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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.”
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.
