Cricket news: Five things we learnt from England’s Test victory over Zimbabwe
England kicked off the cricketing summer with a comprehensive victory by an innings and 45 runs over Zimbabwe in a one-off four-day Test match at Trent Bridge.
It was the visitors’ first appearance on English soil in 22 years and the first English summer to not feature James Anderson, who made his Test debut against the Chevrons back in 2003.
And the Poms, by all accounts, took care of business in Nottingham as they look forward to a five-match Test series against India next month.
Here, Sports News Blitz writer Bilal Patel breaks down the key factors in the hosts’ win and looks at how Brendon McCullum’s side is shaping up ahead of this year’s Ashes.
Top three on song
After being sent into bat, the opening batters set the tone for England, with the top three all notching centuries to put the visitors under the pump on day one.
In an impressive show of batting prowess, it took until the 42nd over for the hosts’ first wicket to fall, by which time there were already 231 runs on the board.
Ollie Pope then continued the carnage, top scoring with 171 runs off just 166 deliveries as England declared after scoring 565 runs.
In the end, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, and Pope all reached the three-figure mark in the same innings for the second time after the trio had achieved the same feat in Rawalpindi against Pakistan in 2022.
The top order will be expected to keep scoring big, but the question remains: can they do so against a much more experienced bowling line-up like India?
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Harry Brook reminds everyone of his talent
Much of the spotlight would have gone to the opening batters – and even Joe Root, who reached a landmark 13,000 Test runs – but Harry Brook’s blistering 58 off just 50 deliveries topped off an excellent innings for the hosts and reminded everyone of his undeniable talent.
The newly-appointed England white-ball captain was the highest run-scorer in their last two Test series away in New Zealand and Pakistan.
And the 26-year-old continues to show no signs of slowing down in the Test format as he gears up for his first stint as captain ahead of the ODI and T20 series against the West Indies.
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Ben Stokes is inevitable
Ben Stokes would not have expected to be bowling but, after Shoaib Bashir had to go off with a finger problem in the middle of his over, the captain continues to produce magic when needed.
His 20-ball spell saw him take two quick wickets as he reduced the Chevrons from 187/3 to 199/5, just as the visitors were starting to get into their groove in chasing the mammoth first-innings total.
Injuries and fitness issues have resulted in Stokes being far from his best lately, but the ability to contribute with both bat and ball – plus his captaincy skills – makes the Durham star a major asset for England against India.
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Bashir continues to shine
Shoaib Bashir continues to solidify his position as England’s frontline spinner, picking up eight wickets against Zimbabwe, including a five-for in the second innings.
In fact, it was his second five-wicket haul at Trent Bridge after pulling off the feat last summer against the West Indies.
The 21-year-old also created history by becoming the youngest player to pick up 50 wickets in Test matches for England.
Despite not being favoured in county cricket this season after being loaned out to Glamorgan from Somerset, he has had no issues finding his feet in the national side.
If all goes well, Bashir will be expected to lead the spin attack against India later in the summer.
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Pace attack concerns
The pace trio of Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, and debutant Sam Cook only picked up six out of 18 wickets available after Richard Ngarava had retired hurt in both innings.
Cook picked up the opening wicket of Ben Curran in the visitors’ first innings. However, he did not provide much impact after that.
Tongue, meanwhile, got the wicket of the well-set Brian Bennett in the first innings but was one of the more expensive bowlers.
England, it must be said, are running thin on pacers this summer, with fast bowler Mark Wood likely to miss the early part of the Test series against India.
Chris Woakes and Brydon Carse are both coming back from injuries and will also be doubts to feature in all five Tests.
Josh Hull, who is in the England Lions squad ahead of the India series, could end up playing a part.
There will moreover be a selection headache as to which pace combination will be best against a solid Indian batting line-up.
This upcoming Test series will thus be a huge test for McCullum’s side and set the scene for a much-anticipated Ashes series Down Under at the end of the year.
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