Player of the Match
Player of the Match
  • BATSMEN
    R
    B
    M
    4s
    6s
    SR
    65.1 Crawley sweeps, misses... given! He is going to review Allahuddien Paleker's decision, but it looked pretty adjacent. Tossed up on off stump, sliding under the bat into the front pad. Only has to be clipping - and it is hitting leg stump, so the decision stands. The Zimbabwe fans in the stands are dancing, they've got their second success of the day 368/2
    41.3 rocks back for the slap, holes out to cover! Zimbabwe break through, just when Duckett was breaking loose! He got greedy and he knows it, slapping his thigh as he traipses off. But that's a mighty knock and a hell of a stand too 231/1
    89.3 pitched up, Pope drives... and nicks to the keeper! Zimbabwe celebrate an early breakthrough, though Pope isn't convinced and reviews after some discussion with Brook. There was a noise, which was good enough for Allahuddien Palakar; and UltraEdge quickly backs him up! So the finger is raised again and Pope walks off, he won't be doubling up today 502/4
    82.4 top-edged on the pull, Muzarabani gets rid of Root! It won't be four batters, four centuries, as England's kingpin is undone by the extra bounce from the 6'8' seamer! Well bowled that man, and a good calm take at fine leg too. 479/3
    96.3 Brook chops on! He's livid with that shot, just looking to dab a shortish delivery. Third wicket for Muzarabani... and with that, England have declared their innings. So this game is moving on 565/6
    94.5 Blessing bounces out Ben! Sharp bouncer, flies off the top edge, and it's well taken by Ben Curran down at fine leg! Only a brief innings from Stokes on his return after five months out. Reward for the persevering Muzarabani. That really kicked up from just back of a length, getting big on Stokes as he tried to pull 548/5
    not out
    4
    4
    8
    1
    0
    100
    Extras
    25 (b 6, lb 10, nb 3, w 6)
    TOTAL
    565/6d (96.3 Overs, RR: 5.85)
    Fall of wickets: 1-231 (Ben Duckett, 41.3 ov), 2-368 (Zak Crawley, 65.1 ov), 3-479 (Joe Root, 82.4 ov), 4-502 (Ollie Pope, 89.3 ov), 5-548 (Ben Stokes, 94.5 ov), 6-565 (Harry Brook, 96.3 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    R Ngarava914204.6600
    B Muzarabani24.3314335.8300
    TL Chivanga16011717.3123
    VM Nyauchi18010305.7200
    Sikandar Raza2419313.8700
    W Madhevere3034111.3300
    BJ Bennett201708.500
  • BATSMEN
    R
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    4s
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    SR
    54.3 popped to Pope - this one will stick! Tongue had him in his crosshairs, again he tried to fend it away but could only balloon the ball straight to short leg. Tongue looks nervously back at the umpire, but he's okay this time. Nevertheless, the crowd rises to salute Brian Bennett after a magnificent innings 246/6
    4.3 edged into Brook's bread-basket! Cook has his maiden wicket! That's a classic Cook dismissal, replicated on countless occasions at Chelmsford. Round the wicket, straightening off the seam, kissing the edge as Curran closed the face to produce a fat edge straight into the hands of second slip. Cook is utterly ecstatic! A long time coming, but his Test career is off the mark! 31/1
    20.4 from nowhere, a beauty! Bashir and England celebrate, but Ervine is hanging around... the umpires are checking to see if this carried to slip. Flighted on middle and leg, turns sharply to snag the edge - and Brook has got his fingers safely under the ball. Bashir gets amongst 'em with his 50th Test wicket! That should do plenty for his confidence 96/2
    32.3 indecision on the back foot, and bowled! It's an arm-ball from Bashir, and a soft way to go, after such a good previous shot. Bashir dangled it outside off, shaping away, and an indeterminate poke leads to an inside-edge into the off stump 156/3
    38.2 stunning bowling from Stokes! He's back alright! Bending into the right-hander, finding lift from a good length, then shaping away to turn Raza inside-out for a simple snick to Smith! He blows out his cheeks. He should have had two wickets in four legal balls! 187/4
    40.6 big inducker, and the stumps are rattled! Utter brilliance from Stokes! Madhevere had been committed to putting bat on ball in a defensive reflex for a series of outswingers, but this time the shiny side is flipped and his feet can't respond in time. A belated poke and an inside-edge into the top of middle ... suddenly the wickets are coming for England 199/5
    56.1 castles him, an offspinner's dream ball! Bashir strikes immediately and Zimbabwe are now seven down and staring at a big deficit. Floated up from over the wicket, draws him into the drive and then spins it back through the gate to hit the top of off. Lovely stuff 251/7
    63.2 ping, back goes the top of off! A shimmy at the crease, as Muzarabani shapes to the off-side, but Atkinson is unfazed by the hi-jinks and just hits his length. Clean through the defences, and with Ngavara unable to bat, Zimbabwe are all out 265/10
    61.4 yorker! Speared in very full, and England wonder if that is pad-first... if so it might be hitting leg... Stokes reviews. It's definitely pad-first, but lots of stumps visible. But not the leg stump! Three reds on HawkEye, and Atkinson has some reward for his toil 258/8
    not out
    0
    5
    6
    0
    0
    0
    absent hurt
    -
    Extras
    10 (lb 6, nb 4)
