ZIM vs NZ 2025 2nd Test Match：Day 3

Stumps：New Zealand beat Zimbabwe by an innings and 359 runs.

New Zealand absolutely steamrolled Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, clinching their biggest Test victory ever by an innings and 359 runs. Rachin Ravindra (165*), Devon Conway (153), and Henry Nicholls (150*) racked up a massive 601 before declaring, and from there it was all downhill for the hosts. Zakary Foulkes, on Test debut, made an unforgettable entrance with match figures of 9 for 75, swinging the ball like a wizard and leaving Zimbabwe’s batters dazed and confused. His five-wicket haul in the second innings was full of jaw-dropping deliveries, straight-up highlight reel stuff.

Rach, you beauty! 🦁✨#WhistlePodu #ZIMvNZ
📷 : blackcapsnz pic.twitter.com/uBkwidGZWI

— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) August 9, 2025

Zimbabwe, meanwhile, were skittled out for 125 and 117, showing little resistance beyond Nick Welch’s 47*. Their batting woes were brutally exposed once again, struggling against pace, movement, and pressure. The defeat caps off a rough Test year for Zimbabwe, and they’ll now shift focus to the T20 World Cup Qualifiers. As for the Kiwis? They head home with clean sweeps in both the Test and T20I formats, a stacked bowling unit, and a top-order firing on all cylinders. Not a bad tour at all!

Test series win in Bulawayo!

Zak Foulkes claims his first Test five-for (5-37) and the best match figures by a New Zealander on Test debut (9-75). Catch up on the scorecard | https://t.co/DnWSGE9t8b #ZIMvNZ #CricketNation 📷 = Zimbabwe Cricket pic.twitter.com/vxah1GxQjP

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) August 9, 2025

ZIM vs NZ 2025 2nd Test Match：Day 2

Stumps：New Zealand lead by 476 runs.

New Zealand absolutely lit up the scoreboard in Bulawayo, piling on a mammoth 601 for 3 against Zimbabwe in the second Test, and they’re not done yet! Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway, and Henry Nicholls each smashed 150-plus, making it a day to remember (unless you were in the Zimbabwean bowling lineup). Conway brought up his fifth Test ton and 2000 runs in style, Nicholls made a statement after a long absence, and Ravindra raced to his third century like he had a dinner reservation. It was a dream batting pitch, but New Zealand made sure it was a nightmare for the bowlers.

Devon Conway was on song with the bat to push New Zealand towards a big lead against Zimbabwe 👊

📸: @BLACKCAPS #ZIMvNZ 📝: https://t.co/K2ADruUSXs pic.twitter.com/heinV1nNmZ

— ICC (@ICC) August 9, 2025

Zimbabwe’s bowlers were left chasing leather all day, with three of them conceding over 100 runs. Muzarabani did manage to break through with Conway’s wicket, but by then, the damage was done. Duffy’s early dismissal gave the hosts a flicker of hope, but Nicholls and Ravindra quickly snuffed that out with some sparkling strokeplay. By stumps, New Zealand held a 476-run lead and showed no signs of slowing down. With three days left, it’s hard to see this ending in anything other than a long grind for Zimbabwe, and more batting records for the Kiwis!

Three superb centuries extended New Zealand’s lead close to 500 against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo 🚀

📸: @ZimCricketv #ZIMvNZ 📝: https://t.co/K2ADruUSXs pic.twitter.com/DqwmI0Ys6u

— ICC (@ICC) August 8, 2025

ZIM vs NZ 2025 2nd Test Match：Day 1

Stumps：New Zealand lead by 49 runs.

Day 1 in Bulawayo was all about New Zealand’s bowlers showing up and Zimbabwe’s batters… well, not so much. Matt Henry was on fire, grabbing a fiery five-for, while debutant Zak Foulkes wasn’t far behind with four of his own. Zimbabwe, despite Brendan Taylor’s gritty 44 on his long-awaited return, collapsed for just 125. It was their second-lowest total in two years, and honestly, they never really looked settled. Partnerships were scarce, shot selection questionable, and New Zealand’s seamers just too sharp. Taylor’s dismissal after nearly 2.5 hours of patience, felt like the final blow.

Back-to-back 5-wicket hauls from Matt Henry 🤩

Matt Henry bags his sixth Test five-for today, and his second in consecutive matches. Scorecard | https://t.co/DnWSGE9t8b #ZIMvNZ #CricketNation 📷 = Zimbabwe Cricket pic.twitter.com/gs1TW4ZcJk

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) August 7, 2025

In response, New Zealand looked like they were batting on a different pitch. Devon Conway (79*) and Will Young (74) made it look easy, cruising past Zimbabwe’s total and putting on a massive 157-run opening stand—their best in years! While Young fell just before stumps, the damage was done. Conway stayed unbeaten, steering NZ to 174/1 and a 49-run lead heading into Day 2. With momentum firmly in their corner, the Black Caps will be eyeing a big first-innings score, while Zimbabwe are left hoping their bowlers can dig them out of a pretty deep hole.

