After a testing first session on Day 1, South Africa took control and never looked back. From that point on, it was all one-way traffic as they asserted their dominance and have deservedly taken the lead in the series. Zimbabwe now face a quick turnaround, with what was originally a 3-day break between the two Tests effectively becoming four due to the early finish. They will be hoping Brian Bennett recovers in time from concussion. The second and final Test of the series begins on Sunday, 6th July, here at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, with the first ball scheduled for 8 am GMT. Until then, there is plenty of cricket to look forward to. England Women and India Women face off in the second T20I later today. The men will resume their battle with the second Test starting on Wednesday, while Australia and West Indies begin their second Test on Thursday. Cheers!

The captain of South Africa, Keshav Maharaj says he is thrilled to have crossed the line, praising his young team's character and confidence. Shares that the youngsters put themselves out there and delivered, highlighting Dewald Brevis's eagerness, Wiaan Mulder's all-round brilliance, and Corbin Bosch's hard work and thoughtful approach. Maharaj mentions he is impressed by the maturity shown by the young players and says it is great to see them excel on the international stage.

Lhuan-dre Pretorius is the PLAYER OF THE MATCH for his stunning 153 in the first innings. He says that it hasn't completely sunk in and he will cherish this moment forever and is forever grateful for the opportunity. Adds that he hasn't played much first-class cricket but he looked to play his shots, and the message from the dressing room was clear to back himself. Shares that one of the learnings from his first innings was patience and he tried to capitalise on bad balls but there weren't many bad balls.

The skipper of Zimbabwe, Craig Ervine says the seamers started well but admits that, in hindsight, having an extra seamer would have helped them. Shares that while the bowlers did find breakthroughs, they were unable to sustain pressure due to inconsistency and too many loose deliveries. Mentions that the conditions offered more seam and bounce than anticipated, which led to the decision to play an extra spinner. Ervine expresses disappointment over the lack of support for Sean Williams. Adds that several players, including himself, got starts but failed to make them count. Reckons that the spinners could have shown more consistency. When asked about Brian Bennett's condition, Ervine replies that Brian is still being monitored and adds that a call on his availability for the second Test will be taken over the coming days.

Blessing Muzarabani is presented with a special memento for becoming the fastest Zimbabwean to reach 50 Test wickets, achieving the milestone in just 18 innings.

Time for the presentation ceremony...

While Ervine fell just one short of a hard-fought fifty, Masakadza was rewarded for his resistance as he brought up his maiden Test half century. Corbin Bosch, who did the early damage, returned after the lunch break to break the stand and push South Africa closer to victory. He went on to complete his maiden five-wicket haul, capping off a memorable game that also saw him register his first Test century. Blessing Muzarabani landed a few lusty blows before Tanaka Chivanga was stumped, which brought the game to an end.

Going into Day 4, South Africa had nine wickets to take, while for Zimbabwe, it was about showing fight and taking it one session at a time. Their main aim was to get through the first hour unscathed, but things unravelled right away. Nick Welch fell on the very first ball of the day, and it quickly turned into a procession as Corbin Bosch and Codi Yusuf ran riot with the ball. Reduced to 82 for 6, Craig Ervine and Wellington Masakadza came together to steady the innings and defy the Proteas in the second hour of the morning session.

While Day 2 saw Zimbabwe lose Bennett to a mild concussion, Day 3 brought another setback as Blessing Muzarabani missed a major part of the day due to illness. Apart from a brief phase where Zimbabwe picked up three quick wickets, there was not much to cheer about for the hosts as South Africa piled on the runs, with Wiaan Mulder leading the charge. Others chipped in too, as the Proteas stretched their lead from 216 at the start of the day to 536 before being bowled out. Just when it looked like the hosts would close the day on a positive note with no wickets lost, Takudzwanashe Kaitano fell in the final over.

The Proteas declared overnight and put Zimbabwe in under challenging morning conditions. It turned out to be a one-man show for the hosts, with Sean Williams waging a lone battle with a ton. Apart from the centurion, no other batter offered significant resistance. Right-handed opener Brian Bennett was subbed out due to a mild concussion, which only added to Zimbabwe’s troubles. South Africa kept chipping away at the wickets and eventually bowled Zimbabwe out for 251, securing a 167-run first-innings lead.

Craig Ervine lost the toss but was more than happy to bowl first, and his bowlers made the most of the conditions on offer early on. Tanaka Chivanga exploited the seam and bounce beautifully, reducing South Africa to 23 for 3 in the first hour. The tourists slipped further to 55 for 4 before debutant Lhuan-dre Pretorius led a spirited fightback. He first combined with fellow debutant Dewald Brevis for a momentum-shifting stand, and later with Corbin Bosch to take the innings forward. While the opening session belonged to Zimbabwe, centuries from Pretorius and Bosch in the next two sessions turned the tide completely, as South Africa ended Day 1 at 418 for 9.

A dominant win for South Africa! Without 7 players from the side that featured in the WTC final against Australia last month and fielding three debutants, Keshav Maharaj will be pleased with how it all panned out. Zimbabwe began the Test promisingly with a strong opening session, but from there, they never quite looked in the contest and this 328-run defeat marks their heaviest loss in Test cricket by runs.

The drinks break is timely, as South Africa is on the brink of victory, needing just one wicket to wrap up the match. Given Blessing Muzarabani's method of going after business with the bat at the crease, it's inevitable that Zimbabwe will fall to the visitors in this first game of the series.