Summary

  1. Goodbye!published at 16:15 British Summer Time 24 May

    England's players pose with the trophy.Image source, Getty Images

    Well, it's a winning start to summer 2025 for Ben Stokes and England, beating Zimbabwe by an innings and 45 runs inside three days.

    You can read Stephan Shemilt's report from Trent Bridge here.

    Attention now turns to the upcoming white-ball series against West Indies before the Test side returns against India on 20 June.

    England Women are also in action against West Indies, so there's plenty of cricket to look forward to.

    But for the time being, that's all from us. Thanks for indulging Mike, Matt, and myself over the past three days. We'll see you soon!

  2. Day three highlightspublished at 16:13 British Summer Time 24 May

    BBC Two

    If you want to relive the action from day three at Trent Bridge, tune in to Today at the Test from 19:00 BST on BBC Two or BBC iPlayer.

  3. Postpublished at 16:11 British Summer Time 24 May

    Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

    I like what Baz McCullum said: "This is their time".

    They've made a good start and I can't wait for this India series.

    It is going to be a tremendous test for this young England team.

  4. Postpublished at 16:10 British Summer Time 24 May

    Zimbabwe fans at Trent BridgeImage source, Getty Images

    Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine: "Our fans are like no other. Huge thank you to them. Just the occasion was massive for us. The guys really stuck to their guns pretty well. The first day didn’t go our way but the guys bounced back after that. Brian Bennett played an unbelievable innings and Sean Williams today and Sikandar Raza. Guys can be pretty proud of themselves.

    "Maybe bit of nerves especially at the start. In the little session we fielded on day two guys were much better. It is some we will look at going forward to get more consistency."

  5. Postpublished at 16:09 British Summer Time 24 May

    Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

    Sam Cook had an opportunity this week and he just didn't quite get it right.

    Sometimes in international cricket you don't get too many chances to stake your claim.

    I'm not saying Cook should be hugely disappointed, but he's probably missed an opportunity to say: 'I want to be Chris Woakes' replacement'.

    I'm not sure he's done enough when you think about Matthew Potts who hasn't played. Josh Tongue is a point of difference bowler. England have to have that point of difference going forward.

  6. Postpublished at 16:06 British Summer Time 24 May

    Ben Stokes on his own form and return from injury: "Everything feels good with the bat. It was good get out and mark centre again. I had the Lions game filtering in background but that was more to do with bowling. Today felt really good compared to yesterday with the ball. The rhythm felt great. Rest is just as important as ever.

    "It will still take time. It is traumatic for the body to go through being opened up and a surgeon going in there. I have worked hard to get here. It is a massive confidence boost and I will be going away and working just as hard as I have done."

    On Shoaib Bashir: "The way he has asserted himself was exceptional. He knows he has the backing of the dressing room and myself. On a wicket that wasn't offering that much, to walk off with nine was exceptional. He is going from strength to strength. He is learning on his feet but getting to bowl against the best batters in the world when he works with us."

  7. Postpublished at 16:04 British Summer Time 24 May

    Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

    Ollie Pope has done what he needed to do this week. He played great and got a big 100.

    I wouldn't want to be the captain or the selector that knocked on his door and says: "Jacob Bethell is coming back into the Test team against India".

    They've got some decisions to make, and they're always good decisions because they're hard decisions.

    Selection isn't good when you're looking around for players.

  8. 'Popey is a massive part of this team'published at 16:02 British Summer Time 24 May

    England captain Ben Stokes at the presentation: "It was good to get the summer off to winning ways. We were a little slow with the ball initially to get back into the game but then we were great from the last session onwards.

    "You walk out and play for England every run get is important. The context of Jacob Bethell is me saying add two and two together about him coming back into the squad. When Zak and Ben get going they are very hard to bowl to. As a number three sat with the pads on, for him to go out and continue that momentum was exceptional. Popey is a massive part of this team. He is my vice-captain.

    On whether he knows his XI for the first India Test with Jacob Bethell to return: "Everyone who came under the microscope from outside has done pretty well. We have a nice gap and lets just appreciate the knocks from Crawley, Duckett and Pope for what they were. They were all fantastic."

  9. Postpublished at 15:59 British Summer Time 24 May

    England spinner Shoaib Bashir on what makes Trent Bridge so good for him: "Getting it to go back through the gate. It was nice to be back in rhythm. I felt really good out there. It was a clinical performance from the boys.

    "At the start of the year I went on loan just to get some overs under my belt. It was nice to join the group here. I felt good bowling there and felt good bowling in front of an English crowd.

    "The boys and backroom staff make you feel 10 foot tall. When you are so well backed you can go and express yourself. The likes of Creeps, Duckey and Pope, the way they went out with their innings, It makes you feel at east."

    BashirImage source, Getty Images
  10. Postpublished at 15:55 British Summer Time 24 May

    Michael Vaughan
    Former England captain on BBC Test Match Special

    Of the three players I was looking at this week, Zak Crawley got a hundred and played great, Ollie Pope got a hundred and played great and Shoaib Bashir is a wicket-taker and this is his team. We all mention the fact he doesn't play for Somerset, he goes on loan to Glamorgan.

