The China Mail - Stokes strikes as England force Zimbabwe to follow-on

The tourists were dismissed for just 265 after tea on the second day of the four-day match, exactly 300 runs behind England's first-innings mammoth 565-6 declared.

England captain Stokes wasted no time in asking Zimbabwe to bat again as he sought to turn the screw in fine conditions in Nottingham.

Zimbabwe, playing first Test in England for 22 years, were dominated by England's batters but had reached the relative comfort of 187-3 in reply on a flat pitch.

But all-rounder Stokes, making his comeback following hamstring surgery, took two wickets for no runs in 11 balls before tea to leave Zimbabwe struggling on 199-5.

He had Sikandar Raza caught behind for seven off a ball that lifted off a good length and cut away before bowling Wessly Madhevere for a duck with a sharp in-ducker.

The stylish Bennett, occasionally riding his luck, kept England at bay, reaching 139 off just 143 balls, including an impressive 26 fours, before he was dismissed.

Bennett reached his century in 97 balls, breaking the record for the fastest Test ton by a Zimbabwe batsman, Sean Williams's 106-ball effort against New Zealand at Bulawayo in 2016.

Bennett had a lifeline when he was dropped in the slips by Joe Root off paceman Stokes on 89 but he went to his hundred in style with three stylish fours off successive deliveries from fast bowler Gus Atkinson.

After tea, Bennett was brilliantly caught by a diving Ollie Pope at short leg as he fended at a rising delivery from the injury-plagued Josh Tongue only for replays to reveal the fast bowler, playing his first Test in two years, had over-stepped.

But Bennett was unable to cash in. He was still on 139 when he fell to the same combination in similar fashion, with Pope taking a far simpler catch.

And 246-6 became 251-7 when Shoaib Bashir, who had struck twice before tea, bowled Tafadzwa Tsiga for 22 with a sharply turning off-break.

Zimbabwe's innings ended when they were nine wickets down, with injured paceman Richard Ngarava unable to bat.

- Run-spree -

England resumed their first innings on Friday in a commanding position of 498-3, with Pope unbeaten on 169 after openers Crawley (124) and Duckett (140) had also made hundreds.

But Pope had added just two runs to his overnight score when he drove at a pitched-up delivery from Tanaka Chivanga and edged behind, bringing in Stokes, who only managed nine runs.

Harry Brook punished Zimbabwe's outclassed attack, hitting 58 off 50 balls, including six fours and three sixes.

He struck Blessing Muzarabani for successive sixes, a thumping pull preceding a remarkable pick-up shot that sailed high over fine leg.

Brook went to fifty with another six off Muzarabani before playing on to the persevering paceman, who finished with 3-143.

B.Clarke--ThChM