Summary

  • Root brings up 13,000 Test runs - only four batters have more

  • Duckett, Crawley and Pope all hit sparkling centuries

  • England openers put on 231 for first wicket

  • Essex bowler Cook making England debut

  • Zimbabwe win toss, One-off Test, Trent Bridge

  • Listen to BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra commentary at top of page, or overseas here

Live Reporting

by Matthew Henry

  1. Eng 428-2

    Pope 120, Root 25

    The Zimbabwe fans are still singing and dancing in the stands in their bucket hats. They're bringing some colour to this occasion.

  2. Ollie, Ollie Pope, Ollie Pope...

    (To the tune of Give It Up)

    Pope reaches century as England pull away from Zimbabwe

  3. Henry Olonga
    Former Zimbabwe player on Test Match Special

    Duckett's back foot shot goes through extra cover for four

    It doesn't appear that the wicket or the conditions have helped the bowlers at all.

    One of those tosses where England might be happy that they were stuck in.

    I think the England bowlers will be able to extract more out of the conditions. The conditions we face in Zimbabwe mean we face a different length, and they have not adjusted today.

  4. Eng 423-2

    FansGetty Images

    Sikandar Raza has bowled a mix of off-spin, leg-spin and seamers here - a real box of tricks - and he's hiding the ball behind his back to try and keep the batters guessing too. It does not trouble Ollie Pope in the slightest as he slams the ball to the cover boundary.

    At the end of the over there's a bit of confusion, which leaves Joe Root scrambling to make his ground. He might have just made it.

  5. Eng 417-2

    Pope 111, Root 23

    Sam Cook has already perfected the shades on, feet up look on the England balcony. He will go far.

  6. Henry Olonga
    Former Zimbabwe player on Test Match Special

    I have had many a day like this.

    Especially when we went to Sri Lanka. My commiserations to Zimbabwe. It's been a tough day.

  7. Eng 416-2

    Ben Stokes has got his whites on now but not his pads. Just saying.

  8. How's stat?!

    Rufus Bullough
    CricViz analyst

    Ollie PopePA Media

    With those runs, Ollie Pope passes a hundred and all of England’s top three batters have 100+ scores in the same innings. This is the fourth time all of England’s top three have achieved the milestone in a single innings. The last time this was achieved was in Rawalpindi, 2022.

    No other side in Test cricket has now achieved this milestone more than England, passing India, South Africa and Australia who have achieved it three times.

  9. Eng 412-2

    Pope 108-, Root 21

    Zimbabwe down a bowler after Ngarava carted off with hamstring injury

    Richard Ngarava, who had those back troubles earlier, looks like he's fielding with an iron bar stuck up his shirt right now. He is hobbling and cannot bend down to collect the ball.

  10. Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

    'Beautifully played!' - Pope hits half-century as England approach 300

    I like that from Ollie Pope.

    He has come out and played with real fluency and control.

    Players are not stupid, they know. All Ollie Pope had to do this week was go out there and get a hundred.

  11. Get Involved

    #bbccricket, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (standard network charges apply)

    PopeReuters

    Re Graham (17.16), Pope is setting up a hundred in the Ashes to make it nine from nine!

    Jack

  12. 100 runs

    100 for Ollie Pope

    Pope reaches century as England pull away from Zimbabwe

    Three England batters, three hundreds!

    Ollie Pope, under a bit of pressure, gets to his ton in 109 deliveries with another boundary.

    He's done all he can do with doubts around his place in the team.

  13. Eng 397-2

    Ollie Pope gets himself back onto strike as Joe Root takes a single. He has two balls to get to his ton in this over...

  14. Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

    You hope Zimbabwe don't lose confidence from days like this.

    At home, they will have a better chance of competing against the bigger nations.

  15. Drinks - Eng 396-2

    Pope 99, Root 14

    Not this time...

    Joe Root was clearly keen to get his mate through as he comes skipping down the wicket but Ollie Pope wisely sends him back.

    Pope is going to have to wait throughout a drinks break too.

  16. Get Involved

    #bbccricket, via WhatsApp on 03301231826 or text 81111 (standard network charges apply)

    Will this be Ollie Pope's eighth Test century against an eighth different country?

    Graham in Petworth

    An excellent spot, Graham. Yes, it would be. He's scored centuries against India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, and West Indies.

  17. Eng 396-2

    The debate rumbles on but a clever dab takes Ollie Pope to 99 now...

  18. Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

    I think Ben Stokes should bat at three. I think Pope would be better at five or six. I don't think he has the technique to survive against that quality at the top. I think Bethell is a real talent and his ceiling is high, but coming in at three is a risk.

  19. Eng 389-2

    Pope 93, Root 13

    Ollie Pope is one of those batters whose place always seems to be questioned. He got three centuries last year but also a series of low scores while Jacob Bethell did so well when he came in for the New Zealand series at number three.England have a big call to make and it has been made even harder by Pope's knock today.

  20. Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

    'Really well struck!' - Pope hits six towards deep backward square leg

    The attack's not great but what Ollie Pope's doing, to play under this pressure after what's been said about Jacob Bethell, to get a number. He's found a rhythm and he's found a mindset. It's really good from Ollie Pope.

    Against this attack, if you fail, it will stand out because there'll be scores all around you.