Fast bowler Matt Henry took 6/39 as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 149 on Wednesday in their innings of the 1st Test against New Zealand in nearly nine years. Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine, who won the toss, hoped his top-order batters would score runs, but the home team was dismissed in just over two sessions on the opening day, marking their second-lowest innings total of the year.
New Zealand stayed ahead in the second Test against Zimbabwe after solid half-centuries from Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell helped them secure a crucial first-innings lead on the second day at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Thursday, July 31.
The day began perfectly for Zimbabwe as Blessing Muzarabani struck with the very first ball, removing Will Young with a short delivery that cramped him for room. Muzarabani continued to exploit the short ball effectively, later dismissing Henry Nicholls who fell while trying to counter-attack the tactic.
Zimbabwe built on that early momentum just before lunch, with Sikandar Raza claiming the important wicket of Rachin Ravindra. Though New Zealand had taken the lead by that stage, the hosts walked into the break with growing confidence.
In the second session, Conway missed out on a century, falling to Tanaka Chivanga who also used the short ball to good effect. Chivanga followed it up by removing Tom Blundell, tilting the balance in Zimbabwe’s favour. Daryl Mitchell was left with little support as wickets tumbled around him, but he remained composed under pressure and added vital runs.
Mitchell finally found a partner in Nathan Smith, and the duo had to negotiate the second new ball. However, Smith was forced to retire hurt after suffering an abdominal strain, dealing a blow to New Zealand’s hopes with both bat and ball.
Matt Henry, the hero with the ball in the first innings, stepped up with the bat this time, striking a few boundaries to extend New Zealand’s lead. Eventually, the visitors were bowled out for 307 in the 97th over.
New Zealand reached 92/0 at stumps on the first day, with Devon Conway remaining unbeaten on 51 after achieving his 12th Test half-century and Will Young also looking solid at 41 not out. The return of Brian Bennett, Ben Curran, and Sikandar Raza to the longer format didn’t help against Henry’s incisive bowling, as he persistently challenged the batters with his precise line and lengths.
Chris Dent, Gloucestershire’s long-serving opening batter, has announced his retirement from professional cricket with immediate effect.
Dent, 34, represented Gloucestershire in 356 matches, scoring over 15,000 runs across all formats, including 11,237 at 36.01 in first-class cricket, placing him 28th on the club’s all-time list.
Born in Bristol, Dent joined Gloucestershire’s Pathway at the age of 12, and made his senior debut in 2009 during a Pro40 match against Nottinghamshire. He passed 1,000 first-class runs in a season on four occasions, most recently in 2019, when he captained the side to promotion to Division One, their first such appearance since 2005.
This season, however, he struggled for form in the opening round of Championship games, and had not featured for the first team since April.
“After 16 memorable seasons playing professional cricket, I’ve decided that the time is right to step away from the game,” Dent said. “It’s hard to put into words what cricket has given me, but I will always be truly grateful.
“I want to thank Gloucestershire CCC for giving me my opportunity 16 years ago. The support and faith you’ve shown me have been a huge part of any success I’ve had over the years.
With the ball in hand again, Henry continued to torment Zimbabwe, removing Ben Curran with yet another short delivery to register his seventh wicket of the match. William ORourke added to Zimbabwe’s problems by dismissing Brian Bennett shortly after.
Zimbabwe sent in Vincent Masekesa as a nightwatchman to see off the final few overs of the day. New Zealand deployed a double spin attack with Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell, but Zimbabwe held firm to reach stumps without further damage.
Though they are still trailing, Zimbabwe remain just about in the contest after a battling end to Day 2.
Read More: | ZIM vs NZ: Matt Henry leads charge as New Zealand blitz through Zimbabwe on Day 1