Zakary Foulkes recorded the finest opening bowling performance by a New Zealand cricketer, capturing nine wickets across the innings in the team’s innings win against Zimbabwe at Bulawayo.
The 24-year-old, bowling right-arm fast, returned composite figures of 9 for 75, thereby surpassing the previous debut record held by Chris Cairns, which was established in 1989.
Stand-in captain Mitchell Santner described the feat as “pretty special,” noting Foulkes’ ability to swing the ball both ways, including into right-handers, as a rare asset.
“We’ve seen a little bit in the white-ball stuff, but to do it in a Test match on debut is pretty special,” Santner said. “He was obviously going for that ten-for… He probably loved Zimbabwe more than some others.”
Foulkes was called into the squad after Nathan Smith was ruled out with an abdominal strain. His path to the red-ball side was fast-tracked, having played mostly white-ball cricket in recent years — one ODI and 13 T20Is before this match.
“It still hasn’t really kicked in,” Foulkes admitted. “I’ve been on a white-ball diet, so the prospect of bowling more overs was a bit of a shock. I definitely felt sore on day two.”
Two other debutants, Jacob Duffy and Matthew Fisher, also contributed. Duffy took two wickets and batted at No. 3 as a nightwatcher, while Fisher picked up two wickets and impressed with pace in the nets. Together, they complemented Matt Henry, who claimed 7 for 56 in the match and was named Player of the Series.
“Duff’s sort of taken me under his wing,” Foulkes said. “And Fisher’s been bowling pretty quick — not nice to face in the nets. Growing up, it was Henry, Boult, Southee… Now I’m on the pitch with them.”
While the scorecards reflected comfortable wins in both Tests, Santner said Zimbabwe still managed to apply pressure at times. “We were challenged,” he said. “If you can weather those storms, you’ll put yourself in a better position.”
The acting captain observed that climatic factors in 2024 diverged markedly from those encountered during New Zealand’s 2016 visit to Zimbabwe, most notably in the degree to which seam and swing were on offer to the seam-bowling ranks.
Debutant Foulkes captivated scrutiny from the outset, etching his name into the annals by achieving the rare feat of a fifty on first appearance. The durability of such a performance across successive tours will remain an open interrogation, yet in the present moment the commencement to his Test career could scarcely be more emphatic.
