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Henry takes five again as returning Taylor can’t inspire insipid Zimbabwe

Published

11 months ago

2025/08/8

Priyan

Matt Henry bagged 5 for 40, his sixth Test five-for [Zimbabwe Cricket]

Matt Henry’s sixth Test five-for eclipsed Brendan Taylor’s international comeback, and entrenched questions over Zimbzbwe’s batting in the longest format. Zimbabwe were bowled out for their lowest total in nine innings, and second-lowest since 2023, with Taylor’s 44 and Tafadzwa Tsiga’s 33 the only individual scores over 11. That Taylor and Tsiga never batted together further underlines the issue, as Zimbabwe mustered a best partnership of only 29 on a surface where they chose to bat first.

There was some early movement but with less bounce on offer than last week, and the quality of New Zealand’s seamers shone through. Henry led the attack, but debutants Zakary Foulkes, Jacob Duffy and Matthew Fisher were also impressive. They varied lengths well, and bowled tight lines to a plan to give New Zealand’s line-up the best of the batting conditions.

In response, Devon Conway and Will Young put on New Zealand’s third highest opening partnership against Zimbabwe, and New Zealand’s first opening stand of over 150 in almost three years. It was their fourth century stand together, and first for the opening wicket. Though separated late in the day, Conway and Young put New Zealand ahead, and memories of Taylor’s slog earlier in the day already far from mind.

Taylor was called into action immediately on his comeback after a three-and-a-half-year ban when he was elevated to open the batting – something he had only done six times before – in place of Ben Curran. The reason for that became obvious as Taylor looked, by a distance, the most aware of his off stump, left well, and defended solidly.

With all those qualities on display in the morning, he will be livid with the manner of his dismissal shortly after lunch. Taylor became Henry’s third wicket when he popped a tame catch to stand-in captain Mitchell Santner at extra cover to end a two-hour-and-23 minute stay at the crease.

By then, Zimbabwe were in all sorts of trouble. They had already lost the rest of their top order thanks to poor shot selection in the face of excellent bowling. Brian Bennett, who partnered Taylor, was out as early as the ninth ball when he chased a delivery that shaped away and edged Henry to second slip, and will have to address his technique going forward.

Henry should have had Nick Welch off the next ball when he edged a good-length delivery. But Will Young, who took the catch that dismissed Bennett, could not hold on. Welch was beaten on the outside edge at least twice more by Henry, who then beat his inside edge and had him out lbw.

Zimbabwe would have hoped an experienced middle order would stabilise them, but Sean Williams and Craig Ervine went cheaply. Williams was worked over by Foulkes, who moved the ball away late, and edged to third slip, where Young took a diving catch to his right. Then, on the stroke of lunch, Ervine reached for a full, wide ball, and handed Young a third catch. Zimbabwe went to the break on 67 for 4, with Taylor on 33 and well set. His shot of the session was an upper cut off Duffy that was struck powerfully and placed well.

The same could not be said of the shot Taylor played in the afternoon, when Henry bowled on a good length outside off, and Taylor tried to drive off the back foot but chipped the ball to Santner. At the start of the next over, Foulkes set a leg-side trap for Sikandar Raza, and banged it in short and Raza walked straight in. He moved to the off side, and guided the ball into Rachin Ravindra’s hands. That was the third time in as many innings in this series that Raza was dismissed by the short ball.

Foulkes had Trevor Gwandu lbw three balls later, and Zimbabwe had crashed to 83 for 7. The end of the innings was only a matter of time. Henry picked up his fourth when Vincent Masekesa played down the wrong line and the ball hit the top of off stump, and his fifth when Blessing Muzarabani backed away and was bowled. Foulkes also chased a fifth, but Tsiga and Tanaka Chivanga resisted with a 25-run last wicket-stand.

