Bashir takes 9 wickets and England beats a defiant Zimbabwe by an innings
NOTTINGHAM, England (AP) — Zimbabwe folded inside three days as expected yet made England sweat for its innings win in their one-off test at Trent Bridge on Saturday.
In reply to England’s 565-6 declared, Zimbabwe was all out for 265 and 255.
England won by an innings and 45 runs with four sessions to spare in a worthy warmup for India’s five-test tour starting on June 20 in Leeds.
The stark figures don’t do justice to a defiant effort by Zimbabwe.
Starting its first test matchup with England in 22 years as a severe underdog, Zimbabwe was further handicapped from day one when Richard Ngarava, one of its four seamers, suffered a back spasm after bowling only nine overs and took no further part in the match.
England was inserted and plundered 498-3, its highest ever first-day score in a home test, then declared on the second morning knowing it had to take only 18 wickets without Ngarava batting.
After Brian Bennett’s brilliant maiden century led Zimbabwe’s fightback on Friday, Sean Williams led the charge on Saturday, making England appear out of ideas about how to stop the 20-year international from reaching his sixth test hundred.
It took some luck on video review when Williams was on 88 from 82 balls.
He was hit on the knee roll trying to sweep off-spinner Shoaib Bashir and given out. A review showed the ball barely nicking leg stump.
Williams left to great applause just before lunch, and Zimbabwe’s hopes largely departed with him.
Wickets began falling regularly after lunch. Despite a stubborn 68-ball 60 from Sikandar Raza, Zimbabwe lost its last six wickets for 109 runs.
Bashir took 6-81, his fourth test five-for, and a career-best match haul of 9-143.
Bashir cemented his position as England’s first-choice spinner despite poor county form, and Ollie Pope’s and Zac Crawley’s centuries kept them in the mix for India with the pending return of Jacob Bethell from the Indian Premier League.
“Everyone under the microscope from the outside has done well,” captain Ben Stokes said. “Nice gap until the next test, so we’ll appreciate what they’ve done.”
He praised Bashir, who in the match became the youngest Englishman at 21 to 50 test wickets.
“Sometimes we take for granted all the positive words we fill Bash up with, it can only do so much,” Stokes said. “The way he came out and inserted himself on the game was exceptional. The wicket wasn’t offering that much, so to walk off with nine-for was exceptional.”
Bashir was named man of the match and was asked why he seemed to save his best for England: “The guys make you feel 10-feet tall. When you’re backed you can go out and express yourself.”
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