Wagner finished with career-best figures of 6-41 off 20.5 overs

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

New Zealand left-arm seamer Neil Wagner single-handedly speared through Zimbabwe’s batting line-up to leave them in all sorts of trouble on the first day of the first Test in Bulawayo.

Wagner etched his name in history following his sparkling performance with the ball as he recorded the best figures in a Test innings at the Queen Sports Club in Bulawayo. His figures of 6-41 is also the second-best bowling performance by a New Zealand bowler against Zimbabwe in the longest format of the game.

Opting to bat first, Zimbabwe lost wickets in a hurry as Tim Southee and Mitchell Santer dismissed their top three batsmen before Wagner came in and carved through their middle order with ease.

Having been reduced to 72/8, Zimbabwe were on the verge of making a dismal total, but debutant Prince Masvaure and Donald Tiripano fought back with an 85-run partnership before Masvaure was trapped lbw off the bowling of Southee for 42.

Masvaure and Tiripano’s superb stand was the second-highest ninth-wicket partnership for Zimbabwe in Tests.

Zimbabwe ended up being bowled out for 164 as debutant Michael Chinouya was clean bowled by Wagner for one run, which left Tiripano stranded on 49 not out.

While Tiripano would have been gutted to have missed out on his maiden half-century, he did make the highest score by a Zimbabwe batsman at No. 10 or 11 in Tests.

Wagner was the pick of the bowlers with six wickets, while Southee and Santner claimed two wickets apiece.

Trailing by 164 runs, New Zealand got off to a solid start as Tom Latham and Martin Guptill amassed an unbeaten 32-run partnership before stumps was called.

Latham finished on 16 off 36 balls, which included two boundaries, while Guptill remained undefeated on 14 off 26 deliveries, which included three boundaries.

New Zealand ended day one on 32/0 and will continue batting on Friday at 09:30 local time, 07:30 GMT