England put in an exceptional performance on day 1 of the ongoing only Test between England and ZImbabwe. The side posted a total of 498 runs on day 1 of the clash, and will be hoping to put in a good show on day 2 as well.
England and Zimbabwe kicked off their only Test at Trent Bridge in Nottingham from May 22. Both sides hoped to put in a good showing, and the clash began with England coming in to bat first. The side opened their innings with Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett coming out to bat.
Both batters hoped for a good start to the game, and that is exactly what they got. The duo put in an exceptional performance, completing their centuries. Where Crawley amassed 124 runs in 171 deliveries, Duckett scored 140 runs in 134 balls.
Both batters propelled England off to an emphatic start against Zimbabwe. It is worth noting that after the brilliant knock by the openers, Ollie Pope came out to bat and went on to complete his century as well. It is interesting to note that this was the first instance since 2022 that the top three batters of England all scored their centuries in a Test match.
Furthermore, Joe Root amassed 34 runs in 44 deliveries and completed 13,000 runs in Test cricket. He became the fastest batter in history in terms of matches to achieve the feat, completing 13,000 Test runs in 153 matches, surpassing the record previously held by Jacques Kallis, who completed 13,000 runs in 159 matches.
By the end of Day 1, England found themselves on a score of 498 runs with the loss of three wickets. Ollie Pope ended the day on a score of 169* runs in 163 deliveries.
As for Zimbabwe, Blessing Muzarabani, Sikandar Raza, and Wessly Madhevere were among the wicket takers, taking one wicket each to their name. As day 2 approaches, Ollie Pope and England will hope to rack up even more runs as the day approaches. The side could go on to post a massive total on the board in the first innings of the game.QD
