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Brian Bennett’s second innings at Trent Bridge ended in disappointment as England struck early to remove the centurion from the first dig. Gus Atkinson produced a delivery that nipped back in sharply from a good length and stayed low, catching Bennett on the crease and thudding into his front pad. The appeal was loud and confident, and although umpire Allahudien Paleker took a moment, he eventually raised the finger. Bennett, looking uncertain, opted for a review after consulting his partner, but replays confirmed three reds — no bat, impact in line, and the ball crashing into the stumps. Out for just 1 off 10, Bennett walked off quietly, having fallen for the second time in the day. A huge early blow for Zimbabwe.
Zimbabwe put up a respectable fight but fell well short of what was needed, bowled out for 265 in reply to England’s imposing 565/6 declared. Trailing by a hefty 300 runs, they’ve been asked to follow on. Brian Bennett stood tall with a brilliant 139, showcasing flair and composure in just his first Test innings on English soil. He found some support from Craig Ervine, while Sean Williams and Tafadzwa Tsiga chipped in with twenties, but the rest of the batting order failed to deliver. England weren’t at their ruthless best with the ball, yet each of the bowlers managed to strike. Ben Stokes’ fiery burst — a short 3.2-over spell yielding two wickets in two overs — turned the tide firmly in England’s favour.
Josh Tongue finally gets his reward, and it’s the big one — the prized wicket of Brian Bennett, who departs after a sensational 139 off 143 balls. The delivery was a sharp, well-directed bouncer that climbed awkwardly towards Bennett’s chest. Trying to fend it off, he could only manage a top-edge that ballooned straight to Ollie Pope at forward short leg. Tongue held back his celebration momentarily, checking with the umpire for a possible no-ball, but once confirmed, he let out a triumphant roar. For Bennett, it marks the end of a truly remarkable knock — his first-ever innings in England, and one he’ll remember for life. With 26 boundaries in a counter-attacking masterclass, he not only steadied Zimbabwe but earned a standing ovation from the appreciative Trent Bridge crowd.
Brian Bennett and Tafadzwa Tsiga are looking good in the middle and have added 46 runs in 67 deliveries contibuted most by Bennett, who is looking good in the middle.
We’re back for the final session on Day 2, and it’s a crucial phase ahead. Cook will resume proceedings for England with the ball in hand, and the field is set aggressively with three slips in place. The light looks good, and England will be eager to make further inroads before stumps.
It’s been a session of highs and heartbreaks for Zimbabwe. Brian Bennett lit up the afternoon with a superb counter-attacking century — the fastest ever by a Zimbabwean in Tests, coming off just 96 balls. But while he held one end with flair, England chipped away at the other. Shoaib Bashir found his rhythm to remove Ervine and Williams, and though he dropped a return catch off Raza — injuring his finger in the process — Ben Stokes stepped in with immediate impact. He dismissed Raza and then Madhevere in quick succession, leaving Zimbabwe five down and still trailing England by 355 runs.
Big moment for England as Bashir strikes again! Just a ball after being hit for four, he cleans up Williams with a quicker delivery that skids on and takes the inside edge onto the stumps. The promising stand is broken, and Williams walks back for 25. Next ball, a sharp chance goes begging as Raza edges one back to Bashir, who gets both hands to it but can’t hold on. To make matters worse, he’s injured his right ring finger and is off the field for treatment.
Drinks are on the field now with the session evenly balanced. Zimbabwe lost their skipper Ervine early, but Bennett has looked composed at the crease. He’s timing the ball well and anchoring the chase confidently, keeping the visitors in the hunt.
Bashir strikes early after lunch! A beautifully flighted delivery that drifted in and held its line, drawing Ervine into a false push. The edge flew low to slip, where Brook took a sharp catch just above the turf. The third umpire had a quick look and confirmed the fingers were safely under the ball. Ervine departs for a well-made 42 off 64, and Zimbabwe lose their captain at a crucial stage.
