Bulawayo: Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, and Rachin Ravindra each scored centuries as New Zealand delivered a commanding batting performance on the second day of the second Test against Zimbabwe at Queens Sports Club. New Zealand concluded the day with a formidable score of 601 for three, establishing a significant lead of 476 runs over Zimbabwe’s initial innings total of 125.
According to Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha, Conway, who ended a 16-Test streak without a century, expressed satisfaction with the day’s play, stating, “We wanted to be ruthless with the bat, build partnerships and put bowlers under pressure. It was a fantastic day for us.” Conway scored 153 runs, marking his return to form after a period of lower scores. Nicholls, in his first Test series since December 2023, remained unbeaten on 150, while Ravindra smashed an impressive 165 not out at a brisk pace.
Conway’s previous run of centuries included a notable double century on debut against England, but his form had dipped, leaving him with a c
areer average that had fallen from the mid-50s to just over 37 before this Test. Despite not being part of the original squad for a preceding Twenty20 series in Zimbabwe, Conway made a successful comeback, contributing significantly in both formats.
The day began with New Zealand already in a strong position at 174 for one, and Zimbabwe struggled to make breakthroughs. Apart from the dismissal of nightwatchman Jacob Duffy for 36, Zimbabwe’s bowlers had little success. Conway’s wicket fell to Blessing Muzarabani after a misjudged shot against the second new ball.
Ravindra joined Nicholls upon Conway’s departure and quickly accelerated, reaching his century in just 104 balls. Despite the significant lead, stand-in captain Mitch Santner chose not to declare, allowing Ravindra to add another 65 runs off just 35 balls towards the day’s end.
Zimbabwe’s bowlers, including Muzarabani and Tanaka Chivanga, faced a challenging day. Muzarabani managed one wicket for 101 runs in 24 overs, while Chivanga conceded 94 run
s in 17 overs without taking a wicket.