Did Henry Claim 6-39 as New Zealand Bundle Out Zimbabwe for 149 While Conway Scores Fifty?

Bulawayo (Zimbabwe), July 30 (NationPress) In a thrilling display of skill, Matt Henry achieved the fifth five-wicket haul of his career, while Devon Conway secured an unbeaten half-century, leading New Zealand to an impressive first day in the opening Test of the two-match series against Zimbabwe at the Queens Sport Club on Wednesday.

Henry delivered remarkable figures of 6-39, complemented by Nathan Smith’s 3-20, as the BlackCaps executed a stellar bowling display to dismiss Zimbabwe for a mere 149 in their first innings before the afternoon session concluded.

Conway displayed patience, scoring an unbeaten 51, marking his 12th Test half-century, while Will Young contributed an impressive 41 not out, allowing New Zealand to finish day one at 92 for no loss, still trailing Zimbabwe by 57 runs but in a commanding position to establish a significant first-innings total.

This performance brings Matt Henry to equal his achievement from last year, where he also recorded three five-wicket hauls, concluding with 48 wickets at an average of 18.58 across nine matches. This marks his third-best Test innings haul, following his 7-67 against Australia in Christchurch last March and his 7-23 against South Africa in Christchurch in February 2022.

After Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine opted to bat first, Henry made an immediate impact by dismissing Brian Bennett, who edged a delivery back to Will Young. By lunch, Zimbabwe had stumbled to 67/4, with Henry taking three wickets, including Ben Curren and Nick Welch. Upon resumption, he added the wickets of Sikandar Raza, Newman Nyamhuri, and Blessing Muzarabani to complete his six-wicket haul.

Craig Ervine was the top scorer for Zimbabwe with 39 runs off 115 balls, hitting six fours before being trapped LBW by Smith, while Tafadzwa Tsiga added 30 before also falling LBW to Smith. In total, six Zimbabwe batters failed to reach double figures.

With captain Tom Latham sidelined due to injury, Mitchell Santner made his debut as Test captain, effectively managing his bowling resources.

In response, New Zealand started strongly despite some challenging moments from Newman Nyamhuri and Sikandar Raza. Both Conway and Young exhibited confidence, completing their innings without losing a wicket. Conway reached his half-century in just 83 balls, striking eight boundaries.

Both players will look to build on their solid starts when play resumes on day two on Thursday.

Brief scores:

Zimbabwe 149 all out in 60.3 overs (Craig Ervine 39; Matt Henry 6-39, Nathan Smith 3-20). New Zealand 92 for no loss in 26 overs (Devon Conway 51 not out, Will Young 41 not out).