Tsiga played a couple of well-timed shots through deep third and midwicket, and offered a rare glimmer of hope for Zimbabwe’s batting. But he ran out of partners when Chivanga failed to use his feet and drove Fisher to mid-off to give him a wicket on debut. Zimbabwe were bowled out inside 49 overs.

In response, New Zealand raced to 57 without loss after ten overs, and 40 of their runs came in boundaries. Conway got hold of fuller deliveries from Chivanga, while Young, who was struck on the glove, took on Muzarabani’s short ball. Zimbabwe’s new-ball pair then adjusted their lengths, but when Muzarabani and Chivanga went full, it was too full, and Conway cashed in. Chivanga’s fourth over cost 14 runs as Young cut him twice and then edged a back-of-a-length ball over the slips to bring up New Zealand’s fifty.

Gwandu’s introduction quietened things down, but only a touch, as New Zealand accumulated with ease. Chivanga changed ends, and it was off him that Young brought up his 11th Test fifty and New Zealand’s hundred with a flick through midwicket.

Zimbabwe’s best chance came shortly after the day’s final drinks break when Muzarabani drew Conway’s edge, but the chance died on Ervine at slip. Muzarabani also found the inside edge, but the ball raced away for four. Conway rode his luck, and then brought up his 13th Test fifty. New Zealand were in the lead with 14.4 overs left to play on the opening day.

They were 33 runs ahead when Masekesa thought he had the breakthrough. He hit Conway, on 72, in front of middle and leg, and appealed for lbw but it was turned down. Zimbabwe finally had some joy when Young tried to pull Gwandu but chopped on. Young remains without a century one inning into his 22nd Test. Conway finished the day on 79 not out alongside nightwatcher Duffy.

Brief scores:
New Zealand 174 for 1 (Devon Conway 79*, Will Young 74; Trevor Gwandu 1-31) lead Zimbabwe 125 in 48.5 overs (Brendan Taylor 44, Tafadzwa Tsiga 33*; Matt Henry 5-40, Zakary Foulkes 4-38) by 49 runs

[Cricinfo]

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WHO declares cruise-linked hantavirus outbreak officially over

Published

41 mins ago

2026/07/3

Priyan

Seynabou Diop works in a laboratory in Dakar, Senegal where the hantavirus genome was sequenced from the April outbreak [Aljazeera]

The World Health Organization has declared the ‌hantavirus outbreak over after the last identified contact ⁠of an exposed person linked to a cruise ship completed quarantine and tested negative for the virus.

The outbreak, which infected 13 people and killed three, ‌involved ⁠the rare Andes hantavirus strain that typically circulates in ⁠Argentina and Chile. The cruise ship Hondius ⁠sailed from Argentina on ⁠April 1.

“Today, the final contact of a person exposed to hantavirus on the cruise ship MV Hondius completed their quarantine period, tested negative and returned home,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus on Thursday. “No further cases have been reported since the 25th of May. Therefore, WHO considers the hantavirus outbreak over,” he added.

[Aljazeera]

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Oyarzabal scores two goals as Spain dominates Austria in World Cup knockout

Published

48 mins ago

2026/07/3

Priyan

Spain's forward Mikel Oyarzabal celebrates scoring his team's third goal against Austria in their 2026 World Cup round of 32 match at Los Angeles Stadium in Inglewood, US, on July 2, 2026 [Aljazeera]

Spain coasted past Austria and into the FIFA World Cup last 16 on Thursday, thoroughly outclassing their opponents in a 3-0 knockout win, with a brace from Mikel Oyarzabal and a Pedro Porro header.

The European champions controlled possession and sliced through the Austrian defence in a typically dominant performance in Los Angeles, as Hollywood stars Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem and singer Rosalia cheered on.

The win, which could have been by a greater margin – with a disallowed goal and a free kick off the woodwork – sets up a tantalising round-of-16 clash with either Portugal or Croatia.

