Online Reporter
ENGLAND 565 for 6 dec (Pope 171, Duckett 140, Crawley 124) beat Zimbabwe 265 (Bennett 139) and 255 (Williams 88, Raza 60, Bashir 6-81) by an innings and 45 runs
IN a match where England’s supremacy was expected and delivered, it was Zimbabwe’s fighting heart that stole the show. Amid Shoaib Bashir’s record-breaking spin masterclass and England’s innings victory, Sean Williams and a band of brave batters gave a defiant Trent Bridge crowd something to cheer for, a reminder that pride isn’t always measured in wins.
Yet, despite the one sided result on paper, the spirit, fight and flair of Zimbabwe lit up the contest. Their supporters, vibrant, vocal and full of belief, painted Trent Bridge in red, green and gold and remained to applaud the team’s lap of gratitude. After all, this was Zimbabwe’s first Test tour of England in 22 years and for many fans, it was a long overdue celebration.
Much of the applause was reserved for Sean Williams, whose valiant 88 lit up Day Four. Backed by the composure of Ben Curran, the counter-punching flair of Sikandar Raza and the elegance of Wessly Madhevere, Zimbabwe came within 45 runs of forcing England to bat again, a commendable effort considering the gap in experience and resources.
Williams, a seasoned veteran with an average of 66.56 over the last five years, played a typically vibrant innings. His knock was peppered with 16 boundaries, nine of which were caressed through the covers and mid-off as England overpitched with frequency. With Curran, he added 122 for the second wicket, expertly guiding the younger man through a measured 104 ball stay worth 37.
England captain Ben Stokes, returning to bowling after hamstring surgery, showed glimpses of his old menace. He opened the day’s proceedings and though Curran edged an early boundary past gully, the England skipper sowed seeds of doubt. He nearly struck when Curran offered a return catch on 10, only for the chance to slip through Stokes’ fingers. Williams, unfazed, punished him later in the over with a pair of searing boundaries.
Williams reached his half century with a crisp straight drive off Josh Tongue. Soon after, he was struck on the forearm by a nasty ball that reared from a back of a length, drawing blood but not blunting his focus. He responded by crashing a wide ball from Gus Atkinson to the boundary.
Bashir’s entry tilted the day in England’s favour. His first ball was reverse-swept for four by Williams, who surged into the seventies, but cracks were forming. Tongue launched a barrage of short balls at Curran, who was nearly caught at midwicket by Stokes, and then survived an lbw on review against Bashir. Williams, however, wasn’t as fortunate. On 88, he was pinned on the pads and reviewed the decision, but ball tracking showed it clipping leg stump.
Had he gone on, he might have reclaimed the national record for Zimbabwe’s fastest Test hundred, a mark freshly set by Brian Bennett’s 97 ball gem just the day before.
Post lunch, Curran looked to go on the attack but perished when he drove Bashir aerially straight to Stokes, this time, the England captain made no mistake. That dismissal ushered in Raza and Madhevere, and the pair counter-attacked with confidence, taking on spin and pace alike.
There were moments of chaos: Bashir drew Raza’s edge, which ricocheted off keeper Jamie Smith and bounced off Harry Brook’s cap at first slip, narrowly avoiding injury. Then Sam Cook jagged a ball back into Madhevere’s pad, prompting a review. This time, ball tracking showed it missing leg stump.
In the end, it took brilliance from Stokes to break the partnership. He returned to the attack and drew extra bounce from a short ball. Madhevere attempted a cut, only to find a thick outside edge. Brook, airborne at second slip, clung on to a stunning one handed catch that stunned the crowd and Madhevere. Stokes celebrated in a throwback gesture, placing a hand over his mouth à la Stuart Broad, echoing an iconic moment from a decade earlier at the same venue.
With Madhevere gone, Zimbabwe’s hopes faded. Tafadzwa Tsiga was bowled by Bashir, who beat his bat with drift and turn. Raza surged past 50, his tenth in Tests, with a crisp drive off Stokes, but his joy was short-lived. Blessing Muzarabani was caught slog sweeping and Raza soon followed, skying a leading edge off Bashir to Brook once again.
Fittingly, Bashir had the final say. He trapped Tendai Chivanga lbw with a delivery that pitched on middle and straightened enough to strike him in front of off. Richard Ngarava, sidelined since Day One with a back injury, did not bat in either innings.
England now look ahead to a packed eight month Test calendar, including a five match home series against India and the Ashes in Australia. Zimbabwe, despite the defeat, leave Nottingham with their heads high and their stock rising ahead of home Tests against South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan.
As Williams said before leaving the field:
“We know where we are, but we also know where we’re going. And that’s forward.”— Online
