England got off to a dominant start in the four-day Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge, Nottingham, with opener Ben Duckett lighting up his home ground with a blazing century. Duckett struck 140 runs from just 134 balls, forging a massive 231-run opening partnership with Zak Crawley in under 42 overs. His aggressive innings, which featured 15 boundaries and 2 sixes, ended when he mistimed a short delivery and was caught in the covers.

Zak Crawley, looking to bounce back from a lean patch in red-ball cricket, remained unbeaten on 93 from 139 balls at the tea break. He was joined at the crease by Ollie Pope, who accelerated quickly to 49 off just 46 deliveries, continuing the relentless scoring.

Zimbabwe’s bowlers struggled to apply consistent pressure, with their medium pace attack lacking penetration and control. England took full advantage of the favorable afternoon conditions after being put into bat by Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine on a cloudy morning.

The match also marked the Test debut of seamer Sam Cook, and a return for fast bowler Josh Tongue, who was sidelined for two years due to injury.

England’s head coach Brendon McCullum emphasized the importance of player conduct both on and off the field, urging his squad to remain grounded and mindful of their public image. He and skipper Ben Stokes have promoted a bold, attacking style of play that has brought mixed results in recent Test series.

Keywords (Google Optimized):

• Ben Duckett century vs Zimbabwe

• England vs Zimbabwe Test match 2025

• Zak Crawley batting performance

• Trent Bridge Test highlights

• England cricket team news

• Zimbabwe cricket update

• Brendon McCullum England coach

• Ollie Pope batting

• England Test debut Sam Cook

• Josh Tongue return Test cricket

SEO Tags (Google Optimized):

#BenDuckett #ZakCrawley #EnglandCricket #ZimbabweCricket #TrentBridge #TestCricket2025 #CricketHighlights #OlliePope #SamCookDebut #JoshTongueReturn #BrendonMcCullum #CricketNews