Zimbabwe bowl against England in one-off Test
The overcast conditions in Nottingham promised to aid a Zimbabwe attack featuring 6ft 8in paceman Blessing Muzarabani, who has already taken 26 Test wickets at an average of under 19 this year.
"Due to the overhead conditions, hopefully we can utilise the first session and get a little bit out of the ball," said Ervine at the toss.
Zimbabwe came into this four-day match on the back of a 138-run thrashing by a County Select XI in their lone warm-up game at Grace Road.
But Ervine said: "Usually our preparation is a lot shorter than this. We've really enjoyed spending time in Leicester. Our guys got a lot out of that.
"It's a special occasion today. The guys are really excited to get going and be part of this Test match. The Test in 2003, my brother (Sean) was involved, and he's watching today. It's a momentous occasion for all of us and it will only sink in later down the line."
England had already named their team on Tuesday, with Sam Cook given a Test debut.
Cook's place was a reward for one of county cricket's most consistent wicket-takers with Essex.
The 27-year-old's 321 first-class wickets have come at an average of only 19.85.
The clash with Zimbabwe is only England's second home Test without retired fast bowlers James Anderson and Stuart Broad -- who presented Cook with his England cap -- and the injured Chris Woakes, in the past 18 years.
Zak Crawley has been retained as one of England's opening batsmen alongside Ben Duckett.
England captain Ben Stokes is making a comeback after the all-rounder's lengthy rehabilitation from his latest hamstring tear.
"Generally, here the wicket is good at Trent Bridge," said Stokes. "Go out with the bat in hand and put a big score on the board.
"It is exciting for Cooky (Sam Cook). Broady (Stuart Broad) gave him the cap and said 'he hasn't knocked the door down, but he kicked it down'."
The Zimbabwe Test is a warm-up for England's five-match series against India before they head to Australia for the Ashes later this year.
Teams
Zimbabwe: Ben Curran, Brian Bennett, Craig Ervine (capt), Sean Williams, Sikandar Raza, Wessly Madhevere, Tafadzwa Tsiga (wkt), Richard Ngarava, Blessing Muzarabani, Tanaka Chivanga, Victor Nyauchi
© 2025 AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
7 hours ago
- France 24
Ingebrigtsen coy on return to competition
Ingebrigtsen picked up an Achilles tendon injury after claiming a rare world indoor double over 1,500m and 3,000m in Nanjing earlier this year. "My injury was just an irritation in the Achilles tendon," Ingebrigtsen told AFP on the sidelines of the Oslo Diamond League, which he will miss. "So the injury itself is not that critical. But if you're not cautious and don't take it that seriously, it can develop to be something serious. And of course, I'm not interested in that. "I want to be on the track next year as well. So if it was just before a big championship, of course, it would be different. Then I would just take the risk and push through it. But there's no reason to risk it in April, May. The championship is late in September." Ingebrigtsen added: "I will get a lot of answers the next two weeks. Luckily for me, there is a big free period of competitions mid-July to mid-August, so I can focus on training. "But if I'm going to do any competitions before that, I'm not sure. "Physically, it's very good. Now it's all about adapting the legs and getting back to normal load. But at the same time, the build-up is always a critical period because you want to have as fast an increase in the build-up with load and the pace as possible." Ingebrigtsen won gold in the world championships over 5,000m in 2022 and 2023. After pocketing the Olympic gold in the 1,500m in Tokyo in 2021, he also won the 5,000m title at last summer's Paris Games. But he has twice had to do with world 1,500m silvers, saying "the most important thing is to maximise my chances" come that event in Tokyo. "I'm a big competitor, so I really enjoy all different competitions. Not only the biggest one, but also the low-key competitions, pre-season, mid-season, and also afterwards," he said. "That's why I also do a lot of indoor races and also cross-country. Because I really enjoy competitions, and I really enjoy fighting to win against the best runners in the world. So that's what I'm going to do." © 2025 AFP
France 24
15 hours ago
- France 24
Dutch girl footballers tackle crippling knee injuries
