NZ vs ZIM: New Zealand won the first Test match of the series against Zimbabwe convincingly, pursuing a paltry total of eight runs after reducing Zimbabwe to 165 in their second innings. The show-stopper was Matt Henry, who took nine wickets in both innings, one of his best Test performances.
NZ vs ZIM: Match Details
| Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo | |
| Toss | Zimbabwe elected to bat first |
| Series | New Zealand tour of Zimbabwe |
| Season | 2025 |
| Player Of The Match |  Matt Henry |
| Series result | New Zealand led the 2-match series 1-0 |
| Match number | Test no. 2597 |
| Hours of play (local time) | 10.00 start, Lunch 12.00-12.40, Tea 14.40-15.00, Close 17.00 |
| Match days | 30,31 July,1 August 2025-day (5-day match) |
| Umpires |  Alex Wharf  Asif Yaqoob |
| TV Umpire |  Langton Rusere |
| Reserve Umpire | Iknow Chabi |
| Match Referee |  Ranjan Madugalle |
Dominant Bowling Sets the Tone for NZ vs ZIM Clash
| Bowling | O | M | R | W | ECON | WD | NB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Matt Henry | 21 | 5 | 51 | 3 | 2.42 | 0 | 0 |
Will O’Rourke | 10 | 4 | 28 | 3 | 2.80 | 0 | 0 |
Michael Bracewell | 15 | 2 | 42 | 0 | 2.80 | 0 | 0 |
Mitchell Santner | 17.1 | 6 | 27 | 4 | 1.57 | 0 | 0 |
Daryl Mitchell | 4 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 2.50 | 0 | 0 |
Although Nathan Smith departed early in the game with an abdominal strain, the New Zealand bowling attack did not relent. With Henry’s brilliance continuing throughout, Will O’Rourke (3/28) and Mitchell Santner (4/27) were instrumental in concluding Zimbabwe’s innings quickly on both occasions.
Zimbabwe’s Batting Woes Continue at Home
| Batting | R | B | M | 4s | 6s | SR | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Brian Bennett | c †Blundell b O’Rourke | 18 | 21 | 36 | 4 | 0 | 85.71 | ||
Ben Curran | c O’Rourke b Henry | 11 | 26 | 31 | 2 | 0 | 42.30 | ||
Nick Welch | c †Blundell b O’Rourke | 4 | 32 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 12.50 | ||
Vincent Masekesa | c Ravindra b O’Rourke | 2 | 40 | 58 | 0 | 0 | 5.00 | ||
Sean Williams | c †Blundell b Santner | 49 | 66 | 89 | 6 | 0 | 74.24 | ||
Craig Ervine (c) | c †Blundell b Henry | 22 | 53 | 76 | 3 | 0 | 41.50 | ||
Sikandar Raza | c Ravindra b Henry | 5 | 22 | 28 | 1 | 0 | 22.72 | ||
Tafadzwa Tsiga † | c Conway b Santner | 27 | 83 | 100 | 2 | 0 | 32.53 | ||
Newman Nyamhuri | b Santner | 1 | 9 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 11.11 | ||
Blessing Muzarabani | c sub (AY Patel) b Santner | 19 | 38 | 50 | 3 | 0 | 50.00 | ||
Tanaka Chivanga | not out | 0 | 13 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | ||
| Extras | (b 6, lb 1) | 7 | |||||||
| Total | 67.1 Ov (RR: 2.45) | 165 | |||||||
Zimbabwe’s only Test victory in 2025 came in April against Bangladesh in Chattogram. Their performance in this NZ vs ZIM encounter highlighted serious flaws in their batting lineup. Apart from Sean Williams’ fighting 49 and Tafadzwa Tsiga’s career-best contributions (30 and 27), the hosts had very little to show.
Zimbabwe had only one partnership in more than 50 in both innings, a 57-run fifth-wicket partnership between Craig Ervine and Williams. That proved insufficient to save them from yet another defeat.
Turning Points: Henry, Santner, and the Spin Trap
The turning point arrived when Zimbabwe nightwatchman Vincent Masekesa was sent back after a gritty 58-minute sojourn. The pitch started showing variable bounce, and New Zealand bowlers made full use of it.
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Sean Williams showed promise with some forceful strokeplay, including reverse sweeps against Michael Bracewell, but was dismissed after edging a ball from Santner. Shortly afterwards, Ervine was undone by a stunning delivery from Henry that seamed away just enough to catch the edge.
Sikandar Raza’s Position Under Scrutiny
All-rounder Sikandar Raza had a disappointing Test with the bat, having flung away his wicket through indiscriminate shots across his two innings. His dismissal in the second innings – an attempted mishit over midwicket off Henry cut a miserable figure. With Brendan Taylor expected to return for the second Test, Raza might find his place in the XI under threat. Final Resistance and Swift Chase
Despite a small lower-order resistance, a 36-run stand between Blessing Muzarabani and Tsiga, Zimbabwe, was bowled out just before tea on Day 3. Santner finished off the tail, and Tsiga, cutting up a slog sweep, was caught top edging for good measure.
New Zealand needed only eight runs for victory, and while Devon Conway was dismissed while trying to increase the tempo, Henry Nicholls hit a four on the way to the match being confirmed all too rapidly.
What’s Next in the NZ vs ZIM Series?
The second New Zealand vs Zimbabwe Test commences next Thursday, with both teams having the weekend to recharge. For New Zealand, fitness within the squad, especially Nathan Smith, will be the priority. For Zimbabwe, the quest will be to establish a settled batting lineup and lift morale after another home loss.
