Tag: New Zealand

Fast bowler Will O’Rourke will be out for at least three months with a stress fracture in his lower back, New Zealand Cricket (NZC) said on Tuesday, adding to a mounting injury list.

The 24-year-old was injured while bowling in the first Test against Zimbabwe this month and returned home, where scans revealed the extent of the damage.

“We’re really feeling for Will at the moment and wishing him a speedy recovery,” New Zealand head coach Rob Walter said.

Will O’Rourke will miss the home white-ball series against Australia in early October, England later that month, and the West Indies in November.

All-rounder Glenn Phillips was also ruled out of the Australia series as he recovers from the groin injury that saw him miss the Zimbabwe tour.

And opening batter Finn Allen will be out for a minimum of three months after having surgery on his right foot.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“It’s disappointing to lose the services of Glenn and Finn, who have played important batting roles in our T20 set-up in recent times,” said Walter.

White-ball captain Mitchell Santner returned home from England’s The Hundred tournament at the weekend after feeling groin pain.

Walter said the spinning all-rounder will now have abdominal surgery with an expected recovery time of a month, but would be given every chance to prove his fitness before the three T20s against Australia.

“Mitch is a world-class player and a crucial part of our T20 side from a skills and leadership point of view,” said Walter.

“With that in mind, we expect to name him in our squad. From there, we can assess how his rest and rehabilitation progress following surgery, before making a call on the eve of the series.”

Pace bowler Ben Sears has recovered from a side strain that saw him miss the Zimbabwe tour and is expected to be available.

READ: Former India cricketer believes team atmosphere behind Virat Kohli’s Test exit

BULAWAYO: New Zealand completed a crushing win by an innings and 359 runs on the third day of the second Test against Zimbabwe at Queens Sports Club here on Saturday.

New Zealand pacer Zak Foulkes, playing in his first Test match, took five for 37 as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 117 in their second innings.

Nic Welch, batting at number three, made an unbeaten 47 and stood virtually alone against the New Zealand pace attack.

Notably, it was the third-biggest win by an innings in Test history.

England beat Australia by an innings and 579 runs at The Oval in London in 1938. Australia defeated South Africa by an innings and 360 runs in Johannesburg in 2001/02.

“We bowled well in the first innings after losing the toss,” said Mitch Santner, who captained New Zealand in both Tests in the absence of the injured Tom Latham.

“And the batters got through some tough periods with their partnerships and then cashed in.”

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

The largest victory for New Zealand and the worst defeat for Zimbabwe occurred during the Napier Test in the 2011/12 season, where the Kiwis won by an innings and 301 runs.

Meanwhile, Zimbabwe suffered their sixth successive defeat, four of them by an innings, since beating Bangladesh in Sylhet in April.

New Zealand declared their first innings closed on their overnight total of 601 for three.

It took only three balls for Matt Henry to start the home team’s collapse when he bowled Brian Bennett for his second duck of the match.

Henry had Brendan Taylor caught at second slip and Jacob Duffy caught Sean Williams off his own bowling before Matthew Fisher had Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine held at third slip.

Foulkes, who briefly returned to New Zealand after a triangular Twenty20 series but was recalled after Nathan Smith was injured in the first Test, took the next five wickets. Foulkes had match figures of nine for 77.

Devon Conway, who scored 153 for New Zealand, was the player of the match, while Henry, who took 16 wickets across the two matches, was the player of the series.

READ: Manchester United sign forward Benjamin Sesko: club

Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, and Rachin Ravindra hit centuries as New Zealand produced a relentless batting performance on the second day of the second Test against Zimbabwe at Queens Sports Club on Friday.

New Zealand were 601 for three at the close in reply to Zimbabwe’s first innings total of 125, a lead of 476 runs.

Conway scored 153, ending a 16-match streak without a Test century.

Henry Nicholls, playing in his first Test series since December 2023, made 150 not out, while Rachin Ravindra hammered an unbeaten 165 at better than a run a ball.

It was another day of one-sided cricket after the Black Caps resumed on 174 for one, already 49 runs ahead. It took Zimbabwe an hour to remove nightwatchman Jacob Duffy, who made 36.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

The rest of the day brought only one more wicket, that of Conway, who fell to the second new ball when he misjudged the bounce against Blessing Muzarabani and was bowled off his body.

