BULAWAYO: New Zealand completed their biggest win in Test cricket with a crushing innings and 359-run victory over Zimbabwe to clinch the series 2-0 at Queens Sports Club on Saturday.

Zimbabwe, who suffered their heaviest Test defeat, were bowled out for 117 after New Zealand declared overnight on 601-3 following centuries by Devon Conway (153), Rachin Ravindra (165 not out) and Henry Nicholls (150 not out).

Seamer Zakary Foulkes completed figures of 5-37 to go with 4-38 in their first innings, the best by a New Zealander on debut.

Nick Welch put up lone resistance for the home side with an unbeaten 47 and captain Craig Ervine (17) was the only other player to get into double figures. Extras (16) was the third highest scorer.

“It’s been a great series,” New Zealand seamer Matt Henry said. “I think as a group we knew that we needed to capitalise on the new ball and ask questions early. “The skillset we have as a group, we can complement each other. The way the guys are coming in and backing their skillset, it’s awesome to see.”

It was the third-biggest win by an innings in Test history. England beat Australia by an innings and 579 runs at The Oval in London in 1938. Australia defeated South Africa by an innings and 360 runs in Johannesburg in 2001/02.

“We bowled well in the first innings after losing the toss,” said Mitch Santner, who captained New Zealand in both Tests in the absence of the injured Tom Latham. “And the batsmen got through some tough periods with their partnerships and then cashed in.”

New Zealand’s previous biggest win — and Zimbabwe’s previous heaviest defeat — was by an innings and 301 runs when the two teams met in Napier in 2011/12.

Zimbabwe suffered their sixth successive defeat — four of them by an innings — since beating Bangladesh in Sylhet in April.

Trailing by 476 on their first innings, it was always going to be a tall order for Zimbabwe to make their visitors bat again, but they would have hoped their second innings lasted longer than 28.1 overs.

It took only three balls for Henry (2-16) to start the home team’s collapse when he bowled Brian Bennett for his second duck of the match.

Henry had Brendan Taylor, back from a three-and-a-half year ICC suspension, caught at second slip and Jacob Duffy caught Sean Williams off his own bowling before Matthew Fisher had Ervine held at third slip.

When experienced batter Sikandar Raza (4) fell, the score was 54-5 and Foulkes, who briefly returned to New Zealand after a triangular Twenty20 series but was recalled after Nathan Smith was injured in the first Test, ran through the tail.

“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.”

Scoreboard

ZIMBABWE (1st Innings) 125 (B. Taylor 44; M. Henry 5-40, Z. Foulkes 4-38).

NEW ZEALAND (1st Innings) 601-3 declared (D. Conway 153, H. Nicholls 150 not out, R. Ravindra 165 not out)

ZIMBABWE (2nd Innings):

B. Bennett b Henry0

B. Taylor c Young b Henry7

N. Welch not out47

S. Williams c&b Duffy9

C. Ervine c Foulkes b Fisher17

S. Raza c Conway b Foulkes4

T. Tsiga c Blundell b Foulkes5

V. Masekesa b Foulkes4

T. Gwandu b Foulkes0

B. Muzarabani c Santner b Foulkes8

T. Chivanga c Conway b Duffy0

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-10, NB-1, W-1)16

TOTAL (all out, 28.1 overs)117

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-0 (Bennett), 2-11 (Taylor), 3-24 (Williams), 4-49 (Ervine), 5-54 (Raza), 6-64 (Tsiga), 7-78 (Masekesa), 8-86 (Gwandu), 9-98 (Muzarabani)

BOWLING: Henry 7-3-16-2, Duffy 7.1-2-28-2 (1w, 1nb), Foulkes 9-2-37-5, Fisher 5-0-22-1.

RESULT: New Zealand won by an innings and 359 runs.

Published in Dawn, August 10th, 2025