CRICKET – Shoaib Bashir picked up a career-best six wickets in the second innings as England beat Zimbabwe by an innings and 45 runs on day three of the one-off Test at Trent Bridge yesterday.
After being reduced to 141-3 at lunch, following Bashir’s breakthrough for England in the first session, the touring side immediately lost batter Ben Curran when play resumed.
Bashir struck with his second ball to dismiss Curran, who found Ben Stokes at short extra cover, falling for 37 off 104 balls.
Just when all-rounder Wesley Madhevere tried to stabilise the innings for Zimbabwe (31 runs off 36 balls), Harry Brook pulled off a stunning one-handed catch mid-air at slip off Stokes’s bowling, leaving his captain stunned by the brilliance.
From then on, wickets kept tumbling for Zimbabwe as Tafadzwa Tsiga (4) and Blessing Muzarabani (0) were removed cheaply while Bashir continued to wreak havoc with the ball.
Bashir claimed his fifth wicket by dismissing all-rounder Sikandar Raza, who scored 60 runs off 68 balls.
The 21-year-old then took his sixth wicket, removing Tanaka Chivanga (10) who was trapped leg before.
“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,” Bashir told BBC Test Match Special.
“I’m still young, still developing. There’s always room to improve, I want to work on my consistency, especially when you come up against right-hand or left-hand, it takes me a while to ease into my spells.”
Earlier, Sean Williams had given Zimbabwe a fighting chance, scoring 88 runs off 82 deliveries, before their former skipper was sent packing by Bashir. Williams, who scored his sixth Test half-century, was trapped lbw by Bashir.
Despite the result, Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine was proud of his side, who were playing their first Test in England in 22 years.
“The occasion was massive for us and I thought the guys really stuck to their guns well. The first day didn’t go our way, there were maybe a bit of nerves, especially at the start,” Ervine said.
“But the guys really bounced back after that – with the bat, Brian Bennett, what an unbelievable innings, and then Sean Williams and Sikandar Raza today.”
England will now shift their focus towards their three-match One-Day International series against the West Indies, which begins on Thursday at Edgbaston.
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