New Zealand crushes Zimbabwe by an innings and 359 runs in record Test win
Zimbabwe, trailing by 476 runs, was bowled out for 117 in an extended first session on Day 3 against a rampant four-pronged New Zealand pace attack.
BULAWAYO: New Zealand recorded its biggest-ever Test win when it crushed Zimbabwe by an innings and 359 runs in the second Test to wrap up a lopsided series 2-0 on Saturday.
Zimbabwe, trailing by 476 runs, was bowled out for 117 in an extended first session on Day 3 against a rampant four-pronged New Zealand pace attack.
Debutant fast bowler Zakary Foulkes followed his four-wicket haul in the first innings with 5-37 in the second outing and narrowly missed out a 10-wicket haul in his memorable debut Test.
But still Foulkes’ match haul of 9-75 was New Zealand’s best bowling figures by a Test debutant, surpassing Will O’Rourke’s match figures of 9-93 against South Africa at Hamilton last year.
Fast bowlers Matt Henry (2-16) and the two other pace bowling debutants Jacob Duffy (2-28) and Matthew Fisher (1-22) were also among the wickets as Zimbabwe was dismissed in 28.1 overs for its lowest total in the series.
“Obviously we lost the toss, but we bowled very well in the first innings,” observed Mitchell Santner. “We talked about keeping the standards up.”
No. 3 batter Nick Welch remained unbeaten on 47 off 71 balls and was one of only two Zimbabwe batters to reach double figures along with captain Craig Ervine, who made 17.
New Zealand had earlier declared its first innings at the overnight monumental 601-3 with Rachin Ravindra (165 not out) and Henry Nicholls (150 not out) combining in a blazing 256-run fourth-wicket stand. Devon Conway (153) also made his first test century after more than two years in New Zealand’s highest-ever total against Zimbabwe.
The home team had a disastrous start against some fiery New Zealand bowling, led by Henry.
Henry, who finished the series with 16 wickets, dismissed Brian Bennett for a pair in the match when he clean bowled the right-hander off just the third ball in Zimbabwe’s second innings.
Brendan Taylor had a forgetful comeback to Test cricket after a 3-1/2 year ban when he edged Henry into the slips as the fast bowler consistently hit the right lengths in his yet another impeccable opening spell.
Zimbabwe crashed to 24-3 inside the first six overs when Duffy grabbed a return catch after Sean Williams top-edged the fast bowler’s short delivery and was undone by extra bounce.
Brief scores: Zimbabwe 125 & 117 in 28.1 overs (N Welch 47*, Z Foulkes 5/37) lost to New Zealand 601/3
