BULAWAYO, ZIMBABWE: Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls and Rachin Ravindra all scored 150 and over as New Zealand built up a commanding 476-run lead against hosts Zimbabwe at the end of the second day of the second test at the Queens Sports Club on Friday.
New Zealand were 601-3 at stumps following a dominant day at the crease after being 174-1 overnight, with Conway scoring 153 and Nicholls and Ravindra compiling an unbeaten 256-run partnership to ensure a mammoth total.
Nicholls was 150 not out and Ravindra unbeaten 165 as the tourists resisted the temptation to declare late in the day and put Zimbabwe into bat.
The home team, bowled out for 125 in two sessions on the opening day on Thursday after winning the toss and choosing to bat, took only two wickets on a day of miserable toil on Friday as bat totally dominated ball.
Conway brought up his fifth test century off 142 balls and then went on to hit 18 boundaries before being bowled by Blessing Muzarabani after Zimbabwe had taken the second new ball.
Before lunch, nightwatchman Jacob Duffy, one of three debutants in the Kiwi line-up, scored 32 before chipping to midwicket off the spin bowling of Vincent Masekesa.
Duffy put on 73 runs with Conway for the second wicket while Nicholls and Conway added a further 110 before Conway’s dismissal.
Nicholls, in the team in place of injured captain Tom Latham, took 166 balls to bring up his 10th ton in test cricket while fellow left hander Ravindra needed only 104 balls for his third test century.
New Zealand completed their nine-wicket win over Zimbabwe in last week’s first test inside three days and are expected to declare either overnight or early on Saturday, leaving Zimbabwe with a massive deficit to try and haul in if they are to avoid another heavy defeat.
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