Zimbabwe vs New Zealand | New Zealand tour of Zimbabwe, 2025 | 1st Test

Right then, that wraps up the first Test match of this 2-match short series, where New Zealand have taken a 1-0 lead. All eyes now turn to the second Test, which will begin on Thursday, August 7, at 8 am GMT. But you can join us an hour earlier for the pre-match coverage. Until then, stay tuned, and just change the tabs to catch up on the ongoing fifth Test between England and India at The Oval. CIAO!

New Zealand captain, Mitchell Santner, applauds his team's performance first, highlighting a strong collective effort. Mentions that the bowlers did well, exceeding expectations with the ball's movement, and restricting Zimbabwe to under 150 runs in the first inning. Santner notes that the batting could have been more clinical, but building a lead was a positive outcome. Praises the Zimbabwean bowlers, particularly Blessing Muzarabani, for making batting challenging with the ball bouncing sharply. Also acknowledges that his team needs to improve their batting in the next match. He also commends Nathan Smith's exceptional bowling, although an injury limited his contribution. The captain saw the silver lining in Smith's injury, as it gave Michael Bracewell and him extra practice with the ball.

Matt Henry is adjudged the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his total of 9 wickets in the match. He says that the transition from T20s to Test cricket is a bit tough, as adapting at the international level requires belief in the preparation and a strong skillset to back it up. Feels pleased with how the team was able to exploit the conditions on day one and establish a solid platform. Speaking about the injuries to Nathan Smith and Will O'Rourke, Henry mentions that both were being assessed and expresses hope that they would return before the second Test, while also acknowledging the importance of managing their workload with a long summer ahead. Concludes by saying it was great to be back playing Test cricket.

Zimbabwe captain, Craig Ervine, reflects on the team's performance in the Test match, noting that there was a lot more application from the team this time around. Feels that the pitch offered a lot on the first day, but the players tried to grind through it, sticking to their plans and showing intent. Although a few questionable decisions went against them, Ervine believes the team showed promise. Ervine mentions that the team had expected the pitch to play better than it did, with unexpected lateral movement, as he thought 250 would have been a competitive score on the first day, but Zimbabwe ended up about 100 runs short. Despite there being enough on the surface to take early wickets, things didn't go their way in the New Zealand innings. Praises the bowlers' effort on Day 2, saying they responded well and put in a solid performance. Acknowledges the team's fatigue after a long Test season, emphasising the importance of mental and physical freshness. The team will take a few days off to reassess and recharge before aiming to bounce back strong

Time for the Post-Match Presentations...

This win will be a huge morale booster for New Zealand, after winning the Tri-Nation series earlier. They were clinical from start to finish and stayed ahead every day of the match. They adapted better to the pitch, showed discipline with both bat and ball, and made Zimbabwe pay for every mistake.

Zimbabwe’s first innings collapse set the tone for them. The batters lacked focus and got out playing poor shots or failing to read the conditions. Only Craig Ervine looked settled, but the rest of the top order fell too cheaply. Bennett, Curran, and Raza fell within moments, and although Tsiga and Welch tried to rebuild, it never looked enough. They need to sort out their batting, which has been the major issue for them in this defeat. Henry’s 6-fer ripped through the line-up, and Zimbabwe’s inability to stitch partnerships cost them dearly. Even in the second innings, apart from Williams and Ervine, the batters looked out of sorts and failed to apply themselves again on a pitch that wasn’t overly challenging.

For New Zealand, it was a complete performance. The top order did the job with composed fifties from Conway and Daryl, while Young’s early start and Nicholls’ steady knock ensured stability. With the ball, Matt Henry was relentless across both innings, finishing with 9 wickets in the match, while Santner’s control and O’Rourke’s breakthroughs ensured Zimbabwe never got any breathing room. Though they did lose their two bowlers in the third inning, where Nathan Smith was ruled due to an abdominal tear, and Will O'Rourke complained of back stiffness and didn't take the field in the second session of Day 3, but skipper Santner did well to rotate his limited options smartly and won the game.

Day 3 offered Zimbabwe a faint glimmer of hope when Craig Ervine and Sean Williams put together a 57-run stand. But their dismissals just before lunch broke the back of Zimbabwe’s resistance. Tsiga tried his best again, adding 27 valuable runs, and a late 9th-wicket partnership with Blessing Muzarabani gave some cheer to the home fans. However, Mitchell Santner’s four-wicket haul wiped out the tail with ease. The pitch had a variable bounce, but New Zealand's bowlers also remained accurate and patient, making life hard for Zimbabwe's unsettled batters.

From the start, it was a one-sided contest with Zimbabwe constantly on the back foot. On Day 1, their batters collapsed against a sharp new-ball spell by Matt Henry and Nathan Smith, with only Craig Ervine and Tafadzwa Tsiga showing some grit. New Zealand responded assertively as Devon Conway and Will Young cruised to 92/0 by stumps. On Day 2, Zimbabwe clawed back slightly by taking regular wickets, but Daryl Mitchell’s gritty 80 and Smith’s late resistance helped the visitors to a sizeable total. The hosts ended Day 2 already trailing by 127 runs and two wickets down in their second innings.

CLINICAL AND DOMINANT. That would be the first two words to describe this thumping win for New Zealand as they have stamped their authority in Bulawayo with this pumping nine-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the opening Test of the two-match series. After electing to bat first, the hosts looked under pressure across the three days. The disciplined bowling attack of New Zealand dismantled Zimbabwe for 149 in the first innings, and a strong response with the bat saw them post 307, building a commanding 158-run lead. Zimbabwe, needing to bat long to force a fightback, couldn’t hold off the Kiwi pace and spin duo on Day 3 and were bowled out for just 165. Chasing a paltry target of 8 runs, New Zealand finished the game within three overs to take a 1-0 lead in the 2-match series.