He registered the best figures by a New Zealander on Test debut.
New Zealand have a few exciting players coming through in recent times, a few of whom can also contribute with both bat and ball. Among them is Zakary Foulkes, who has had an impressive start to his Test career against Zimbabwe.
AUSA-W
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INDA-W
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BVB
191/4
AMR
193/7
Amaravati Royals beat Bhimavaram Bulls by 3 wickets
VSS
185/8
SVL
186/2
Simhadri Vizag Lions beat Vijayawada Sunshiners by 8 wickets
ROR
–
TBW
–
VSS
–
BVB
–
ODW
149/8
CDK
161/8
Central Delhi Kings beat Outer Delhi Warriors by 12 runs
PD
182/8
EDR
186/5
East Delhi Riders won by 5 wickets
ZGW
71/8
ZAS
129/5
Zagreb Sokol beat Zagreb Warriors by 58 runs
ZAS
134/7
SOS
91/4
Zagreb Sokol beat Sir Oliver Split by 43 runs
ZGW
100/6
RJM
103/4
Rijeka Markhors beat Zagreb Warriors by 6 wickets
ZAS
109/2
SOS
108/4
Zagreb Sokol beat Sir Oliver Split by 8 wickets
ZGW
103/4
RJM
138/6
Rijeka Markhors won by 35 runs
RJM
–
SOS
–
ZGA
–
RJM
–
SOS
–
ZGA
–
ZGW
–
SOS
–
ZGA
–
RJM
–
YOR
295/3
LAN
294/7
Yorkshire beat Lancashire by 7 wickets
DURH
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MID
–
LEI
–
NOT
–
BB
–
KENT
–
WOR
–
HAM
–
SURR
–
GLAM
–
GTC
142/4
CCC
138/5
Gauhati Town Club beat City Cricket Club by 6 wickets
BCC
123/10
NAJC
124/5
Nabajyoti Club beat Bud Cricket Club by 5 wickets
BCC
–
GUG
–
LLG
–
MUR
–
NK
–
NWW
–
BNC
96/3
KZK
99/3
Khan Zalmi Kings beat Bader & Nie Cricket Club by 7 wickets
TCC
79/8
KUMS
151/3
Kuwait Swedish beat Tally Rangers by 72 runs
JJ
–
SBSCC
–
NCMI
–
BCC
–
KLPR
101/1
JOR
100/10
Kuala Lumpur beat Johor by 9 wickets
PRK
106/5
SEL
101/10
Perak beat Selangor by 5 wickets
HBT
216/4
SML
187/6
Hubli Tigers beat Shivamogga Lions by 29 runs
MYW
184/9
GBM
187/2
Gulbarga Mystics beat Mysore Warriors by 8 wickets
BNB
–
HBT
–
MGD
–
SML
–
WI
294/6
PAK
92/10
West Indies beat Pakistan by 202 runs
SLBL
–
SLGY
–
AUS
165/10
SA
218/7
South Africa beat Australia by 53 runs
BIP
182/6
OVI
180/8
Birmingham Phoenix beat Oval Invincibles by 4 wickets
SOB
–
NOS
–
WEF
–
MAO
–
BIP-W
152/6
OIW-W
174/5
Oval Invincibles Women beat Birmingham Phoenix Women by 22 runs
SBW-W
–
NOS-W
–
WFW-W
–
MOW-W
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Foulkes snared nine wickets for 75 runs across two innings and registered the best figures by a New Zealander on Test debut, going past Will O’Rourke. He took four wickets while conceding 38 runs in the first innings before dismissing five batters for 37 runs in the second innings to help New Zealand register their biggest ever win in Test cricket.
Zakary Foulkes is a lanky speedster whose natural length can be slightly shorter, and he hits the deck hard. He has a good pace, but more importantly, the speedster can move the ball at pace, which makes him a threatening weapon.
His lines mostly target the top of off, and his deliveries rush the batter, which can be deceiving because he doesn’t seem to bowl at an exaggerated pace. Still, he is quicker and gets zip off his deliveries, and his short balls often induce top edge.
His height allows his release points to be higher, enabling him to hit the top of the blade. On fast surfaces, Foulkes will naturally become more threatening, but his attributes make him an equally potent option on slow decks.
Then, Foulkes is also a more-than-handy batter who can hit big shots and chip in with crucial runs in the lower order. He has a T20I strike rate of 143.90 and averages over 20 in List A cricket, which shows he can offer with the willow.
The youngster has already played a few timely cameos and will only improve from here on, making him a complete package. He has the makings of being one of the best New Zealanders ever had.
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Foulkes made his international debut with a T20I fixture against Pakistan in April last year. Then, he played an ODI against Sri Lanka last year but didn’t get to bowl as the rain washed away the game.
Finally, he has made his Test debut and impressed with his superior bowling skills. Overall, Foulkes has 15 wickets at an average of 24.46 in 13 outings, including a best of 3/20.
Further, he also has 59 runs at a strike rate of 143.90 in seven innings. In his only Test, he took nine wickets, as mentioned above.
Slowly, he is establishing his place on the side, and with the Kiwis genuinely looking for more pace options lately, he can be the one to groom. His skill sets are too good to ignore, and the team management has no reason not to give him a long run across formats.
Foulkes has been highly rated and can be one of the wildcard picks in the IPL 2026 auction. Like Bevon Jacobs, IPL teams won’t shy from including Zakary Foulkes, even if he has little international experience.
His unique attributes are encouraging enough to work with, and he will develop from here. Such players have a higher ceiling than most bowlers, and teams opt for such talent.
For instance, a tall bowler with high release and zip off the surface can be employed with the new ball or in the middle overs in Indian conditions, making them a good package. Then, there’s ample batting value as a bonus.
During the last auction, the Mumbai Indians (MI) showed trust in Bevon Jacobs, who was an unknown commodity then and have been grooming him to become a permanent member. Similarly, Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) roped in William O’Rourke as a replacement player despite his limited experience, based on the unique skill sets he brings, suggesting Foulkes can also fetch a bid in the auction.
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