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Queens Sports Club: Matt Henry’s incisive seam bowling decimated hosts Zimbabwe on the opening day of their second Test against New Zealand, as the hosts crumbled for 125 all out— their second-lowest total since 2023 -- at the Queens Sports Club here on Thursday.

In reply, New Zealand openers Devon Conway and Will Young compounded Zimbabwe’s woes with a dominant 162-run partnership as the tourists reached 174/1 in 39 overs for a lead of 49 runs. New Zealand had won the first Test by 9 wickets at the same venue in three days, with Matt Henry bagging a match-haul of 9 wickets for 90 runs.

Zimbabwe’s decision to bat first on a surface that offered early movement but little bounce quickly backfired. Henry, leading a pace quartet that included three debutants—Zakary Foulkes, Jacob Duffy, and Matthew Fisher—was relentless, returning figures of 5 for 40. Foulkes, in particular, impressed on debut, combining pace and late movement to claim the key wicket of the experienced Sean Williams (11) as he finished with a haul of 4-38.