Online Reporter
Tinashe Kusema, Zimpapers Sports Hub
CRAIG Ervine isn’t sulking after Zimbabwe’s bruising return to the Test arena — the Chevrons captain is choosing to focus on the silver linings. Fresh off a humbling innings defeat to England in Nottingham, he says Zimbabwe’s month-long tour was less about results and more about valuable lessons.
“The experience, on and off the field, I think was fantastic,” said Ervine after arriving back home at the weekend. Getting to play England and feeling what it’s like to perform in front of a big crowd at Trent Bridge was great. The atmosphere, especially with our Zimbabwean support, was electric. It really spurred the guys on.”
The Chevrons were bowled out inside three days in the historic one-off four-day Test at Trent Bridge, losing by an innings and 46 runs. They also fell to a First-Class Counties XI by 138 runs in Leicester and drew a rain-affected warm-up against South Africa behind closed doors.
But the captain isn’t dwelling on the numbers.
“It was also great to move around — starting in Leicester, then to Nottingham, and finishing down south in Portsmouth. We got to explore the countryside and even had a tour of Lord’s. I’ve played cricket for a long time and had never been to Lord’s, so that was a real highlight.”
Crucially, England didn’t hold back. The hosts fielded a full-strength side featuring Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, and Ollie Pope — an opportunity Ervine welcomed.
“It’s always good to play a top side. It gives you a clear gauge of where you are, both as a team and individually. Our bowlers got to test themselves against world-class players. And their bowling attack was top class too, so it was great for our batters to see where they stand.”
Ervine admitted Zimbabwe’s slow start in the Test proved costly.
“We didn’t hit our straps early. England got nearly 500 on the first day and that put us under pressure straight away. That’s something we must improve on — starting strong in a Test.”
The skipper also took heart from the curiosity and eagerness shown by his squad.
“The guys were excited to see how the top players prepare. Some were watching Root and Stokes closely on match days, learning from the little things. After the game, we went into the England dressing room, and it was great to see our guys asking questions and soaking it all in.”
Now, all eyes turn to the next challenge: a two-Test home series against South Africa.
The Proteas, currently in England for the ICC World Test Championship final against Australia at Lord’s, are set to head to Zimbabwe immediately after.
The first Test is scheduled for June 28 to July 2, followed by the second from July 6 to 10. Both matches will be played at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.