Cruciate ligament injuries can rule out a footballer for several months and teenage girls are especially at risk -- for physical and mental reasons. The study Esmee, a youth striker at FC Groningen in the north of the country, is taking part in aims to improve the movement of female teenage footballers like her. "A lot of girls of my age have had it. I'm happy to be able to do my bit to help out," the young player told AFP, breathless from the sprinting exercise. The Netherlands is a hotbed for women's football, with the national team crowned European Champions in 2017 and reaching the World Cup Final in 2019. The small country has 175,000 women club members, with the figure constantly rising. France, for example, has just over 250,000 for a much bigger population. "Girls are between four to eight times more likely to get injured than boys at puberty," said Anne Benjaminse, a professor at Groningen University. "The difference starts at around 12," the sports science specialist told AFP. 'Just bad luck' And the problem is not just physical -- Benjaminse is also looking into the mental health aspect which she believes plays a major role. Girls mature at different times to boys, ligaments are more fragile during periods. Add to this stress, mood, and fatigue and you get a potent cocktail that results in injury. "Divorce, death, moving around, but also a bad grade at school, an argument. These are small things to us but are big problems for them" that can contribute to physical injury, Benjaminse told AFP. Her study, run in co-ordination with European football's governing body UEFA and the Dutch Football Association, looks at girls and young women aged between 12 and 21. In addition to examining physical movement, participants fill out a form detailing their moods over the previous week, enabling researchers to make a link to mental health. The aim is that mental health and movement become a "standard element" in clubs' training methods at the same level as gym work and nutrition, she said. "This should no longer be called into question. Girls should be able to speak out if they don't feel right and coaches should take it into account," the 44-year-old said. Back on the pitch, Esmee Stuut performs shuttle runs with rapid changes of direction, with and without the ball, then takes on a defender who appears suddenly. Henderika Kingma, 28, manager of the FC Groningen women's team and Esmee's coach, says two of her players suffered cruciate ligament injuries right at the end of the season. "We have to do everything we can to prevent this injury happening to our young players," Kingma told AFP. "Thanks to this study, I know that my girls have become aware" of the issue, she added. Despite the study and raising awareness of the problem, sports scientist Benjaminse is also philosophical about the injury. "Sometimes it's just bad luck."
France 24
a day ago
- France 24
War in Gaza 'hurts my whole body', says Man City boss Guardiola
Guardiola, 54, was speaking as he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Manchester on Monday. "It's so painful what we see in Gaza, it hurts my whole body," Guardiola said in excerpts of his speech shared on social media. "Let me be clear, it's not about ideology. It's not about whether I'm right, or you're wrong. It's just about the love of life, about the care of your neighbour." Israel launched a military campaign in Gaza after the attack by the Palestinian militant group Hamas on October 7, 2023 resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people on the Israeli side, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of official figures. The health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza says at least 54,981 people, the majority civilians, have been killed in the territory since the start of the war. The UN considers these figures reliable. "Maybe we think that we see the boys and girls of four years old being killed by the bomb or being killed at the hospital because it's not a hospital anymore, it's not our business," Guardiola. "Yes, fine, we can think about that, it's not our business. But be careful. The next one will be ours. The next four or five-year-old kids will be ours. "Sorry, but I see my kids, Maria, Marius and Valentina when I see every morning, since the nightmare started, the infants in Gaza, and I'm so scared." Guardiola has not shied away from voicing political views in the past, throwing his weight behind the campaign for Catalan independence. He was awarded the honorary degree by the University of Manchester for his unprecedented success at City, where he has won six Premier League titles, as well as his work through his family foundation, the Guardiola Sala Foundation. The organsisation takes part in "established projects which strive to support the most disadvantaged". Others within football have spoken out on Gaza. In October 2023, Liverpool and Egypt forward Mohamed Salah called on "world leaders to come together to "prevent further slaughter of innocent souls".
