1st Test: Zimbabwe in spot of bother versus New Zealand
What's the story
New Zealand's cricket team, the Black Caps, are in a strong position after Day 2 of the first Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. Despite a mid-innings collapse, they managed to post a total of 307 runs and take a commanding lead of 158 runs. They then restricted Zimbabwe to just 31/2 in their second innings, heading into Day 3 with an overall advantage of 127 runs. Here's more.
Key players
Daryl Mitchell's heroics bolster New Zealand
A crucial 61-run partnership between Daryl Mitchell (80) and Nathan Smith (22) helped New Zealand extend their lead into triple figures. Mitchell was the standout performer for the Black Caps on Day 2, scoring a majority of his runs between the wickets. However, Smith's innings came to an abrupt end when he was forced off the field due to an abdominal strain after being hit by short-pitched deliveries multiple times.
Batting woes
How did NZ's batting fare on Day 2?
The Black Caps started Day 2 on 92/0. NZ lost opener Will Young early on before the middle order struggled to form partnerships, except for a 66-run stand between Henry Nicholls and Devon Conway. Nicholls was batting fluently at No. 3 in Kane Williamson's absence but fell for 34 after cutting Blessing Muzarabani to Brian Bennett at gully. This dismissal triggered a middle-order collapse that made the innings more challenging for New Zealand. At one stage, they were reduced to 200/6.
Conway
Devon Conway slams his 12th Test half-century
New Zealand opener Conway resumed Day 2 on 51*. He took the side past 150 alongside Nicholls. Conway departed after lunch with NZ being 177/4. Tanaka Chivanga dismissed Conway for a 170-ball 88 (12 fours). Conway raced to his 12th half-century in Test cricket. He also has four tons to his name. Conway, who made his Test debut in 2021, also propelled past 1,900 runs. In 28 Tests, he owns 1,924 runs at 37.72.
Nicholls
Henry Nicholls completes 3,000 runs in Test cricket
Nicholls scored 34 runs. His knock was laced with six fours from 56 balls. Notably, Nicholss has surpassed 3,000 runs in Test cricket for New Zealand. He achieved the landmark with his 27th run of the contest. Playing his 57th match, Nicholls has raced to 3,007 runs at 37.12. He owns 9 tons and 12 fifties.
Daryl
Daryl Mitchell slams 80 versus Zimbabwe
Mitchell's 80-run knock had 5 fours and a six. He consumed 119 balls. With this knock of 80, he owns 2,139 runs from 32 matches (53 innings) at 44.56. Mitchell now owns 15 fifties in addition to hammering 5 hundreds. As per ESPNcricinfo, this was his 7th fifty in away matches (home of opposition). He owns three away tons. Mitchell now owns 1,115 away runs.
ZIM
Summary of Zimbabwe's performance on Day 2
Zimbabwe did well with the ball on Day 2 compared to Day 1. Zimbabwe bowlers picked 9 New Zealand wickets with Muzarabani claiming 3 scalps. Chivanga picked 2 scalps as Sikandar Raza, Sean Williams and Vincent Masekesa claimed one scalp each. With the bat, the hosts saw openers Ben Curran (11) and Brian Bennett (18) fall. Nick Welch and Masekesa are in the middle.