Decoding Matt Henry's sensational show in Zimbabwe Test series
What's the story
The New Zealand cricket team concluded a successful tour of Zimbabwe, defeating the hosts by an innings and 359 runs in the second and final Test to win the series 2-0. The match was played in Bulawayo and concluded on Saturday. Pacer Matt Henry was named the Player of the Series as he breathed venom with the red cherry. Here we decode his performance in the Zimbabwe Test series.
1st Test
Brilliant show in the opener
Henry tore Zimbabwe apart on Day 1 of the opening game, claiming figures worth 6/39 from 15.3 overs. His brilliance saw Zimbabwe get bowled for 149. The pacer recorded the second-best innings figures for NZ versus Zimbabwe. He is only behind Chris Martin (6/26 in Napier, 2012). Henry picked figures worth 3/51 from 21 overs in the 3rd innings as Zimbabwe were brushed aside for 165. The Kiwis later won the duel by nine wickets.
Feat
Henry joins Shane Bond on this list
The series opener saw Henry become just the second NZ bowler to claim at least nine wickets in a Test versus Zimbabwe. With a match haul of 9/90 from 36.3 overs, the pacer joined the legendary Shane Bond (10/99 in Bulawayo, 2005). Zakary Foulkes (9/75) later entered this list in the second Test. Notably, Henry was named the Player of the Match in the series opener.
2nd Test
Fifer in second Test as well
Henry was the pick of the bowlers for his side on Day 1 of the 2nd Test as well. He rattled the hosts with figures worth 5/40 from 15 overs as Zimbabwe perished for 125 runs. In the 3rd innings, he claimed two wickets for 16 runs, finishing the contest with seven scalps. His brilliance powered the Kiwis to their biggest Test win - by an innings and 359 runs.
Tally
16 wickets in the series
Henry finished the series with 16 wickets at an average of 9.13. Foulkes (9) was the only other bowler to claim more than five scalps. As per ESPNcricinfo, Henry clocked the best average among bowlers with at least 15 wickets in a bilateral Test series versus Zimbabwe. Meanwhile, no other NZ bowler has claimed more wickets in a Test series against Zimbabwe. Henry went past former spinner Dipak Patel, who claimed 15 scalps in the 1992/93 series in Zimbabwe.
Feat
Do you know?
Henry has taken at least one wicket in each of his last 38 Test innings. He is hence just three innings away from equaling the world record for most consecutive Test innings with at least one wicket taken by a pacer. The current record, jointly held by Australia's Dennis Lillee and Pakistan's Waqar Younis, stands at 41 such innings.
Career
Here are his Test numbers
The one in the second game was Henry's 6th five-wicket haul in Test cricket. He now owns 136 wickets from 32 matches at a brilliant average of 27.40. Henry has been particularly sensational since the start of 2023, scalping 83 Test wickets at an average of 19.20. Five of his six fifers have come in this period.