We’re back for the post-lunch session with the game delicately poised. Shoaib Bashir has the ball in hand, ready to resume proceedings. A slip and a forward short leg are in place, suggesting an attacking approach right from the outset.
At the lunch break on Day 2 of the one-off Test match in Trent Bridge, Zimbabwe are one wicket down and Brian Bennett is unbeaten with Craig Ervine.
ZIM – 73/1 (16)
Brian Bennett and Craig Ervine have managed to rebuild Zimbabwe innings after the dismissal of Ben Curran. England bowlers are desperately searching for their second wicket in the match.
ZIM – 64/1 (13)
Ben Curran and Brian Bennett opened the batting for Zimbabwe and the duo is going hard on bowlers at the Trent Bridge. Debutant Sam Cook and Gus Atkinson opened the bowling for England and the openers have gone hard against them.
ZIM – 31/0 (4)
Brief Score: ENG – 565/6 d
Ollie Pope – 171 (166), Ben Duckett – 140 (134) | Blessing Muzarabani: (24.3-3-143-3)
Harry Brook completed his half-century and shifted gears. He hit a couple of boundaries off Blessing Muzarabani and then lost his wicket. England declared after that. Now, England have a lead of 565 runs.
ENG – 565/6 (96.3)
Blessing Muzarabani dismissed England captain Ben Stokes in the 95th over. He made nine runs off 13 balls. Harry Brook completed his half-century soon after that and changed gears.
ENG – 555/5 (96)
What a stunning start from Zimbabwe! After a tight over from Muzarabani, Chivanga continues in that fashion. An outswinging ball gets an edge from Pope and flies to the keeper’s gloves, and the umpire’s finger goes up. England review, but the noise was strong, and replays show a spike in UltraEdge.
Ollie Pope 171(166) c Tsiga b Chivanga
ENG: 503/4 (90)
After a day of suffering yesterday, Muzarabani begins Zimbabwe’s bowling attack well. Just one run from the over, and he bowled with immaculate length and line. Good start for the visitors.
ENG: 499/3 (89)
Day 2 is underway at Trent Bridge. Blessing Muzzarabani has the ball for Zimbabwe, while Ollie Pope and Harry Brook are on strike.
ENG: 498/3 (88)
As per AccuWeather, Nottingham is likely to have a rain-free day today, though there will be significant cloud covers. However, tomorrow, there’s a 90% chance of rainfall, so England will likely look to declare and wrap up Zimbabwe’s innings as quickly as possible.
Let’s have a look at some records that were shattered on Day 1:
Fourth time in Test history where three or more batters scored centuries on the first day
England’s 498/3 is the fourth-highest total by a team in a single day of Test cricket
Second-highest runs scored by a team on the first day of a Test, after England’s 506/4 against Pakistan in 2022
Duckett and Crawley’s 231-run opening stand is England’s third-highest at home in Tests
Second double-century opening partnership for Duckett and Crawley, after their 233-run stand in Rawalpindi in 2022
First time since 1990 that both England openers scored centuries in the same innings
Ollie Pope’s unbeaten 169 is the highest individual score in England-Zimbabwe Tests
Joe Root became the fifth player to reach 13,000 Test runs and the fastest to do so
This is how the scorecard looked like at stumps on Day 1:
Zak Crawley 124(171) lbw b Raza
Ben Duckett 140(134) c Curran b Madhevere
Ollie Pope 169*(163)
Joe Root 34(44) c Williams b Muzarabani
Harry Brook 9*(18)
Yet to bat: Ben Stokes, Jamie Smith, Gus Atkinson, Josh Tongue, Sam Cook, Shoaib Bashir
Richard Ngarava 42/0
Blessing Muzarabani 111/1
Tanaka Chivanga 83/0
Victor Nyauchi 103/0
Sikandar Raza 93/1
Wessley Madhevere 34/1
Brian Bennett 17/0
Hello and good afternoon. This is the beginning of our live coverage of the England vs Zimbabwe Test match, Day 2. The match will take place at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, and will start from 3:30 PM IST.
To find out how and where to watch the match live in India, read here.
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