Last Updated:
Brendan Taylor top-scored with 44 in his first Test after a ban, but New Zealand dominated the first day of the second Test.
Brendan Taylor returned to Tests after four years (Picture credit: Zimbabwe Cricket)
Former Zimbabwe skipper Brendan Taylor top-scored in his first Test after a lengthy ban but couldn’t prevent New Zealand from dominating the first day of the second Test on Thursday.
Taylor scored 44 as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 125 by fast bowlers Matt Henry (five for 40) and debutant Zakary Foulkes (four for 38) at Queens Sports Club.
New Zealand finished the first day 49 runs ahead, reaching 174 for one at the close.
Devon Conway (79 not out) and Will Young (74) put on 162 for the first wicket before Young was bowled off an inside edge by Trevor Gwandu shortly before the close.
Taylor, 39, was banned for three-and-a-half years in January 2022 for breaching the International Cricket Council’s anti-corruption code as well as a drugs offence. He had not played Test cricket since captaining Zimbabwe against Bangladesh in Harare in July 2021, where he scored 81 and 92.
The former skipper opened the batting and saw four wickets fall to Henry and Foulkes before he was the fifth out, caught at cover off Henry with the total at 83. He faced 107 deliveries and smacked six boundaries.
Foulkes and fellow fast bowlers Jacob Duffy and Matthew Fisher all made their Test debuts, with Nathan Smith and Will O’Rourke injured and Michael Bracewell released to play in the Hundred competition in England.
Fisher claimed his first Test wicket when he had the last man, Tanaka Chivanga, caught at mid-off.
New Zealand were again captained by Mitch Santner after regular captain Tom Latham failed a fitness test on an injured left shoulder.
Henry continued his outstanding form in Zimbabwe, which earned him player of the series honours in a Twenty20 triangular series and player of the match in the first Test, which New Zealand won by nine wickets at the same venue last week.
It was Henry’s sixth five-wicket haul in Tests. Foulkes dismissed the experienced duo of Sean Williams and captain Craig Ervine, swinging the ball away from the two left-handers.
In a near-repeat of the first day of the first Test, Conway and Young built on the work of their bowlers and laid the foundation for a big New Zealand lead.
(With AFP Inputs)
view comments
Read More
