It was the 1510th Test in cricket history. It was the 280th Test for New Zealand and 44th for Zimbabwe. It was the ninth Test match between these two sides. New Zealand has won four. Five matches were drawn. Umpires Darrel Hair and Russel Tiffin officiated in their 33rd and 17th Test match respectively. Mark Richardson and DT Mutendera made their respective Test debut for New Zealand and Zimbabwe. They became 210th and 46th debutant for their respective sides. Heath Streak captained Zimbabwe for the first time in his career. He became the fourth player to captain Zimbabwe in a Test after Dave Houghton (4), Alistair Campbell (19) and Andy Flower (20). The sixth wicket partnership of 76 runs between Alistair Campbell and Heath Streak was Zimbabwe's best for this wicket against New Zealand. This obliterates the previous record stand of 70 between Andy Flower and Dave Houghton at Bulawayo in 1992-93. The wicket of Andy Flower in first innings was 161st for Chris Cairns which makes him the second most successful bowler in New Zealand Test annals after Richard Hadlee who has a tally of 431 wickets from 86 matches. Cairns moved ahead of Danny Morrison who had taken 160 wickets from 48 matches. The ninth wicket stand of 78 between Adam Parore and Daniel Vettori in first innings was New Zealand's best for this wicket against Zimbabwe. This obliterates the previous record stand of paltry 18 between Vettori and Shayne O'Connor at Bulawayo in 1997-98. Paul Strang by returning with figures of 8 for 109 in the first innings set the following records:-It was the fourth best figures by any bowler against New Zealand after South Africa's GB Lawrence's 8 for 53 at Johannesburg in 1961-62, India's S.Venkataraghavan's 8 for 72 at Delhi in 1964-65 and Erapally Prasanna's 8 for 76 at Auckland in 1975-76.
-It was the best figures for Zimbabwe against New Zealand (previous best was 6-111 by Adam Huckle at Bulwayo in 1997-98).
-It was the second best by a bowler on Zimbabwean soil after South Africa's Allan Donald who captured 8 for 71 against Zimbabwe at Harare in 1995-96.
-It was the best ever figures by a Zimbabwean bowler in a Test innings (previous best was 6-87 by Heath Streak against England at Lord's in 2000).
Alistair Campbell (88 & 45) became the third Zimbabwean to top score in both innings of a Test. Others to do so for Zimbabwe are Andy Flower (four times) and Guy Whittall (once). Grant Flower was called for throwing thrice by square leg umpire Darrel Hair in the 8th over of New Zealand's second innings. Flower became the second Zimbabwean to achieve this 'dubious' distinction after Henry Olonga who was called in the Harare Test in 1994-95 in the match against Pakistan. Paul Strang's match figures (10-158) are the second best by a Zimbabwean in a Test after Adam Huckle who took 11 for 255 also against New Zealand at Bulawayo in 1997-98. The victory was 11th for New Zealand under Stephen Fleming 's captaincy. Fleming has now equalled Geoff Howarth's record of most Test wins for New Zealand. 