“I’m happy to help the team and get through to the next round. Now we need to rest,” said Oyarzabal directly after full-time. “They were a physical side and difficult to play against, but we played a good match. We’re happy to qualify,” he added.

As to whether he would prefer Portugal or Croatia in Monday’s last-16 match-up, Oyarzabal remarked: “It doesn’t matter who we face in the next round; I have friends in both teams.”

Los Angeles Stadium was a sea of red and excitement over the first visit by a bona fide World Cup favourite to the US’s second city.

Spain ratcheted up the pressure gradually through the first half, creating a string of chances after the first hydration break.

Marc Cucurella thought he had scored from a Lamine Yamal corner, but Pau Cubarsi was judged to have encroached on Austria’s goalkeeper.

Alexander Schlager then made a superb diving save, pushing Oyarzabal’s low shot around the post.

Austria’s defence finally buckled in the 36th minute. Pedri pinged a ball wide, left to Cucurella, whose cross to Oyarzabal was calmly side-footed past the goalkeeper.

Spain’s dominance grew further, with Yamal tormenting the Austrians, mainly from the right flank.

An Alex Baena free kick hit the crossbar, and Yamal’s close-range follow-up shot was well saved.

Austria spurned a rare chance at the other end. Romano Schmid played in a late-arriving and unmarked Stefan Posch, but a terrible first touch meant he lost the ball before even attempting a shot.

Oyarzabal scores goal. — *Oyarzabal scores his second goal against Austria in the 89th minute [Aljazeera]*

After the break, Spain continued knocking on the door without quite putting the game to rest.

Austria sent on two giant strikers, Sasa Kalajdzic and Marko Arnautovic, and immediately went long, with Kalajdzic putting a header over the bar.

But in the 66th minute, Spain struck again. Baena lifted a cross onto the head of Pedro Porro, who nodded in his first goal for Spain.

Some dogged defending kept the scoreline respectable, including a goal-line clearance by David Alaba from Yamal, who was substituted off to rest moments later.

Spain sprayed passes around the pitch as the final minutes ticked down, eliciting “Oles” from the crowd, as attention turned to a sterner test on Monday in Dallas.

In the 89th minute, a pinpoint Cucurella cross found a completely unmarked Oyarzabal in the penalty area, who slotted the ball home to seal the victory in style.

[Aljazeera]

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Yash Thakur, Saransh Jain make inroads for India A

Published

1 hour ago

2026/07/3

Priyan

Yash Thakur took two wickets on an attritional day of cricket between India A and Sri Lanka A [Sri Lanka Cricket]

Fast bowler Yash Thakur and offspinner Saransh Jain shared four wickets for India A while Sri Lanka A captain Sahan Arachchige made an unbeaten 83 on an opening day where honours were shared in the second four dayer in Galle. Gurnoor Brar, the tall fast bowler from Punjab who recently made his ODI debut, picked up the only other wicket to fall.

B Sai Sudharsan, who had retired hurt in the second innings in the first four-dayer, was passed fit for this game.

After India A opted to bowl, they had to wait until the start of the 16th over for their first breakthrough. Thakur gave the visitors an opening when he dismissed Sri Lanka A opener Sohan de Livera for 28. Pawantha Weerasinghe, the other opener, moved to 39 before Brar had him caught by wicketkeeper-captain Dhruv Jurel.

Contribututions from Nuwanindu Fernando (44), Ashen Bandara (34), Anjala Bandara (42) and captain Arachchige (83*) helped Sri Lanka A rebuild and move closer to 300 by stumps. Arachchige remained unbeaten, having scored nine fours and a six.

Saransh cut Anjala’s innings short on 42 when he bowled him before close of play.

Scores:
Sri Lanka A 288 for 5 in 85 overs (Pawantha Weerasinghe 39, Sahan Arachchige 83*, Nuwanidu Fernando 44, Anjala Bandara 42; Yash Thakur 2-32, Saransh Kain 2-77) vs India A

[Cricinfo]