Nicholls was on 64 when Ravindra joined him after Conway’s dismissal. Ravindra, a left-hander like the other two centurions, quickly went on the attack and by the close had overtaken his partner.

Ravindra reached his century off 104 balls. With stand-in captain Mitchell Santner opting not to declare despite having a significant lead, Ravindra went on the rampage towards the close, adding another 65 runs off just 35 balls.

Zimbabwe fast bowlers Muzarabani and Tanaka Chivanga, usually the team’s most effective bowlers, were both expensive against formidable New Zealand batting.

Muzarabani took one for 101 in 24 overs, while Chivanga went wicketless in conceding 94 runs off 17 overs.

Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine used seven bowlers in a futile attempt to stop the flow of runs on a day in which New Zealand scored 427 runs for the loss of two wickets.

READ: Australia’s opening pair confirmed for T20 World Cup 2026

BULAWAYO: Matt Henry brilliant spell, followed by a mammoth opening stand from Devon Conway and Will Young, put New Zealand in a commanding position against Zimbabwe.

New Zealand ended the day in a dominant position on the score of 162-1 with a 49-run lead in the second Test here at the Queens Sports Club on Thursday.

Zimbabwe were bowled out for just 125 runs in only 48.5 overs with returning Brendon Taylor top scoring for 44 runs.

Taylor, making his first Test appearance since 2021, guided Zimbabwe’s batting until the 33rd over, finishing with a top score of 44 runs from 107 balls, including six boundaries.

After his dismissal, wicketkeeper-batter Tafadzwa Tsiga took over, remaining not out with 33 runs off 54 balls, featuring four boundaries.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Henry, who had already taken nine wickets in the first match of the series at the same venue, maintained his excellent form by securing five wickets for just 40 runs in 15 overs.

He was well-supported by fellow pacer Zakary Foulkes, who accounted for four wickets, while Matthew Fisher added one more.

In reply, New Zealand’s opening pair, Conway and Will Young, established a commanding partnership of 162 runs.

This partnership came to an end in the 35th over when Trevor Gwandu bowled Young, who scored 74 runs off 101 balls with 11 boundaries.

Meanwhile, Conway remained steadfast at the crease, forming an unbeaten 12-run partnership with nightwatchman Jacob Duffy as play concluded for the day.

Zakary Foulkes, who was making his debut, shared his thoughts after taking a four-wicket haul.

“It hasn’t really sunk in,” said Foulkes after taking four for 38 as New Zealand shot out Zimbabwe, who chose to bat after winning the toss, for 125. It was nice to spend a few days at home,” he said.

“Then I got on the big bird back here. I was very surprised to get the call. It was surreal to make my debut today,” Foulkes revealed.

It is noteworthy to mention that New Zealand comprehensively won the opening Test match against Zimbabwe by nine wickets at the same venue.

READ: Glenn McGrath predicts 5-0 Ashes win for Australia

New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner and Matt Henry helped BlackCaps seal a nine-wicket win on the third day of the first Test against Zimbabwe on Friday.

Zimbabwe managed to avoid an innings defeat, but New Zealand needed only eight runs to win.

Devon Conway hit a four but then edged a ball from Newman Nyamhuri into his stumps before Henry Nicholls hit the winning boundary in Nyamhuri’s next over.

Santner took four for 27 as Zimbabwe, needing 158 to avoid an innings defeat, were bowled out for 165.

Zimbabwe resumed on 31 for two and quickly lost overnight batter Nick Welch and nightwatchman Vincent Masekesa to fast bowler Will O’Rourke.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Veteran left-handers Sean Williams (49) and Craig Ervine (22) shared a fifth-wicket stand of 57 but were dismissed in successive overs by Santner and Matt Henry shortly before lunch.

Sikandar Raza and Newman Nyamburi fell soon after the interval, but wicketkeeper Tafadzwa Tsiga (27) and fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani (19) put on 36 for the ninth wicket before Santner dismissed both batters.

New Zealand were hampered by the absence of pace bowlers Nathan Smith, who suffered an abdominal injury while batting on Thursday, and O’Rourke, who was feeling stiffness after his morning spell.

The teams meet again in the second Test at the same venue from Thursday. The two-match series is not part of the World Test Championship.

