Harry Brook took a jaw-dropping one-handed catch and Shoaib Bashir snared a six-wicket haul as England completed an innings-and-45-run victory over a dogged Zimbabwe inside three days of the one-off Test at Trent Bridge.
Brook flung himself to his left and caught a screamer in mid-air after captain Ben Stokes had found some extra bounce to take the edge of Wessly Madhevere (31), with the bowler, just like everybody else watching, stunned by the acrobatic take he had just seen.
Stokes’ face was reminiscent of Stuart Broad’s on this very ground during the 2015 Ashes, when Stokes himself had pouched a remarkable one-handed effort in the cordon off Broad while the now Sky Sports pundit was razing Australia for 60 with 8-15.
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Harry Brook took an amazing one-handed catch at slip, leaving Ben Stokes dumfounded, as England beat Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge
Off-spinner Bashir was England’s most prolific bowler in this innings, finishing with figures of 6-81 and nine wickets in the match, as the hosts bowled Zimbabwe out for 255 in their second dig – Bashir ending Raza’s hopes of a first Test ton in eight years when Brook took a regulation catch at slip, 45 minutes after his spectacular one.
Bashir had struck either side of lunch to remove Sean Williams (88) and Ben Curran (37) after those batters had frustrated England in the morning session, extending their third-wicket stand to 122 after the away side resumed on 30-2 and 270 runs behind.
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Watch how England spinner Shoaib Bashir pinned Sean Williams lbw for 88 during his six-wicket haul
Williams, who smoked a 42-ball half-century as he feasted on the width he was offered by the England quicks, was lbw to Bashir, two overs after the same bowler had seen Curran overturn an lbw dismissal on 30 with the ball set to shoot over the stumps.
Stokes then caught Curran at the third time of asking after shelling him off his own bowling on 10 before being unable to complete a leaping one-handed take at midwicket when the left-hander, on 29 at the time, went after a Josh Tongue short ball.
Once Brook’s catch for the ages then snapped a 65-run fifth-wicket stand between Madhevere and Raza, Bashir banished the latter, the lower order and the tail, finally pinning Tanaka Chivanga (10) leg before, as England earned themselves a day off on Sunday – one they can use watching Brook’s magic moment on a loop.
Decisions to make for England ahead of India Test series
White-ball cricket will now take centre stage for a few weeks as England face West Indies in three one-day internationals – starting at Headingley on Thursday, live on Sky Sports Cricket (1pm first ball) – and as many T20 internationals.
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The Sky Sports pundits and Telegraph journalist Nick Hoult assess whether Stokes should play for the England Lions ahead of the Test series against India
Stokes’ full focus, though, will be on the India Test series from June 20, although he has pretty much ruled out playing for the Lions against India A in Northampton from June 6, feeling he no longer needs a warm-up game after a positive return against Zimbabwe.
The 33-year-old scored nine with the bat after five months out with a hamstring injury but looked a major threat with the ball across a sizzling 3.2 overs on the second afternoon and then during eight overs on the third day.
Stokes, along with head coach Brendon McCullum, must make a call on whether Jacob Bethell – so impressive in his debut series in New Zealand in December, hitting three fifties – returns after the end of his IPL commitments with Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
Will Jacob Bethell return to the England XI against India?
Stokes had appeared to indicate Bethell would slot back into the XI while on media duties ahead of the Zimbabwe Test, leading to speculation that Zak Crawley or Ollie Pope would be jettisoned, although England confirmed a day later he meant the 21-year-old left-hander would be put back in the squad, not necessarily the side.
If England were minded to restore Bethell, then Crawley and Pope muddied the waters at Trent Bridge, albeit against an opposition that was not top quality.
Crawley scored 124 – his first Test ton since the 2023 Ashes – as he rebounded from averaging a paltry 8.66 in New Zealand, while Pope top-scored with 171 in England’s 565-5 declared.
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Sky Sports Cricket’s Eoin Morgan looks at why Bashir is able to forget poor county form and shine for England
There was a potential option for Bethell to replace frontline spinner Bashir and for his left-arm turn and Joe Root’s off-breaks to provide the spin but considering how much faith Stokes has placed in Bashir – and how he hoovered up wickets in this match – that looks an extremely unlikely scenario now.
Bashir, 21, is not the first-choice spinner at Somerset – Jack Leach is – and toiled during a loan spell at Glamorgan this spring, taking two wickets in three games at an average of 152, but he showed his worth at Trent Bridge, taking another Test five-for in Nottingham after doing so against West Indies here last summer.
That means vice-captain Pope may be the most vulnerable, although he was highly commended by Stokes while the captain spoke to reporters on Saturday evening
Zimbabwe show fight as England prepare for India series
Zimbabwe were beaten well inside the distance, and their chastening opening day – when their wayward bowling allowed England to pile on 498-3 in 88 overs without really breaking sweat – will be something they rue.
That display reignited the debate over whether there should be two-division Test cricket but Zimbabwe bounced back admirably over the rest of the game, despite the match ultimately ending in a hurry on Saturday afternoon.
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Watch the moment Brian Bennett clinched Zimbabwe’s fastest Test hundred, from 97 deliveries, and became the third man from his country to score a century against England
The highlight was undoubtedly Brian Bennett’s attractive 97-ball century – the fastest in Zimbabwe Test history – as the 21-year-old went on score a first-innings 139.
Zimbabwe will remain in England to play a red-ball game against South Africa at Arundel ahead of the Proteas’ World Test Championship final against Australia next month.
England face bigger challenges to come, of course, but this was a decent run out with players under the pump scoring runs (Crawley and Pope) and taking wickets (Bashir).
Joe Root passed 13,000 Test runs, the fifth player in history to do so, and Essex seamer Sam Cook marked his debut with a wicket, although clearly would have hoped for more after amassing 321 first-class scalps at an average below 20 with his accurate seam, and the way his pace dropped was perhaps a concern.
The biggest plus of all, mind you, may be Stokes’ return – if he is able to play a full role with bat and ball over the next nine months against India and Australia, this era-defining period of English Test cricket may very well end in glory.
