There were a few sideways glances during the first day of Zimbabwe’s first Test match in England for 22 years, followed by some renewed calls for cricket’s longest format to adopt a two-division structure. After a flogging like the one their players had just suffered across three sessions, perhaps this was to be expected.
But on day two, cheered on by some wonderful pockets of support in the stands, the tourists managed a pushback. First came a sharper bowling performance, England losing three for 67 to declare on 565 for six, followed by a fairytale century from opener Brian Bennett. Though bowled out for 265, and closing on 30 for two following on, they had given Ben Stokes a far tougher workout along the way.
Bennett was still in the womb he shared with his twin brother, David, when Zimbabwe were last on these shores but now his name is etched in their cricketing history. Faced with a mountain of runs, and a green England attack that was desperate to impress their captain, the right-hander peeled off the fastest Test century by a Zimbabwean – from just 97 balls – en route to 139 from 143.
It was not quite as frictionless as the strike-rate might suggest but, if anything, this was to Bennett’s credit. A couple of edges squirted through gaps in the cordon and, on 89, a third was grassed by a perplexed Joe Root. But each time the 21-year-old got his head down and regathered his focus, before cruising through the 90s with a hat-trick of laced fours and sampling some pretty rarefied air.
Only two Zimbabweans, Andy Flower and Murray Goodwin, had scored Test centuries against England before him and once the renovation of the old pavilion is complete, Bennett will join the latter on the overseas honours board at Trent Bridge. His day ended lbw for one second time around – a fourth wicket for Gus Atkinson across the two innings – but was scarcely tarnished.
For England this was the early summer workout they were craving and, given the surface on which they racked up the fifth 500-plus total of the Bazball era, one they might have expected too. Despite falling for nine in the morning, undone by some extra bounce from Blessing Muzarabani, Stokes claiming figures of two for 11 from 3.2 overs on his return from hamstring surgery was arguably the biggest plus of all.
Stokes had brought himself on only after Shoaib Bashir injured his right ring finger fluffing a return catch. But after overstepping initially, his first legal delivery was a snorter that climbed off the pitch and produced an edge that Root put down. This was merely a taster, it transpired, with Sikandar Raza soon undone by repeat – Jamie Smith holding on – and Wessly Madhevere castled off an inside edge.
Bashir’s injury was not too serious, mercifully, and across 16.4 overs the off-spinner picked up three for 62. The battle for control of his length remains but so too do the magic balls that see England persist. Snaffling a couple of senior pros in Craig Ervine (42) and Sean Williams (25), and returning to bowl Tafadzwa Tsiga through the gate, Bashir also became the youngest Englishman to reach 50 Test wickets.
At just 21 years and 222 days old, Bashir is the also most experienced member of England’s frontline bowling attack with 16 caps. At the other end of this slim spectrum is Sam Cook, who shared the new ball with Atkinson and began with a 12-run over that included an inside edge off Bennett’s bat flying past the stumps.
An inauspicious start, perhaps, but soon there was new entry into Cook’s little black book of wickets. It was a pretty smart piece of bowling, too, Cook going around the wicket to the left-handed Ben Curran and squaring him up for an edge to second slip. Having kicked the door down to get this chance, and overcome doubts about his medium-fast speeds along the way, Cook’s delight was unbridled.
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At the other end of the pace spectrum to Cook is Josh Tongue, England’s quickest option after Mark Wood and making a comeback here after an 18-month injury ordeal. Across 13 overs of grunt he offered Stokes a significant point of difference and gave the experienced Williams a headache with one missile to the helmet.
A no-ball denied Tongue the wicket of Bennett on 139, likewise Ollie Pope a spectacular diving catch at short leg. But four balls later the pair combined for a simpler repeat, leaving Zimbabwe 246 for six. The resistance rather slipped away thereafter, with Atkinson and Bashir combining to wipe out the remainder.
After a punchy half-century from Harry Brook in the morning, it added up to a pretty tidy performance from England overall. And with Stokes asking his guests to have another crack, and soon watching Atkinson and Tongue whistle up a couple more strikes, a three-day Test match appears to be very much on the cards.
Nevertheless, despite the gulf in quality and that torturous opening day, Zimbabwe have stamped their mark on this short tour. The flashing blade of Bennett is to thank for this, an innings worthy of the exclusive club it saw him join.