In a humbling display on home soil, Zimbabwe’s batting frailties were starkly exposed as Matt Henry’s fiery bowling display ripped through their lineup, bowling them out for a dismal 149 on Day 1 of the first Test against New Zealand at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo.
Choosing to bat first after winning the toss in sunny skies, the aspirations of a strong opening for Zimbabwe crumbled, as the team succumbed to the disciplined bowling attempt led by Matt Henry. The seasoned seamer took career-best 6 for 39, rooting the away team’s domination and sending the home team in shreds.
The Zimbabwe collapse persisted when Brian Bennett and Ben Curran departed in the first hour. Henry, unrelenting in assault, drove Bennett (6) into several doubtful edges before ultimately getting him caught at third slip by Will Young for. Curran (13) followed shortly, not being able to handle Henry’s shrewd angle around the wicket.
Nathan Smith, in characteristic harmony with Henry, inflicted further misery on the hosts, sending back cheaply Sean Williams as Zimbabwe continued to disintegrate, slipping to 31 for 3.
Captain Craig Ervine tried a comeback through Nick Welch(27), but the pair could not gain momentum. Welch briefly got in the groove with sweeps against spin but got out shortly after Henry was brought back. His exit at 67 for 4 left Zimbabwe’s middle order, once again, short of their potential.
Sikandar Raza (2), in Test cricket again, put up faint resistance but was dismissed by a brutal short-pitched deliveryfrom Henry, gloving a simple catch behind the wicket to wicketkeeper Tom Blundell.
Amidst the ruins, Tafadzwa Tsiga (30) partnered bravely with Ervine (39), putting together a crucial sixth-wicket partnership of 54 runs. Yet, just as they began stabilising the innings, Smith broke through, trapping both batsmen leg-before wicket. Controversy lingered around Ervine’s dismissal, as replays suggested the delivery might have drifted down leg. However, without Decision Review System (DRS) technology, Zimbabwe was left helpless.
The tail of Zimbabwe offered hardly any resistance. Newman Nyamhuri succumbed to a fierce Henry well directed bouncer, and Vincent Masekesa was undone in a calamitous run-out. Henry nicely wrapped up the Zimbabwe innings, inducing a leading edge from Blessing Muzarabani and caught in the covers, for the second lowest 2025 score of the home team.
Complete contrast was the New Zealand response. Their openers, Devon Conway and Will Young, found little bother on the same pitch, adding 92 for no loss at the close of play. Conway scored a classy, composed half-century (51*) in 83 balls, and Young provided good support with an unbeaten 41.
The day rightfully belonged to Matt Henry and New Zealand, now 57 runs behind Zimbabwe with all their wickets intact. The bowling of Zimbabwe, led by Muzarabani and Tanaka Chivanga, looked toothless and erratic, unable to match the cutting-edge performance of New Zealand.
Day 2 will prove to be a big ask for Zimbabwe as they badly need early wickets to bring a faint glimmer of a hope of surviving in this Test. New Zealand, buoyed up by their thumping day-one effort, seems all set up to establish a massive lead and boss the proceedings in Bulawayo.
As the evening wore on in Queens Sports Club, the only certainty was that Zimbabwe will have to make miracle efforts to avoid slippage in this Test match.
Score Summary (Day 1):
