Overview

• England wrapped up the one-off Test against Zimbabwe in three days, winning by an innings and 45 runs after enforcing the follow-on.
• Shoaib Bashir was instrumental in the victory, taking a career-best 6/81 in the second innings and finishing with match figures of 9/143.
• Top-order batsmen Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, and Ollie Pope each scored centuries in England’s first-innings total of 565/6 declared.
• Concerns remain over England’s fast bowling, as debutant Sam Cook and others struggled to make an impact on a flat pitch.
• Captain Ben Stokes praised Ollie Pope’s performance and defended his place in the team, addressing pre-match criticism of the vice-captain.