    He's only got two first-class wickets, he has got 17 away from the Test arena, but this is his team and this is where he feels most comfortable.

    Walking into that dressing room with Ben Stokes as his captain. When Ben's beside him I feel that he will create opportunities for Bashir to get wickets.

  11. 'We got into the swing of things'published at 15:52 British Summer Time 24 May

    England captain Ben Stokes talking to Test Match Special: "Really good performance. I thought we took our time to get into the Test match with the ball, but we ended the day really nicely yesterday. Zimbabwe, we knew that they have got some quality players, with the first-innings hundred and then Williams there as well. I thought we stuck at the task pretty well, we had to try a few different things with the pitch sort of slowing as the game went on and the ball getting a little bit soft. It was a good run-out, obviously we've got the result but I was pretty pleased with how we ended up finishing, just a little bit slow to get into the game with the ball.

    "Zimbabwe are a proud nation. They've got some experienced cricketers in there, I know they don't play a lot of Test cricket, but they've played a lot of one-day cricket and stuff like that so they're not unused to the international stage. We're very happy with that.

    "It's been a long time since we played Test cricket. It was obvious yesterday the change of intensity into Test match cricket is a touch higher, so there was some tired bodies. Obviously wanting to go out there and set an impression after you've had such a long time off away from the game, that can sometimes happen, but once we got that first session out of the way we all got back into the Test match swing of things and we were a lot better from there.

    "Everyone says you can't replicate being out in the middle. And I've bowled so many overs in nets, in warm-ups and everything like that and felt great coming in here, but last night I felt as if my run-up was completely wrong and everything was just a little bit harder. I felt really, really good today, I felt in a good rhythm, I felt like it was coming out at a good pace which is something I wanted to work on. Another good week for me to get through, it gives me more confidence to what I already had."

  12. The winning moment...published at 15:51 British Summer Time 24 May

    Here's the moment Shoaib Bashir wrapped up the win for England...

  13. 'I'm still young, still developing'published at 15:48 British Summer Time 24 May

    England spinner Shoaib Bashir, speaking to Test Match Special: "I went on loan to Glamorgan at the start of the season, just to get some overs under my belt. It was nice to join up with the England boys and bowl in front of an English crowd.

    "It's a bit of a unique situation at Somerset, but at the same time I need to be bowling. To get overs under my belt is the important thing, I'm still young, still developing.

    "Me and Jack Leach get on really well, he's my mentor. It's hard with two of us, especially at the start of the year.

    "There's always room to improve, I want to work on my consistency, especially when you come up against right-hand/left-hand, it takes me a while to ease into my spells."

  14. Postpublished at 15:46 British Summer Time 24 May

    Even after recording career-best figures, Shoaib Bashir says he has plenty of room for improvement.

    We'll have full quotes from England's player of the match shortly.

  15. Postpublished at 15:44 British Summer Time 24 May

    Vic Marks
    Former England spinner on Test Match Special

    Shoaib Bashir has a lot of wickets in Test cricket already.

    You have got to take these figures with a pinch of salt. The game is coming to an end so he's picked up a few tailenders.

    He is a bit flattered by the number of wickets that he has got. It will do him the world of good. he's had a bizarre start to this season, or he's had a bizarre career actually.

    I don't think you can draw too many conclusions from 9-143.

  16. Postpublished at 15:43 British Summer Time 24 May

    Shoaib Bashir has been named as player of the match.

    The spinner took 3-62 in the first innings and 6-81 in the second for career-best match figures of 9-143.

  17. Postpublished at 15:41 British Summer Time 24 May

    So England have started the Test summer with a win.

    There's plenty of reaction from both teams to come, so do stick around.

    In the meantime, here's that Harry Brook catch which did for Wesley Madhevere.

  18. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 15:39 British Summer Time 24 May

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

    I don’t care how much the critics say “it’s only Zimbabwe, this is a very different challenge to India/Australia”, the fact remains that’s for your 21-year-old off-spinner to take six on a day three pitch is very, very encouraging. Good job Bash!

    Daniel, on the way to The Oval to watch Surrey

  19. Postpublished at 15:38 British Summer Time 24 May

    Phil Tufnell
    Former England spinner on Test Match Special

    I still can't figure it out. Shoaib Bashir's just become a Test match bowler.

    A lot of that is down to Ben Stokes who gets the best out of him. I can't understand why he can't do it against the county batsman. He seems to love the big stage.

    He could just work on that consistency a bit. He has bigger fish to fry coming up this summer. He just needs to know how to bowl a spell and develop a spell.

    He is so young and he has bags of talent. He just needs to learn that craft a bit as a spin bowler.

  20. How's stat?!published at 15:36 British Summer Time 24 May

    Soham Sarkhel
    CricViz analyst

    Another interesting bit of change in Shoaib Bashir's action is his release points. When bowling over the wicket, he has moved around 5cm closer to the stumps in this Test compared to other home Tests. This change is even more pronounced when he has gone around the wicket, bowling almost 8cm closer to the stumps. This change has impacted his lines essentially; earlier, 32% of his deliveries were down the leg side, this Test, it has only been 16%. His proportion of deliveries in the channel outside off has almost doubled in this Test compared to his previous home Tests.