    TOTAL
    265 all out (63.2 Overs, RR: 4.18)
    Fall of wickets: 1-31 (Ben Curran, 4.3 ov), 2-96 (Craig Ervine, 20.4 ov), 3-156 (Sean Williams, 32.3 ov), 4-187 (Sikandar Raza, 38.2 ov), 5-199 (Wessly Madhevere, 40.6 ov), 6-246 (Brian Bennett, 54.3 ov), 7-251 (Tafadzwa Tsiga, 56.1 ov), 8-258 (Tanaka Chivanga, 61.4 ov), 9-265 (Blessing Muzarabani, 63.2 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    SJ Cook1717214.2300
    AAP Atkinson13.225824.3500
    Shoaib Bashir16.426233.7200
    JC Tongue1315614.303
    BA Stokes3.221123.301
  • BATSMEN
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    4s
    6s
    SR
    3.1 wide on the crease, speared into the knee-roll! Up goes the finger! It was angled in sharply, but very full... Bennett reviews as well he might, but if this is clipping, he's gone... there's no bat involved, and it's hitting leg stump! Atkinson's second such wicket this afternoon, and poor Bennett is gone twice in a single day... though that hardly tells a fair story 3/1
    36.2 Soft dismissal! Generously flighted fuller length ball pitching wide outside off, Curran plays the check-drive, a hint of turn away from the batter, failed to keep it down, driven aerially straight to the short cover fielder, Stokes gobbles it up with ease 142/4
    7.2 back of a length, uncomfortable prod from Ervine who didn't fancy getting in line to that, and that's a leading edge, looping straight to Pope under the lid! Tongue's capacity to extract bounce from a good length comes to the party, and with both of the first-innings battlers gone, this innings is in a bit of crisis 7/2
    32.3 hit on the pads sweeping, and Dharmasena gives another! Williams reviews, though. Will this one stick? He missed with a paddle to leg, the ball skidding on to hit him in line with middle... and it's clipping the top of leg stump! Umpire's call by the barest of margins, and Williams is a goner! He was closing in on the honours board, and potentially reclaiming his fastest hundred mantle for Zimbabwe; but it won't be happening today. Bashir finally breaks through for England, 10 minutes before lunch 129/3
    56.2 Another soft dismissal, Raza bites the dust! Short of a length ball slower through the air on the stumps turning in, goes for the big heave stroke, commits a bit too early, throws hit bat at it and only managed to find the leading edge, an easy catch for Brook at the slip area. Fourth five-wicket haul for Shoaib Bashir in Test Cricket. 241/8
    47.4 Edged and Brook takes a blinder! Short pitched delivery with extra bounce off the pitch, Madhevere moves onto the back foot and plays it awkwardly to the off-side, cramped for space, beaten by the extra bounce and finds the thick outside edge towards the second slip fielder, Brook performs an acrobatic dive to his left, raises his right hand in the air, and the ball gets stuck on it! Stokes can't believe it; amusement is all over his face! 207/5
    50.6 Bowled him with a peach! Generously flighted ball pitching around the off stump line with sharp turn inwards and bounce off the pitch, shimmies down the track early and plays it straight with his front foot towards the covers, goes through bat-pad and clipped the top of the leg stump. Bashir was disappointed that Smith had lost the stumping opportunity. Later, he gazed back at the stumps and couldn't believe his eyes. 218/6
    52.2 Muzarabani has holed out! Slight fuller length ball turning in on the stumps, clears the front leg and goes down on one knee, plays the slog sweep and miscued it, connects the inner part of the bat, and into the safe hands of Joe Root at deep mid wicket area 222/7
    not out
    13
    17
    27
    2
    0
    76.47
    58.6 Trapped in front, plumb! Flighted length ball on the off stump channel, turning in on the stumps from outside off, kept low on the track, moves onto the back foot and plays inside the line of the ball, hits the back pad in front of middle-off. Massive appeal and the finger goes up. Chivanga goes for the review, not looking confident at all. No bat involved, all reds and hitting the middle stump with the turn. Looks like that's the end of the innings, the players are shaking hands. Ngarava is injured and can't come out to bat. Sixth wicket haul for Shoaib Bashir, also his best figures in Test Match cricket in an innings. 255/10
    absent hurt
    -
    Extras
    9 (b 2, lb 2, nb 3, w 2)
    TOTAL
    255 all out (f/o) (59 Overs, RR: 4.32)
    Fall of wickets: 1-3 (Brian Bennett, 3.1 ov), 2-7 (Craig Ervine, 7.2 ov), 3-129 (Sean Williams, 32.3 ov), 4-142 (Ben Curran, 36.2 ov), 5-207 (Wessly Madhevere, 47.4 ov), 6-218 (Tafadzwa Tsiga, 50.6 ov), 7-222 (Blessing Muzarabani, 52.2 ov), 8-241 (Sikandar Raza, 56.2 ov), 9-255 (Tanaka Chivanga, 58.6 ov)
    BowlingOMRWEconWDNB
    SJ Cook1434703.3510
    AAP Atkinson621712.8300
    JC Tongue1206515.4101
    Shoaib Bashir1818164.500
    BA Stokes804115.1212
    JE Root1100000

Close of Play

  • day 1 - England 1st innings 498/3 (OJ Pope 169*, HC Brook 9*, 88 ov)
  • day 2 - Zimbabwe 2nd innings 30/2 (BJ Curran 4*, SC Williams 22*, 10 ov)

Match Notes

Zimbabwe 3rd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st3BJ CurranBJ Bennett
2nd4CR ErvineBJ Curran
3rd122SC WilliamsBJ Curran
4th13Sikandar RazaBJ Curran
5th65Sikandar RazaW Madhevere
6th11Sikandar RazaTE Tsiga
7th4Sikandar RazaB Muzarabani
8th19Sikandar RazaVM Nyauchi
9th14VM NyauchiTL Chivanga