Matt Henry takes six to put New Zealand in command against Zimbabwe

BULAWAYO: Matt Henry’s six-wicket haul, followed by Devon Conway’s unbeaten half-century, put New Zealand in a commanding position on the opening day of the first Test against Zimbabwe here at the Queens Sports Club on Wednesday.

At the stumps on day one, the touring side were 92/0, trailing by a mere 57 runs, with Conway and Will Young unbeaten on 51 and 41, respectively.

The duo will now resume New Zealand’s first innings on the subsequent day and will be looking to nullify the deficit and then amass a handy lead, while the home side will vie to hit back, especially through their spinners, as the surface showed signs of turns in the dying minutes of the opening day.

Earlier in the day, Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine won the toss and opted to bat first, a decision which backfired as Henry-led New Zealand bowling attack booked them for a meagre 149 in 60.3 overs.

Skipper Ervine remained the top-scorer for the home side with a cautious 39 off 116 deliveries, laced with six boundaries.

He was also involved in a 54-run partnership for the sixth wicket with wicketkeeper batter Tafadzwa Tsiga, who made a 78-ball 30.

Besides the duo, only top-order batters Nick Welch and Ben Curran could amass double figures, scoring 27 and 13, respectively, while the rest struggled against a disciplined New Zealand bowling attack.

Henry was the standout bowler for New Zealand, picking up six wickets for just 39 runs in 15.3 overs, out of which three were maidens.

He was adequately supported by fellow pacer Nathan Smith, who bagged three wickets for just 20 runs in 14 overs.