Zimbabwe’s Test series against New Zealand ended in brutal fashion at Queen’s Sports Club, with the hosts suffering another thumping defeat that underlined their ongoing struggles against high-quality pace and movement.
Once again, Zimbabwe’s batting was found wanting, undone by a combination of the moving ball and genuine pace – a cocktail that has troubled them all series. Nick Welch’s fighting 47 was the only score of real substance, and with just one other player reaching double figures, partnerships were scarce. The highest stand in the innings was a mere 25, a statistic that tells its own story.
The damage was immediate. Brian Bennett fell in the opening over, beaten by Matt Henry after being set up by two balls that shaped away before one jagged back to uproot his middle stump. Brendan Taylor, recalled for this match, opened his account with a crisp boundary but lasted only until the fifth over before edging behind. Debutant Jacob Duffy got his first Test wicket when Sean Williams spooned a leading edge back to him, and from there, wickets fell in clusters.
Craig Ervine fell to the same full-ball trap that got him in the first innings, while Sikandar Raza’s well-known struggles against the short ball continued, bringing his series tally to 2, 5, 5, and 4. New Zealand’s pace trio of Henry, Duffy, and the outstanding William Foulkes dismantled the lower order, with Foulkes finishing with superb match figures of 9 for 75.
This result closes an intense period of Test cricket for Zimbabwe, who played eight matches in 2025, winning only once against Bangladesh. All their home Tests this year have ended in defeat. Attention now turns to the T20 World Cup Qualifiers in September, with Sri Lanka due to tour later this month for three ODIs and three T20Is — a format where Zimbabwe will hope for a far fairer contest.
