La Quotidienne de Bruxelles - New Zealand build big total in 2nd Test against Zimbabwe

New Zealand were 601 for three at the close in reply to Zimbabwe's first innings total of 125, a lead of 476 runs.

Conway scored 153, ending a 16-match streak without a Test century.

Nicholls, playing in his first Test series since December 2023, made 150 not out, while Ravindra hammered an unbeaten 165 at better than a run a ball.

It was another day of one-sided cricket after the Black Caps resumed on 174 for one, already 49 runs ahead. It took Zimbabwe an hour to remove nightwatchman Jacob Duffy, who made 36.

The rest of the day brought only one more wicket, that of Conway, who fell to the second new ball when he misjudged the bounce against Blessing Muzarabani and was bowled off his body.

Nicholls was on 64 when Ravindra joined him after Conway's dismissal. Ravindra, a left-hander like the other two centurions, quickly went on the attack and by the close had overtaken his partner.

Ravindra reached his century off 104 balls. With stand-in captain Mitchell Santner opting not to declare despite having a significant lead, Ravindra went on the rampage towards the close, adding another 65 runs off just 35 balls.

Zimbabwe fast bowlers Muzarabani and Tanaka Chivanga, usually the team's most effective bowlers, were both expensive.

Muzarabani took one for 101 in 24 overs, while Chivanga went wicketless in conceding 94 runs off 17 overs.

Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine used seven bowlers in a futile attempt to stop the flow of runs on a day in which New Zealand scored 427 runs for the loss of two wickets.

Q.Ceulemans--LCdB