Once in a while, a cricket series occurs where one team is clearly on another planet to the visiting team. This is what unfolded in Harare, where New Zealand didn’t just defeat Zimbabwe – they turned them into a mere passing acquaintance with the land. A record Test victory – an innings and 359 runs, their largest-ever Test win – concluded a flawless tour. Who was the star actor? Zakary Foulkes, a debutant who bowled as if he had been bullying batters for his entire life.
Foulkes Steps into the Spotlight
Think you are only playing because 2 senior quicks are stuck in the injury ward, and then go out and take 9 on debut. That’s exactly what Foulkes did, producing a spell that was part swing masterclass and part forensic investigation of Zimbabwe’s stumps. His five-for in the second innings was pure theatre – inswingers that teased the batters, top-edges that just seemed to happen, and two “ball-of-the-match” contenders in cleaning up Masekesa and Gwandu. By the time he had finished, it felt like the Zimbabwe lineup was playing a lottery they knew they would lose.
Foulkes had company in the slaughter. Matt Henry, who was already the leading wicket-taker of the series, got the ball rolling with a pearler that uprooted Brian Bennett’s stumps before the morning coffee had time to cool down. Jacob Duffy and Matthew Fisher also contributed, but this was Foulkes’ stage, and he made the most of his big moment.
Zimbabwe’s Batting Blues (Again)
Very simply, the biggest storyline of Zimbabwe in 2025 is the lack of confidence amongst batters, which is even more alarming since the batters are falling apart quicker than a soggy deckchair. Neither Test saw Zimbabwe reach 170, and their final effort was more a showcase of errors than of batting skill.
Nick Welch fought hard for his 47 but had no support whatsoever. Senior players like Brennan Taylor and Craig Ervine regressed to how they operated in the first Test, and Sikandar Raza’s struggle against the short ball is entering into “seriously – please bury the replays” territory – with four dismissals to bouncers in four innings. I mean, this is not just what talent can do – this is about a technical incompetence that has been ripped apart by disciplined bowling.
Zimbabwe has the T20 World Cup Qualifiers around the corner, and they’re going to have to find some answers pretty quickly – because right now their batting wouldn’t frighten an attack from the local club hamster and guinea pig league.
A Tour of Perfection for New Zealand
For the Kiwis, this was one of those tours that might have you questioning whether they weren’t a little frivolous in their button-pushing. Every run in the 300 was contributed by Ravindra, Nicholls, and Conway. Henry was near unplayable with the ball, Foulkes made a memorable entrance, and stand-in captain Santner put in a long bowling spell.
The strength in depth is frightening – you are in a good place when you can replace injured bowlers with someone who produces the best debut figures in your history! New Zealand’s next Test series is not until November with West Indies, so there is time for Kiwi fans to enjoy a red-hot, perfect away run.
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