READ: Blow for England as key player ruled out of remainder of final India Test

Matt Henry took a six-wicket haul to propel the Blackcaps into a dominant position on the opening day of the first New Zealand vs Zimbabwe Test at Queens Sports Club on Wednesday.

Fast bowler Henry took six for 39 as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 149 after winning the toss and deciding to bat.

New Zealand were 92 for no wicket at the close, with Devon Conway and Will Young unbeaten on 51 and 41 respectively.

Henry, who was voted the best player of a Twenty20 tri-series tournament that ended on Saturday, did not take long to adjust to red-ball cricket in New Zealand’s first Test since December last year.

Henry dismissed both Zimbabwe opening batters, Brian Bennett (6) and Ben Curran (13), inside the first seven overs.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

He took two more wickets in an over interrupted by the lunch break, then came back to finish off the innings with his final two victims shortly after tea.

Seamer Nathan Smith took three for 20 in 14 tight overs.

Captain Craig Ervine, who took 23 balls to score his first run, top-scored for Zimbabwe with 39, eked out over 116 deliveries.

Ervine and Nick Welch (27) put on 36 for the fourth wicket after Zimbabwe were reeling at 31 for three.

But Henry returned for the last over before lunch to have Welch caught at second slip. Three balls later, after lunch, he had the experienced Sikandar Raza caught behind for two.

Ervine and wicketkeeper Tafadzwa Tsiga (30) added 54 for the sixth wicket to lift Zimbabwe from 69 for five. Smith trapped both batsmen leg before wicket shortly before tea, and Zimbabwe’s resistance crumbled.

In reply, Conway and Young batted through to the close of play, scoring steadily after a cautious start.

Zimbabwe opening bowler Blessing Muzarabani had an opening spell of eight overs but was unable to make a breakthrough.

Conway reached his fifty in the penultimate over of the day, his first Test half-century since he made 76 against India in Pune last October. Seven innings since then had yielded a highest score of 22.

Since New Zealand’s last Test match against England in 2024, Zimbabwe has played eight Tests.

However, Zimbabwe has lost six, drawn one, and had a single victory, against Bangladesh in Sylhet in April.

The second New Zealand vs Zimbabwe Test will be played from 7 to 11 August at the same ground.

READ: Coach has every right to look at wicket: Gill backs Gambhir amid Oval pitch controversy

New Zealand captain Tom Latham has been ruled out of the first Test against Zimbabwe starting at Queens Sports Club on Wednesday.

New Zealand white-ball captain Mitch Santner will lead the team in Latham’s absence.

According to a statement by New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on Tuesday, Latham injured a shoulder while fielding in a Twenty20 match in England earlier this month and has not fully recovered.

Tom Latham will remain with the squad in the hope of being fit for the second Test, which starts on August 7.

“It’s hugely disappointing for Tom to be missing the first Test, as captain but also as an integral part of the team,” head coach Rob Walter said.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“It’s never great when you lose your captain, who’s a world-class opening batter and a great team man, but that said, we’re going to work really hard to have him available for the second Test.

“We’ll continue to assess and see whether a replacement player is necessary, but at this stage we are hopeful that he’ll recover in time.”

Left-arm spin bowler Santner will become New Zealand’s 32nd men’s Test captain. He led the white-ball team to victory in a T20 white-ball series against Zimbabwe and South Africa, which ended last Saturday.

“Mitch did a wonderful job with the T20 squad,” said Walter.

“He was excellent from a strategy point of view, and he has a strong understanding of the game.”

READ: Nathan Lyon breaks silence on omission from West Indies Test

HARARE: Matt Henry took two wickets in the final over as New Zealand beat South Africa by three runs in the final of the Zimbabwe T20I tri-series at Harare Sports Club here on Saturday.

Chasing New Zealand’s total of 180 for five, South Africa were on the brink of victory when big-hitting Dewald Brevis hit 15 runs, including two sixes, off the penultimate over from Zakary Foulkes.

South Africa needed seven off the last over to edge past New Zealand.

It seemed Brevis might have hit another six off the second ball, but Michael Bracewell on the deep midwicket boundary held a high hit and calmly tossed the ball up before crossing the rope and then stepping back to complete the catch.

Three runs were scored off the next two balls before Daryl Mitchell held a diving catch at long-on to dismiss George Linde. Henry closed out the match with a dot ball.

