Devon Conway’s unbeaten half-century and Matt Henry’s fiery three-wicket haul helped New Zealand coast to a dominant eight-wicket win over Zimbabwe in the ongoing T20I Tri-Series, which also features South Africa.
Put in to bat, Zimbabwe posted a modest 120 for 7 after being strangled by a disciplined Kiwi bowling attack. Matt Henry led the charge with 3 for 26, while Adam Milne, Rachin Ravindra, Michael Bracewell, and Mitchell Santner chipped in with a wicket each.
Zimbabwe started with promise as Wessly Madhevere (36) and Brian Bennett (21) provided a solid opening platform. But the innings quickly unraveled when Bennett fell to Henry in the final over of the powerplay. From there, wickets tumbled at regular intervals. Madhevere tried to anchor the innings but was eventually bowled by Milne after a steady 36 off 32 balls.
Skipper Sikandar Raza (12) couldn’t make much impact either, falling to his opposite number, Santner. Henry returned to remove Tony Munyonga and Tashinga Musekiwa in quick succession, ensuring Zimbabwe were kept in check.
In reply, New Zealand chased down the target in just 13.5 overs, finishing at 122 for 2 with 37 balls to spare.
Conway, who was dropped on 1 by Blessing Muzarabani, made Zimbabwe pay dearly. The opener went on to craft a calm yet authoritative 59 not out off 40 balls, laced with five boundaries.
It was nice to spend some time in the middle. Got a bit lucky early, but I’m glad I got through that period. Their bowlers bowled well. It was challenging, but good to get the win.
He shared a crucial 85-run partnership with Rachin Ravindra, who smashed 30 off 18 balls, including three consecutive boundaries off Trevor Gwandu in the fifth over. Ravindra eventually fell to Tinotenda Maposa’s short ball, brilliantly caught by Muzarabani at third man.
New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner praised his team’s adaptability: “We were challenged at different times, but bowled well. Fielding could have been better — I dropped a couple myself,” he smiled.
“We knew they would try and go hard, but we kept taking wickets through the middle. Thankfully, the pitch offered a bit of turn.”
On the other hand, a disappointed Sikandar Raza admitted Zimbabwe fell well short with the bat: “We didn’t bat well at all. The powerplay was okay, but once the ball started turning, we had no answers. 145 would have been a par score. Today was a fair reflection of where we stand against spin and pace on tough tracks.”
Brief Scores: Zimbabwe 120/7 (Wessly Madhevere 36, Brian Bennett 21; Matt Henry 3-26); New Zealand 122/2 in 13.5 overs (Devon Conway 59*, Rachin Ravindra 30; Blessing Muzarabani 1-27): Result: New Zealand won by 8 wickets with 37 balls remaining. Player of the Match: Devon Conway.
