Debutant Zakary Foulkes’ cool four-for and Matt Henry’s five-wicket haul set the tone for New Zealand’s strong opening day in Bulawayo, as the visitors easily reached 174/1 by stumps after Zimbabwe was bowled out for just 125 in 48.5 overs.
The only Zimbabwean batsman to hold up for an extended period of time was Brendan Taylor, who returned to Test cricket after more than three years. However, his dismissal after lunch set off a collapse in which the hosts lost their final six wickets for a mere 42 runs.
Craig Ervine, the captain of Zimbabwe, won the toss and chose to bat first on what appeared to be a dry surface. However, any hopes of a solid start were scuppered as Henry got off to a quick start in his opening nine overs, dismissing Brian Bennett with a stunning outswinger and then trapping Nick Welch leg before wicket with a nip-backer in the fifteenth over. On the stroke of noon, Foulkes took the wicket of Ervine and caught Sean Williams with a delivery that straightened off the seam, leaving Zimbabwe struggling at 67 for 4.
For a time, Taylor held one end, alternating between caution and the occasional drive, but Zimbabwe’s lower order rapidly collapsed after he was dismissed by Henry after a loose shot outside off. In one over, Foulkes reduced Zimbabwe to 83/7 by first catching Sikander Raza at leg gully and then trapping Trevor Gwandu in front with an in-ducker.
Matt Henry finished with five wickets after bowling a six-over spell this time and using late outswingers to dismiss Vincent Masekesa and Blessing Muzarabani.
Tanaka Chivanga ended a 25-run stand for the final wicket when he holed out to mid-off, giving Matthew Fischer his first wicket.
Will Young and Devon Conway, the openers for New Zealand, reached the team’s fifty in eight overs after batting through the last session mainly unscathed.
When Raza missed a difficult chance from Tanaka Chivanga at mid-wicket, Young was given a reprieve after reaching his half-century off just 49 balls.
Ervine’s low chance in the slip cordon on 42 and Vincent Masekesa’s close LBW shout on 72 were the first two instances where Conway, the more steady of the two, rode his luck to reach his half-century in 81 balls.
Late in the day, Gwandu broke the opening stand of 162 runs when Young under-edged a pull shot on 74. Zimbabwe bowled spinners from both ends as the lights went down, but they were unable to score another run, and New Zealand ended the day comfortably ahead.
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