ZIM vs NZ

3:07 PM local time (6:37 PM IST): That will be all from this, the 1st Test match at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. Not the kind of result the hosts wanted, but the Blackcaps won't complain one bit. We will be back again with the second game from the 7th of August at 10:00 AM local time (1:30 PM IST) at this very venue. Will that one see Days 4 and 5? We shall see! For now, this is Soorya and Bidipto taking your leave. Keep following Sportskeeda for more cricketing action! 

Mitchell Santner (New Zealand captain): "I think it was a great collective performance. With the ball, our lengths and lines were pretty impressive! Matt Henry was special, and with the kind of performances he is putting up, he is only getting better. We could have been more clinical with the bat, could have put more runs on the board. Blessing Muzarabani was getting the ball to climb, steeply! But yes, we will look to get better with the bat in the next game. Nathan Smith bowled well, really well actually, and it is so unfortunate that he could not play much of a part in the game since last evening. Let's see how his body pulls up now. One thing is for sure, it gave Michael Bracewell and me a few more overs under our belt!"

Matt Henry is unsurprisingly the Player of the Match for a match haul of 9/90. Here's what he has to say: "I think that's probably the nature of playing Test cricket. You chop and change between formats and have to trust all the work you've done in the format and trust your skillset. We had a little bit of assistance. It was great how we could exploit it on Day 1 and set up a great platform for us to go from there. (Will Smith and O'Rourke be fine for the next game?) Hope so - I think they'll both get checked up today. We've got another game here and a big home summer coming up as well. Just being smart with our bodies is important. Great to be back playing Test cricket and to have this result is great."

Craig Ervine (Zimbabwe captain): "I thought there was a lot more application in this Test. There was a fair bit in the wicket on the first day and the guys really did try and grind as much as they could. Unfortunately it didn't go our way - a few dodgy decisions there but the guys stuck to their plans on what they wanted to do and execute. We actually thought it would play a little bit better than it did. We haven't seen this much lateral movement here for a long time. I thought 250 was going to be decent given the conditions on that first day but unfortunately we were about 100 short. When we came out on that first day we could've easily picked up two or three. There was definitely enough in the wicket to do so but unfortunately it didn't happen. The bowlers did a lot better on the second day and fared well I thought. We've been on the road for a fair bit and we've played quite a few Tests. A fresh mind and a fresh body is just as important as putting in the preparations. We'll take a couple of days off, go back to the drawing board and comeback stronger."

2:46 PM local time (6:16 PM IST): New Zealand win by 9 wickets inside three days! 

Craig Ervine - 39 (116) and 22 (53) || Blessing Muzarabani - 3/73 (26) and Newman Nyumhuri - 1/8 (1.2)
Devon Conway - 88 (170) and 4 (6) || Matt Henry - 6/39 (15.3) and 3/51 (21)

It was a moment's wait really, but New Zealand could not quite finish it off with all 10 wickets intact. Devon Conway chopped on to hand Newman Nyumhuri a wicket. But Henry Nicholls did not take much time to finish things off. 

But the architect of this victory was none other than Matt Henry! Yes he did get some help off this wicket, but his probing lines and lengths were like a lesson on how to bowl on surfaces like these! He has upped his game to an all new high at this stage of his international career, which is superb to note! 

Zimbabwe were okay with the ball. But their big issue was the batting. In either innings, the opening batters failed to give them a solid start. Opening the batting is no easy job, but, heading back to the pavilion cheaply on both counts does no good to a middle-order which is looking to cash in on a decent start. 

The likes of Sean Williams, Craig Ervine and Sikandar Raza needed to score big. Tafadzwa Tsiga too had to chip in with handy knocks. None of that happened and so, Zimbabwe hardly stood a chance. 

It is their batting which has to pull its socks up, big time! Maybe the inclusion of Brendan Taylor solves some of the problem, but what every fan of Test cricket wants of them, is some fight with the bat, collectively. 

2.2 Newman Nyamhuri to Henry Nicholls, THAT IS THAT! NEW ZEALAND TAKE THE FIRST TEST! Short around off-stump. Nicholls gets on top of the bounce and pulls it hard, in front of square on the on-side, for a boundary to finish the match! 

2.1 Newman Nyamhuri to Henry Nicholls, good length and down the leg-side on this occasion. This dies down to the keeper as Nicholls lets it go. 

1.6 Sean Williams to Will Young, fuller and flatter on off-stump. Tapped to the left of backward point from the slight forward press, no run. Maiden over! 

0.6 Newman Nyamhuri to Devon Conway, BOWLED HIM! Back of a length on off-stump. Conway advances and looks to carve it through cover but all he does in the process is inside-edge it back on to his stumps! So, it won't be a 10-wicket win for New Zealand!