BULAWAYO: New Zealand’s pace attack delivered a ruthless performance in the second Test against Zimbabwe securing a crushing innings and 359-run victory at Queens Sports Club their biggest win in Test history and one of the most dominant in the sport.
It was also the third-largest innings victory in Test cricket, behind England’s win over Australia in 1938 and Australia’s triumph over South Africa in 2022.
With the win, New Zealand completed a 2-0 series whitewash and broke a 29-year-old record held by Pakistan, becoming only the second team to dismiss Zimbabwe entirely through fast bowling in a Test match. Pakistan first achieved this feat in 1995 in Harare.
Zimbabwe collapsed in both innings, scoring 125 and 117, unable to handle New Zealand’s pace attack. All 20 wickets were taken by fast bowlers, led by debutant Zakary Foulkes with nine wickets. Matt Henry, Matthew Fisher, and Jacob Duffy supported strongly.
New Zealand posted a huge 601/3 declared, their highest total vs. Zimbabwe, with centuries from Conway, Young, and Ravindra. Stand-in captain Mitch Santner praised the team’s complete effort despite losing the toss. Strong bowling and batting partnerships secured the win.
This was New Zealand’s biggest win over Zimbabwe, surpassing their 2011/12 record. Zimbabwe suffered their sixth straight Test loss, highlighting struggles in Test cricket. The victory boosts New Zealand’s World Test Championship campaign and shows their strength as a team.
