Henry’s Six Wickets Crumble Zimbabwe on Day One

New Zealand Dominates Opening Test Against Hosts

Fast bowler **Matt Henry** produced a stellar performance, taking six wickets for 39 runs, as Zimbabwe was skittled out for a meager 149 in their first Test against New Zealand in nearly a decade. The home side’s batting collapsed within two and a half sessions, marking one of their lowest innings totals this year.

New Zealand Off to a Flying Start

By the close of play on day one, New Zealand openers **Devon Conway** and **Will Young** had guided their team to a commanding 92 without loss. Conway remained unbeaten on 51, achieving his 12th Test half-century, while Young was solid on 41 not out. Their dominant partnership put New Zealand in a commanding position after a challenging day for the hosts.

Henry’s Incisive Bowling Undermines Zimbabwe

Despite the return of **Brian Bennett**, **Ben Curran**, and **Sikandar Raza** to the longer format, Zimbabwe’s batting order faltered against **Henry’s** sustained pressure. His precise line and length consistently troubled the batters. **Henry** secured early wickets, removing **Bennett** and **Curran** with edges before lunch, and then accounted for **Nick Welch** just before the interval, leaving Zimbabwe precariously placed at 67-4.

Earlier, **Nathan Smith** had reduced Zimbabwe to 31-3, including the dismissal of **Sean Williams**, who chopped a short ball onto his stumps. While **Ervine** and **Welch** managed to find some boundaries against spinners **Mitchell Santner** and **Michael Bracewell**, their efforts were ultimately in vain.

Dropped Chances Prove Costly

Zimbabwe’s captain **Craig Ervine**, who won the toss and opted to bat, was dropped early on 39 by **Devon Conway**, and **Tafadzwa Tsiga** was also reprieved on 18 by **Nathan Smith**. Despite these second chances, both batters struggled against the disciplined bowling of **Henry** and **Smith**. **Smith** eventually trapped both **Ervine** and **Tsiga** leg before wicket in successive overs, although replays suggested **Ervine** may have been fortunate with one decision.

**Sikandar Raza** lasted just two runs on his return, nicking a sharp short ball from **Henry** to wicketkeeper **Tom Blundell**. **Henry** then swiftly cleaned up the tail, with **Blessing Muzarabbani** offering a leading edge to a diving catch by **Mitchell Santner**.

New Zealand Captain Confident in Pace Attack

**Mitchell Santner**, captaining New Zealand for the first time in the absence of injured **Tom Latham**, had backed his fast bowlers to exploit a responsive pitch. “I thought our three fast bowlers would get the most out of a soft pitch,” **Santner** had hoped after losing the toss and being asked to field.

New Zealand boasts a strong historical record against Zimbabwe in Tests, having won 11 of their 17 encounters. This series marks their first Test meeting since 2016. Zimbabwe’s home Test record is particularly poor, with their last victory coming against Pakistan in 2013. In the current year, Zimbabwe has played seven Test matches, losing six and winning one, underscoring their struggles.

The Black Caps are without several key players, including injured captain **Tom Latham** and **Glenn Phillips**. **Kane Williamson** is also unavailable for the series, and fast bowler **Kyle Jamieson** is on paternity leave. **Santner** successfully led New Zealand to a white-ball tri-series title in Harare just last week, defeating South Africa in the final.

This Test series is not part of the World Test Championship standings.

New Zealand secured a dominant victory, chasing down thier target with ease thanks to a stellar performance from Tim Seifert. The opening partnership between Seifert and Devon Conway (14) set the tone, amassing the tournament’s highest score during the batting power play and propelling New Zealand to 55-1 in the first six overs. South Africa’s bowling attack struggled with consistency, conceding 17 wides and failing to contain the aggressive start.

Despite a late breakthrough by Simelane, who found the edge of Conway’s bat, and two crucial wickets from spinner Senuran Muthusamy (2-24) against rachin Ravindra (3) and Mark Chapman (10), Seifert remained a formidable force. He reached his half-century off 38 balls with a powerful six, showcasing his dominance. The South African fielding effort was further marred by a misfield from fast bowler Kwena Maphaka, whose low full toss was expertly dispatched by Seifert for the winning boundary.

South Africa’s Top Order Falters

South africa’s batting lineup struggled to gain traction on a challenging two-paced wicket after New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and opted to field. Rassie van der dussen (14) showed brief flashes of form with three boundaries but was undone by an enterprising shot against Adam Milne, who clean-bowled him. Chapman executed a breathtaking run-out of Rubin hermann, sprinting from mid-wicket and diving to break the stumps at the non-striker’s end.

The South African innings unraveled further when Dewald Brevis, a key batter, edged a delivery from Will O’Rourke to wicketkeeper Seifert in the 10th over. Captain Mitchell Santner effectively stifled the middle order, taking two wickets for 26 runs, including that of Lhuan-dre Pretorius (1), who had been moved down the order. Jacob Duffy (2-33) played a notable role in dismantling the lower order, first removing Hendricks caught at cover after a patient 37-ball innings, and then claiming the wicket of Gerald Coetzee, who also attempted an upper-cut and was caught by Seifert for his second dismissal.