New Zealand take the lead after a comprehensive display on Day 1 in the series decider against Zimbabwe 🙌#ZIMvNZ 📝: https://t.co/K2ADruUSXs pic.twitter.com/BaoCyd3YuX

— ICC (@ICC) August 7, 2025

ZIM vs NZ 2025 2nd Test- Match Details

ZIM vs NZ 2025 2nd Test – Possible Squad List

Note：The match has not started yet, but updates will be provided regularly once it begins.

You can also click here to view the full Test schedules

ZIM vs NZ 2025 2nd Test – A Battle Between Spin Masters

Since Queen’s is famous for being a slow pitch, it’s only natural that we need to take a close look at the key spin bowlers of both teams. In my opinion, Zimbabwe’s main spinner should be Wellington Masakadza, while for New Zealand, it’s likely to be Mitchell Santner.

ZIM vs NZ – Masakadza, with 8 Years of Test Experience?

Masakadza has been representing Zimbabwe in Tests since 2018, but that doesn’t exactly make him a veteran. In reality, his Test career has only been for about three years – 2018, 2023, and now 2025. He’s played only 11 Tests, and out of these, 6 have been at Queen’s. Looking at his stats from the last five matches, you’ll see that he’s been in decent form.

For instance, in June this year, against South Africa, he bowled 30 overs and gave away just 109 runs, with an Econ of 3.63. Sure, it’s not in the top range of 2.5-3.0, but remember, he was up against the world’s No. 2 team, South Africa. For me, that’s quite impressive. Plus, having recently faced the world’s second-ranked team, he’ll likely carry a lot more mental strength going into this game against New Zealand.

ZIM vs NZ – The Almost World-Class Mitchell Santner

Why almost world-class and not just world-class? The main reason is his performance hasn’t been very consistent. If you check his stats from 2024, you’ll see that in his match against South Africa, he bowled 21 overs, giving away just 34 runs, with an Econ of 1.61 – incredibly tight! But when he faced England, in 14.2 overs, he gave away 85 runs at an Econ of 5.93. This is why I call him an almost world-class spinner. But if we look at his career stats, his average Econ is 2.83, which makes him a massive threat.

In fact, Santner also played in Zimbabwe back in 2016, when New Zealand toured Queen’s to face the hosts. His performance was nothing short of fearsome. Over the course of four Tests, he had an average Econ of 1.82, with the highest in a single game not even crossing 3.0. He bowled 78 overs, giving away just 168 runs. The question now is – when Zimbabwe’s batters face him again after 9 years, will they still have that fear in their minds?

Wellington Masakadza’s Performance in the Last Five Test Matches

Mitchell Santner’s Performance in the Last Five Test Matches

ZIM vs NZ – Conclusion

Test cricket is different from ODI and T20I, as there is no restriction on the number of overs a bowler can bowl. While it’s unlikely that a spin bowler will start the game, and no team will make their spinner bowl the entire match, we all know how crucial the role of the spin bowler is in Test cricket. Even the smallest of differences in performance can get magnified in such a long format. So, Santner’s threat will definitely be the first big challenge for Zimbabwe, but to be honest, I don’t think there’s much they can do about it. Ha!

ZIM vs NZ 2025 2nd Test – Venue History&Analysis: Queen’s Sports Club Cricket Ground

Stadium Capacity: Around 10,000 spectators

Stadium Address: Queen’s Sports Club Cricket Ground, Queen’s Road, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

About the Stadium:

Queen’s Sports Club is a ground that generally favors slower bowlers, especially spin bowlers. Even though the pitch at Queen’s is on the harder side, the bounce is relatively low and quite consistent, which works out very well for spin bowlers. This has earned it a reputation as a “spinner’s paradise”. On the flip side, it places higher demands on the patience and technique of the batter. Facing the unpredictable flight and turn of spin bowlers, batter must be cautious and not go for big, reckless shots. Moreover, due to the ground’s location at a higher altitude and the lower air density, even if the ball is struck well, it doesn’t travel very far.

Taking Test matches as an example, the average score in Test cricket is usually between 350 to 450 runs, but at Queen’s, it tends to be between 250 to 350 runs. This shows clearly how much the ground’s characteristics and the dominance of spin bowlers can limit the batter. For instance, in 2018, during Zimbabwe’s match against South Africa, the total score across both innings was just 260, with the lowest score being 121. This highlights the impact of the pitch conditions and spinners on the batting team’s performance. Of course, the strength of the team and other factors also play a role, but the characteristics of the ground definitely have an effect on the scoring.

All New Zealand tour of Zimbabwe Match:

• ZIM vs NZ 2025 1st Test – After nine years, the teams meet again at Queen’s! How far can Zimbabwe go?