Ben Stokes underlines importance with vital spell as England turn the screw against Zimbabwe

It was just gone 3 o’clock and a sleepy Friday of Test cricket was threatening to grow soporific. There are certain times when a day of red-ball cricket sprawls wearily across a settee in a sort of slumber, unspooling gently and without haste; this was one of them, with a flat deck, clear skies and Zimbabwe’s impressive application combining to bring peace to proceedings after England’s opening day gluttony.

But the alarm was soon to sound to stir all from their stupor. Clutching for a catch off his own bowling, a flick of Shoaib Bashir’s finger drew blood; off went the off-spinner, on came England’s energiser, Ben Stokes back bowling at full tilt and turning the occasion his side’s way as he has so many times before. One wondered what sort of shape the skipper was in when 36 overs came and went without sight of him in earnest. Who knows how soon he would have been seen had Bashir not suffered his misfortune but his introduction proved timely.

It took just 3.2 overs for the drowsiness to lift. Stokes should have had Brian Bennett, who produced a sparkling century, pouched by Joe Root at first slip with his first legitimate delivery but soon accounted for Sikandar Raza for seven, before rearranging Wessly Madhevere’s furniture for a duck with a vicious in-ducker. Come the close, having made a decent fist of things for a long while, Zimbabwe were following on and still 270 behind, with England well on their way to wrapping up a victory likely to come with a day to spare.

Stokes has given up alcohol in the pursuit of prime physical fitness after his hamstring injury, and keeping him able to play a full part as a bowler is a must for England. For all of their work to develop depth to their attack, any ailment would serve to create a line-up imbalance that a squad short of all-rounders cannot overcome. His spell just before tea here also showed his unique toolbox – the awkward angle, the seam movement, the extra lift. England had fought hard with all of Josh Tongue, Sam Cook and Shoaib Bashir impressing at times but were unable to crack the game open until their captain answered the call. His importance will only heighten as the stakes raise against India and Australia.

The opening day had brought hysteria and hyperbole over Zimbabwe’s lack of competitiveness but this was a much, much better effort. While England’s depth told, eventually, Bennett’s brilliant ton showed the talent that should be given greater opportunities on this stage. This is Test five of 11 this year for Zimbabwe – let us hope they develop further.

Test cricket would be all the poorer were it to contract more permanently. The fabric of the sport is richer for the variety provided by Zimbabwe and Ireland and their ilk, and it is incumbent upon the bigger boards to provide succour and support to aid their development. 2024 was arguably the most competitive year in the history of the format – there is something to nourish and nurture here, as Zimbabwe’s fighting efforts showed.

It was with faint surprise that news emerged of England’s intention to bat on, an opening day tally of 498 deemed not enough for a run-hungry side keen to make hay with the Nottingham sun shining. An improving outlook for Saturday weather-wise perhaps made Stokes’s decision more straightforward, and the captain was soon at the crease as Ollie Pope fiddled outside off stump – a wooden tune played with his edge confirmed after a peculiar review by England’s No 3.

The skipper and Harry Brook were never likely to dally. The Yorkshireman, who will begin his tenure as leader of the white-ball sides next week, got in the groove with a couple of magnificent hooks for six off Blessing Muzarabani. The attempt of Stokes to do the same saw him perish, pouched at fine leg by Ben Curran, and both Brook and Jamie Smith should have been snaffled, too, as Tanaka Chivanga saw two catches shelled off his bowling. It wasn’t long, though, before Stokes beckoned them in, Brook chopping on two balls after reaching 50 with another glorious leg-side lumping.

And so it was over to Zimbabwe to show some fight and quieten the critics after a rough return to English soil. Cook’s early extraction of Curran, caught at second slip for six, was a pessimistic start but Bennett and Craig Ervine played well thereafter to navigate to lunch at 73-1. The latter was soon removed, though, Brook taking a good low catch at slip off the bowling of a busy Bashir.