England 's top three batsmen - Zak Crawley , Ben Duckett , and Ollie Pope - each scored centuries on Thursday's opening day of the four-day Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge, Nottingham. England dominated the day, finishing at 498 for three, with Pope unbeaten on 169 in Zimbabwe's first Test match in England in 22 years.
Pope's impressive innings, his fourth score above 150 in Test cricket, highlighted the significant difference in quality between the two teams.
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Duckett excelled on his home ground with 140, while opening partner Crawley contributed 124, marking the first time since December 2022 in Rawalpindi against Pakistan that England's top three all reached centuries on day one of a Test.
Crawley's century was particularly notable as he had struggled recently, scoring just 212 runs in his previous eight Tests at an average of 15.14.
The Zimbabwe bowling attack faced additional challenges when Richard Ngarava, their most effective pace bowler with figures of 0-42 in nine overs, left the field after lunch due to back and hamstring issues.
Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine chose to bowl first after winning the toss, hoping to capitalize on the cloudy conditions at Trent Bridge, known for favouring pace bowlers.
The decision to field was influenced by Zimbabwe's recent 138-run defeat to a County Select XI in their only warm-up match.
Despite occasional sharp deliveries, Zimbabwe's pace quartet struggled with their line and length, allowing England to reach 130 without loss at lunch.
Duckett reached his century off exactly 100 balls, including 15 fours, and later added a six against Tanaka Chivanga, who conceded 83 runs in his 12 overs.
His innings ended when he chipped a ball to Ben Curran at cover off spinner Wessly Madhevere, after hitting the previous two deliveries for four and six.
The opening partnership of 231 was England's first century stand since Duckett and Crawley's 109 against Ireland at Lord's in 2023.
Crawley, despite suffering from apparent cramp, achieved his century off 145 balls with 12 boundaries before being dismissed lbw by Sikandar Raza.
Pope continued his remarkable record by becoming the first batsman to score his first eight Test hundreds against different opponents.
Joe Root's dismissal for 34, caught off Blessing Muzarabani, barely impacted England's dominant position.
England captain Ben Stokes made his return to cricket in this match following an extended recovery period from a hamstring injury.
Pope's impressive innings, his fourth score above 150 in Test cricket, highlighted the significant difference in quality between the two teams.
Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel.
Duckett excelled on his home ground with 140, while opening partner Crawley contributed 124, marking the first time since December 2022 in Rawalpindi against Pakistan that England's top three all reached centuries on day one of a Test.
Crawley's century was particularly notable as he had struggled recently, scoring just 212 runs in his previous eight Tests at an average of 15.14.
THREE centurions 💯
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) May 22, 2025
Almost FIVE hundred runs 📈
A BIG batting day 🏏
Full Day One Highlights 👇
The Zimbabwe bowling attack faced additional challenges when Richard Ngarava, their most effective pace bowler with figures of 0-42 in nine overs, left the field after lunch due to back and hamstring issues.
Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine chose to bowl first after winning the toss, hoping to capitalize on the cloudy conditions at Trent Bridge, known for favouring pace bowlers.
The decision to field was influenced by Zimbabwe's recent 138-run defeat to a County Select XI in their only warm-up match.
Despite occasional sharp deliveries, Zimbabwe's pace quartet struggled with their line and length, allowing England to reach 130 without loss at lunch.
Duckett reached his century off exactly 100 balls, including 15 fours, and later added a six against Tanaka Chivanga, who conceded 83 runs in his 12 overs.
We finish Day 1 just shy of 5️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ runs 😍
— England Cricket (@englandcricket) May 22, 2025
A brilliant day with the bat 🏏 pic.twitter.com/gKX75CkM2r
His innings ended when he chipped a ball to Ben Curran at cover off spinner Wessly Madhevere, after hitting the previous two deliveries for four and six.
The opening partnership of 231 was England's first century stand since Duckett and Crawley's 109 against Ireland at Lord's in 2023.
Crawley, despite suffering from apparent cramp, achieved his century off 145 balls with 12 boundaries before being dismissed lbw by Sikandar Raza.
Pope continued his remarkable record by becoming the first batsman to score his first eight Test hundreds against different opponents.
Joe Root's dismissal for 34, caught off Blessing Muzarabani, barely impacted England's dominant position.
England captain Ben Stokes made his return to cricket in this match following an extended recovery period from a hamstring injury.
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