The opening day of the 1st Test between Zimbabwe and New Zealand at Bulawayo on July 30, 2025, unfolded as a tale of complete domination by the visitors. Eager crowds witnessed the visitors stamp their authority with a clinical display, led by Matt Henry’s thunderous six-wicket haul that dismantled Zimbabwe for just 149. By stumps, New Zealand, effortlessly led by unbeaten openers Devon Conway and Will Young, looked primed for complete control. The day belonged to pace, precision, and poise — with Henry the undeniable hero.
Matt Henry’s six-fer shatters Zimbabwe
From the very outset, Henry was simply unplayable. With a hint of movement off the Bulawayo surface and the ideal blend of aggression and discipline, Henry made swift inroads. His masterful display began in the second over, removing Brian Bennett, and soon Ben Curran succumbed, both courtesy of Henry’s probing lines. None of the Zimbabwean batters looked at ease as he relentlessly attacked the stumps and invited edges.
By lunch, Henry had two key wickets, and as the day wore on, he grew increasingly menacing. The highlight was his demolition of the Zimbabwean middle order: Sikandar Raza was out for just 2, and his delivery to remove Newman Nyamhuri was a stunner. As wickets tumbled, Henry seemed to be on a personal mission; he wrapped up the tail to finish with sensational figures of 6 for 39 from 15.3 overs. His variations in seam position and the persistent length were simply too much for Zimbabwe to withstand. The home side managed just 149 in 60.3 overs — with Henry celebrating his name among New Zealand’s finest Test spells.
Openers shine on Day 1 as New Zealand take early control against Zimbabwe
If Henry delivered the thunder, New Zealand’s openers responded with the calm after the storm. Devon Conway and Will Young walked out with an air of quiet confidence and soon reasserted the tourists’ ascendency. Unfazed by the early movement and bowler-friendly conditions, the pair batted with composure and skill. Conway, elegant as always, raced to a 50 off 83 balls, peppering the outfield with eight classy boundaries. On the other end, Young showed steely grit, reaching 41 not out by stumps.
Their opening stand of 92 not only erased the deficit significantly but further demoralized an already bruised Zimbabwean attack. The Kiwis showed a perfect blend of patience and calculated strokeplay, managing 92 runs in just 26 overs without losing a wicket, trailing Zimbabwe by only 57 runs with all ten wickets intact.
Also READ: ZIM vs NZ: Zimbabwe recall veteran player after 3.5-year ban for the second Test
Here’s how fans reacted:
Since 2023 , Matt Henry has more international wickets than any other pacer in the worldpic.twitter.com/9KDY64IryN
— AdityaRRaj (@RR_for_LIFE) July 31, 2025
🚨A CLASSIC SPELL BY MATT HENRY…!!!
One of the best in the business in last 2 years. pic.twitter.com/xcZkLkGIKw
— Rakesh yadav (@Yadavrakesh63) July 31, 2025
Matt Henry breathes fire to rattle Zimbabwe on the opening day in Bulawayo 🔥#ZIMvNZ 📝: https://t.co/C8GPrhHOkc
📸: @BLACKCAPS pic.twitter.com/rVOTcaLSiW
— ICC (@ICC) July 31, 2025
Matt Henry in international cricket over the last three years, excluding the current test.
74 test wickets at 20.36
55 ODI wickets at 23.98
30 T20I wickets at 18.70Also averages 17.73 with the bat in tests during this period.
An elite performer for the @BLACKCAPS https://t.co/ZighrdTQUp
— Adam Bell 🇳🇿🇮🇹 (@AdamKerrBell) July 31, 2025
Matt Henry bowled really well today and hope Young gets his maiden test century tomorrow
— Akshith Jha (@AkshithJha88423) July 30, 2025
🏏 ZIM vs NZ – Day 1 Stumps
🇿🇼 Zimbabwe all out for 149
🔥 Matt Henry: 6/39 | Nathan Smith: 3/20🇳🇿 New Zealand cruise to 92/0
🧊 Will Young: 41* (69)
🧊 Conway: 51* (87)👉 Kiwis trail by just 57 runs with 10 wickets in hand – dominant start!#ZIMvsNZ #MattHenry #DevonConway… pic.twitter.com/fhCdbDTsGo
— Film To Finale (@FilmtoFinale) July 30, 2025
Currently, Matt Henry is among the Top 3 best All Format Pacers… 🔥
Henry will be one of the Most Expensive Overseas placers in the next IPL Auction.🫰 pic.twitter.com/ceszFxVGHl
— Pratyush Halder (@pratyush_no7) July 30, 2025
Another day, another superb spell from Matt Henry – 6/39 against Zimbabwe in the first Test#nzvszim pic.twitter.com/7e57liFGmM
— Rana Ahmed (@RanaAhm01973563) July 30, 2025
Matt Henry vs Zimbabwe in the first innings of the first Test:
Overs – 15.3
Maidens – 3
Runs – 39
Wickets – 6What a spell from the current best bowler of this generation in all formats. 💥💥#MattHenry #ZIMvNZ #ZIMvsNZ pic.twitter.com/xmDHnwxKMa
— Jitendra Kumar (@jitenda60203698) July 30, 2025
126 wickets, Average of 28.73 in Tests
– 165 wickets, Average of 24.81 in ODIs
– 37 wickets, Economy Rate of 8.32 in T20IsMATT HENRY, THE MAN FOR NEW ZEALAND 🎯 pic.twitter.com/x2iprYDLJv
— Harkishan Mahedele (@mahedele20181) July 30, 2025
New Zealand in control in Bulawayo after a ruthless bowling display 💪
Matt Henry went full menace mode as he ripped through Zimbabwe with 6/39 🔥 Zimbabwe bundled out for just 149
Kiwis dominating early and dictating the flow of the game with finishing Day 1 at 92-0. 🏏… pic.twitter.com/vmT4HckGM9
— CricketTimes.com (@CricketTimesHQ) July 30, 2025
Also READ: ENG vs IND: Cheteshwar Pujara suggests bold batting reshuffle for the Oval Test
