Zakary Foulkes took nine wickets on debut as New Zealand beat Zimbabwe by an innings and 359 runs in Bulawayo. With this win, the visitors clean swept the home side 2-0 in the two-match Test series.
It was Brendan Taylor’s comeback match, but Zimbabwe’s batters could not do much in the first innings. Taylor was the highest scorer with 44 runs, which included six boundaries as they got bundled out for just 125. Matt Henry ran through the top order of Zimbabwe, while the middle order was dismantled by Foulkes. Henry took a five-for, while Foulkes claimed four wickets.
New Zealand had a great start to their first innings as Devon Conway and Will Young put together 162 runs for the first wicket. Jacob Duffy fell for 36, but Conway then took Henry Nicholls as his partner and stitched together a 110-run stand for the third wicket.
Rachin Ravindra then joined Nicholls at the crease, and they put on an unbeaten partnership of 256 runs, further strengthening New Zealand’s lead. Three of the five New Zealand batters scored 150-plus runs.
Ravindra was the highest scorer with an unbeaten 165 off 139 balls, which included 21 fours and two sixes. Conway made 153, including 18 fours, while Nicholls scored an unbeaten 150, including 15 fours. Ultimately, they declared on 601//3.
New Zealand secured an emphatic lead of 476 runs. Foulkes was outstanding in Zimbabwe’s second innings as well, taking the first five-for of his Test career, and that too on debut. Nick Welch scored 47 for Zimbabwe, but except for him and Craig Ervine, none of the Zimbabwe batters reached double digits. Eventually, the home side got bundled out for just 117. Conway was adjudged Player of the Match, while Henry was named Player of the Series for taking 16 wickets.
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