Bulawayo (Zimbabwe): New Zealand recorded its biggest-ever test win when it crushed Zimbabwe by an innings and 359 runs in the second test to wrap up a lopsided series 2-0 on Saturday.
Zimbabwe, trailing by 476 runs, was bowled out for 117 in an extended first session on Day 3 against a rampant four-pronged New Zealand pace attack.
Debutant fast bowler Zakary Foulkes followed his four-wicket haul in the first innings with 5-37 in the second outing and narrowly missed out a 10-wicket haul in his memorable debut test.
But still Foulkes’ match haul of 9-75 was New Zealand’s best bowling figures by a test debutant, surpassing Will O’Rourke’s match figures of 9-93 against South Africa at Hamilton last year.
Fast bowlers Matt Henry (2-16) and the two other pace bowling debutants Jacob Duffy (2-28) and Matthew Fisher (1-22) were also among the wickets as Zimbabwe was dismissed in 28.1 overs for its lowest total in the series.
Obviously, we lost the toss, but we bowled very well in the first innings,” New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner. “We talked about keeping the standards up.”
No. 3 batter Nick Welch remained unbeaten on 47 off 71 balls and was one of only two Zimbabwe batters to reach double figures along with captain Craig Ervine, who made 17.
New Zealand had earlier declared its first innings at the overnight monumental 601-3 with Rachin Ravindra (165 not out) and Henry Nicholls (150 not out) combining in a blazing 256-run fourth-wicket stand. Devon Conway (153) also made his first test century after more than two years in New Zealand’s highest-ever total against Zimbabwe.
The home team had a disastrous start against some fiery New Zealand bowling, led by Henry.
Henry, who finished the series with 16 wickets, dismissed Brian Bennett for a pair in the match when he clean bowled the right-hander off just the third ball in Zimbabwe’s second innings.
Brendan Taylor had a forgetful comeback to test cricket after a 3-1/2-year ban when he edged Henry into the slips as the fast bowler consistently hit the right lengths in his yet another impeccable opening spell.
Zimbabwe crashed to 24-3 inside the first six overs when Duffy grabbed a return catch after Sean Williams top-edged the fast bowler’s short delivery and was undone by extra bounce.
Ervine and Welch combined in the best partnership of 25 runs before Fisher found a thick outside edge of Ervine’s bat.
Foulkes picked up five wickets within his six overs before Duffy finished off the game and had No. 11 Tanaka Chivanga caught in the gully.
New Zealand’s previous best victory in a test match also came against Zimbabwe in 2012 when it won by an innings and 301 runs at Napier.
It was also Zimbabwe’s sixth straight loss in test matches this year.
“It’s obviously been disappointing, specially the way we finished today,” Ervine said. “But we had a really tough, high-skilled opposition and it shows where we stand as a team in the test circuit.
“A lot of work for us to do and I think everyone will digest things differently, but you can see the space between us and the top teams.”
New Zealand had won the first test by nine wickets, inside three days, at the same venue last week. The series was not part of the World Test Championship but New Zealand finished its tour of Zimbabwe with all victories as it also won a T20 tri-series featuring Zimbabwe and South Africa.
