Matt Henry takes nine as NZ rout Zimbabwe in first Test

New Zealand knocked off a target of eight runs in 14 balls to complete a comprehensive win over a Zimbabwe side whose home form continues to suffer. Their only Test win this year was against Bangladesh in Chattogram in April, and they have now lost their last five Tests.

The architects of New Zealand's victory were their bowlers, headlined by Matt Henry's second Test nine-for, which included three second-innings wickets. Although New Zealand were without Nathan Smith for the third day - he could not take the field to determine the severity of an abdominal strain - Will O'Rourke's 3 for 28 and stand-in captain Mitchell Santner's 4 for 27 meant Zimbabwe were bowled out for under 170 in both innings to leave major batting concerns.

Despite a good mix of youthful talent and experience in their line-up, Zimbabwe are struggling to post big scores. Only Sean Williams' 49 was noteworthy in this match, though wicketkeeper Tafadzwa Tsiga made a career-best 30 in the first innings and 27 in the second. His contribution forced New Zealand to bat again, and kept an innings defeat at bay.

Zimbabwe only had one partnership over 50 in either innings, and it was the second-innings stand of 57 between Craig Ervine and Williams for the fifth wicket that they would have expected to stabilise them. The pair got together after New Zealand dismissed Nick Welch in the fifth over of the third morning, caught behind off a full ball from O'Rourke.

Then New Zealand got nightwatcher Vincent Masekesa, who batted for 58 minutes and faced 40 balls for 2. Masekesa was undone by a surface that started to show signs of variable bounce and gloved a back of a length ball to Rachin Ravindra at short leg.

Williams was on 14 off 12 balls at the time, and batting with good intensity. Though Zimbabwe were still 105 runs behind at the stage, the experience of Williams and Ervine calmed nerves, and could have set them up for something more. Ervine, in particular, navigated Henry's line just outside off fairly well, and drove him for two excellently timed fours.

The introduction of spin in the form of Michael Bracewell after the first hour posed challenges for Zimbabwe's batters as Bracewell beat them in flight. Williams got the better of him when he brought out the reverse sweep, and worked his way into the 40s. But he fell when he tried to help a Santner delivery fine, and got a faint touch through to Tom Blundell.

Two overs later, Ervine could do little about a full ball from Henry that nipped off the seam and moved away, taking the edge with it. He was caught behind for 22. Zimbabwe went to lunch on 114 for 6, still 44 runs behind.

Henry could have had Tsiga in the third over after the break when he edged to second slip, but Bracewell could not hold on. Tsiga was on 1 at the time. Instead, Henry was rewarded with the wicket of Sikandar Raza, who, for the second time in the match, was dismissed trying to play a big shot. After trying to take on the short ball in the first innings, Raza looked to hit Henry over midwicket but only spliced it high for Ravindra to take a second catch.

With Brendan Taylor in Zimbabwe's squad for the second Test next week, Raza's spot, especially after the way he played in this Test, might be most at risk.

Raza's wicket was Henry's ninth in the match, and came in the seventh over of his spell, though the lunch break had given him some rest. He bowled another four as he went in search of a tenth, and could have got it when there was a sound when Newman Nyamhuri went after a ball that moved away. But it seemed that his bat had hit the pad. Nyamhuri was removed at the other end when he was bowled by Santner, who also had Blessing Muzarabani dropped at deep square leg on 1.

Muzarabani and Tsiga's partnership grew to 36, and Tsiga took Zimbabwe into the lead with a pinpoint four down the ground. But they would have known they needed plenty to make the match competitive. Muzarabani was tempted by flight, and hit Santner to cover. Meanwhile, Tsiga, batting with No.11 Tanaka Chivanga, top-edged a slog sweep, and was caught at point to end Zimbabwe's innings on the stroke of tea.

The break was taken despite the small number of runs New Zealand needed, and the game went into a third session. New Zealand were in a hurry to finish things as quickly as possible on resumption. Devon Conway hit the fifth ball of the innings for four but then came down the track to try and hit Nyamhuri over mid-off but played on.

The wicket was as much joy as Zimbabwe got as Henry Nicholls hit the winning runs off Nyamhuri to give both sides the weekend off. The second Test starts next Thursday.