Fast bowler Henry was named player of the match as well as player of the tournament after finishing as the leading wicket-taker with ten wickets.

“South Africa got off to a flier,” Henry said of South Africa’s opening stand of 92 between Lhuan-dre Pretorius (51) and Reeza Hendricks (37).

“It’s a credit to our team for staying in the fight, knowing wickets can change things.”

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

After defeating South Africa, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner praised his players’ ability to “hang in there” on what he described as the best batting pitch of the tournament.

“Guys stepped up on different occasions throughout this tri-series,” said Santner.

“There were a lot of challenges with the ball today, but the guys were ready and really clear on how they wanted to operate.”

South Africa captain Rassie van der Dussen said he was proud of the way a young team missing several leading players had competed.

“A centimetre more and the result would have been different,” he said.

Tim Seifert (30) and Devon Conway (47) put on 75 for New Zealand’s first wicket, and Rachin Ravindra contributed a hard-hit 47 off 27 balls before South Africa’s tactic of bowling low full tosses kept the total in check towards the end of the innings.

South Africa also lost momentum after their fast start before Brevis slammed 31 off 16 balls with three sixes, which so nearly could have been four.

A lengthy check was needed by the television umpire to determine whether Bracewell had stepped on the boundary rope while still holding the ball.

READ: Australia Champions edge past India in WCL 2025

Tim Seifert hit a second successive half-century and Ish Sodhi took four wickets as New Zealand beat Zimbabwe by 60 runs.

The sixth match of the T20 tri-series between New Zealand Zimbabwe was in Harare on Thursday.

New Zealand won all four matches in the round robin phase of the Zimbabwe Tri Series They will play South Africa in the final at the same venue on Saturday.

Seifert hit 75 in a New Zealand total of 190 for six –the highest of the tournament– and Sodhi took a career-best four for 12 as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 130.

Seifert and Rachin Ravindra (63) put on 108 for the second wicket to set up New Zealand for the highest total in the six round robin matches.

Zimbabwe scored 21 off the first two overs in reply before leg-spinner Sodhi came on to bowl in the third over. He struck with his second ball and took three wickets for five runs in two overs in the power play.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

Sodhi came back later to claim a fourth wicket and become the third player to take 150 wickets in T20 internationals on a list headed by fellow New Zealander Tim Southee with 164. It was his fifth and least expensive four-wicket haul in the format.

“It was nice to contribute in a slightly new role for me. I haven’t bowled a lot in powerplays in my career,” said Sodhi after being named player of the match.

“It was nice to put a score on the board batting first,” said New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner, who chose to bat on a pitch that has favoured teams batting second.

He said the number of players who had “put their hands up at different times” gave New Zealand a selection headache ahead of the final.

READ: No David Miller as South Africa announces white-ball squads for Australia tour

New Zealand bowlers set up a comfortable seven-wicket win against South Africa in their Zimbabwe Twenty20 international tri-series match at Harare Sports Club on Tuesday.

South Africa were restricted to 134 for eight in their 20 overs after being sent in, thanks to a clinical bowling display from New Zealand bowlers.

New Zealand opening batter Tim Seifert hit 66 not out as the Black Caps cruised to victory with 25 balls to spare.

New Zealand maintained their unbeaten record in the tournament and will go into the final against the same opponents at the same venue on Saturday as strong favourites. They won their first match against the Proteas by 21 runs.

South Africa could score only 18 runs in the first five overs despite losing only one wicket. “The way we bowled in the power play was outstanding,” said New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner.

Follow us on our Official WhatsApp channel

“Our bowlers found a length and found some swin,g and we were able to squeeze from there,” said Santner.

Jacob Duffy and Adam Milne took two wickets each while fellow pace bowler Zachary Foulkes only conceded 12 runs in his three overs.

South Africa packed their team with spin bowlers, but the tactic unravelled in the first over against an explosive New Zealand batting, bowled by left-arm spinner George Linde, as they attempted to defend a low total.

Linde started with two wides, one of which went to the boundary for four extra runs. Then Seifert was dropped at long-off before he had scored. The over cost South Africa 15 runs.

Seifert and fellow opener Devon Conway (19) took the total to 50 in the first five overs, and the Black Caps were in control for the rest of the match.

READ: Salman Ali Agha reflects on Pakistan’s series loss to Bangladesh