ZIM vs NZ Match Prediction 2025 2nd Test: Match Preview, Pitch Report and Who will win Today’s Match?

ZIM vs NZ Match Preview

The New Zealand cricket team has been on a tour of Zimbabwe recently and they have been very successful. They won the tri-series earlier that included hosts Zimbabwe and South Africa. And now they have got off of a flying start in the Test series winning the first Test match.

The first Test saw the Kiwi bowlers deliver a clinical display, taking the hosts out for just 149 runs in their first innings. Captain Craig Ervine was the top scorer for Zimbabwe with 39 runs while Tafadzwa Tsiga and Nick Welch scored 30 and 27 runs respectively.

But it was a special bowling performance from the Kiwi duo of Matt Henry and Nathan Smith. Henry managed to take 6 wickets in 15.3 overs, while Smith picked up 3 wickets.

New Zealand in response scored 307 runs. It was great batting effort from the likes of Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell who scored 88 and 80 runs respectively. Will Young and Henry Nicholls also added decent contributions.

The New Zealand bowlers were in great form once again in the 2nd inning as they bowled out Zimbabwe for 165 runs. Mitchell Santner took 4 wickets in this inning to lead the bowling attack while the duo of Matt Henry and Will O’Rourke took 3 wickets each.

Sean Williams was the team's best batter in this inning as he scored 49 runs. Craig Ervine and Tafadzwa Tsiga both contributed with 22 and 27 runs respectively. New Zealand had the modest target of 8 runs which they chased in 2.2 overs. Matt Henry was named the player of the match for taking 9 wickets in this match.

ZIM vs NZ Recent Form

New Zealand cricket team is in much better form compared to that of the Zimbabwe cricket team. The hosts Zimbabwe have not won a single match in their last five matches. Meanwhile, the New Zealand cricket team has three wins and in their last five matches and lost 2. The two defeats came against England while the recent two wins came against England and Zimbabwe in their recent match.

ZIM vs NZ Head-to-Head in Tests

There have been 18 matches between Zimbabwe and New Zealand in the past. And it is the Kiwis who have won most of the matches as they lead with 12 wins out of 18 matches while Zimbabwe have not won a single match yet. All of the remaining six matches concluded without a winner, ending in draws.

Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo Pitch Report

Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo is well-known mainly because its flat surface creates a level playing field for everyone on the pitch—bowlers and batsmen alike. Looking back at the games against South Africa and Afghanistan, it's clear that the batters really showed their power with some high scores. Both pace and spin bowlers play just as crucial a role on the field. Fast bowlers, for example, can strike early with the new ball and bowl on a tighter length to keep the batsmen on their toes. As the game progresses, spinners could really make a difference. That said, historically, the team that bowls first has had more success, winning 13 out of 30 matches, compared to 7 for the team batting first here.

ZIM vs NZ Predicted Playing XI

Zimbabwe: Brian Bennett, Ben Curran, Nick Welch, Sean Williams, Craig Ervine (C), Sikandar Raza, Brendan Taylor, Newman Nyamhuri, Vincent Masekesa, Blessing Muzarabani, Trevor Gwandu.

New Zealand: Will Young, Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Rachin Ravindra, Darly Mitchell, Tom Blundell, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (C), Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy.

ZIM vs NZ Key Performers

Zimbabwe Top Batter: Sean Williams

The veteran Zimbabwe cricket team batter Sean Williams is going to play an important role in this match. He has been doing fairly well in the recent Test matches as he scored 113 runs in 2 innings vs England and 257 runs in 4 innings vs South Africa. Although he couldn't do much in the first inning, he scored 49 runs in the 2nd inning.

Zimbabwe Top Bowler: Blessing Muzarabani

The Zimbabwe cricket team's pace bowler Blessing Muzarabani had a fairly decent match in the first match as he bagged 3 wickets in the first inning and didn't get the opportunity to bowl in the 2nd inning as New Zealand chased the target fairly quickly.

New Zealand Top Batter: Will Young

The Kiwi opener, Will Young, has been in top form lately when it comes to Test matches and red ball formats. He already came into this series on the back of some great numbers in their previous series against India and England. He did fairly well in the 1st Test as well as he scored 41 runs in the first inning of the match. He is a very commandable batter who brings lots of stability at the top.

New Zealand Top Bowler: Matt Henry

New Zealand’s experienced pacer Matt Henry had a terrific game in the first Test as he bagged 9 wickets in the first Test match. Henry is a bowler who can be very effective at any phase of the game, be it with the new ball or the old ball.

ZIM vs NZ Today Match Prediction

The Zimbabwe vs New Zealand 2nd Test match is a very important match in the context of this series. New Zealand is already leading 1-0 after the first match meaning Zimbabwe desparately need a win to draw the series 1-1.

However, given how the hosts struggled against the New Zealand team in the first Test, this is looking rather difficult. New Zealand have a couple of great players within their arsenal. Matt Henry, Will O'Rourke possess the ability to get rid of batters while the likes of Will Young, Devon Conway, Rachin Ravindra can win the match with the bat. Hence, back New Zealand to win this match.