innings, while O’Rourke contributed 3-28 before leaving the field.

Zimbabwe had won the toss on Wednesday and opted to bat, managing just 149 in their first innings. New Zealand responded strongly with 307-9, setting up a comprehensive first-innings lead that laid the foundation for the swift win.

The two sides will meet again in the second and final Test as New Zealand look to seal the series.