logo
England restore Test cricket relations with Zimbabwe

England restore Test cricket relations with Zimbabwe

The Advertiser20-05-2025

The restoration of cricketing ties between England and Zimbabwe will be completed on Thursday when Trent Bridge hosts a standalone four-day Test between the nations.
For Ben Stokes's men the unique fixture provides a tune-up before India visit in June for a marquee five-Test series, while for Craig Ervine's tourists it could be the only chance in their careers to play an international on English soil.
The last red-ball encounter between the sides came in 2003, James Anderson's debut series, and they have not met in any format since 2007.
"(England) is the only team I haven't played against, so (this) would basically be my debut men's international game against them," 38-year-old Sean Williams, Zimbabwe's premier Test batsman with five hundreds and an average of 44, told Reuters after supplanting Anderson as world cricket's longest-tenured player.
"When we talk about a 20-year career, that is an incredible thing to think about."
Both cricket and diplomatic relations soured by the mid-2000s, when Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe embarked on an economy-crippling land redistribution program which displaced thousands of white farmers and left the African country isolated from the West.
Number-two ranked England will look to 'Bazball' exponents Harry Brook, Joe Root and Stokes to bat their opponents into submission and ease the burden on an inexperienced seam department in the abbreviated fixture.
Gus Atkinson, on 11 caps, will lead an injury-hit attack missing veterans Mark Wood and Chris Woakes as Essex mainstay Sam Cook, with 321 first-class wickets at 20 apiece, prepares for a debut.
"He's kept knocking the door down, fair play to him," said England selector Luke Wright.
For the 10th-ranked visitors to defy all odds and catch England off-guard in Nottingham, leadership will be sought from those with local knowledge.
Impressive strike bowler Blessing Muzarabani, averaging 22 for 51 Test wickets, spent two seasons with Northamptonshire and offers a point of difference with his two-metre frame, while top-order batsmen Ben Curran and Nick Welch, along with power-hitter Sikandar Raza, also have county experience.
Zimbabwe have languished in cricket's doldrums since the turn of the century, but used to punch above their weight in regular spars with the former colonial power.
Their rivalry peaked during a 1996-97 tour when then-England coach David Lloyd infamously declared "we flippin' murdered 'em" upon drawing a Test series, prematurely claiming moral victory before being clean-swept on the 50-over leg and conceding a hat-trick to chicken-farmer-turned-paceman Eddo Brandes.
The restoration of cricketing ties between England and Zimbabwe will be completed on Thursday when Trent Bridge hosts a standalone four-day Test between the nations.
For Ben Stokes's men the unique fixture provides a tune-up before India visit in June for a marquee five-Test series, while for Craig Ervine's tourists it could be the only chance in their careers to play an international on English soil.
The last red-ball encounter between the sides came in 2003, James Anderson's debut series, and they have not met in any format since 2007.
"(England) is the only team I haven't played against, so (this) would basically be my debut men's international game against them," 38-year-old Sean Williams, Zimbabwe's premier Test batsman with five hundreds and an average of 44, told Reuters after supplanting Anderson as world cricket's longest-tenured player.
"When we talk about a 20-year career, that is an incredible thing to think about."
Both cricket and diplomatic relations soured by the mid-2000s, when Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe embarked on an economy-crippling land redistribution program which displaced thousands of white farmers and left the African country isolated from the West.
Number-two ranked England will look to 'Bazball' exponents Harry Brook, Joe Root and Stokes to bat their opponents into submission and ease the burden on an inexperienced seam department in the abbreviated fixture.
Gus Atkinson, on 11 caps, will lead an injury-hit attack missing veterans Mark Wood and Chris Woakes as Essex mainstay Sam Cook, with 321 first-class wickets at 20 apiece, prepares for a debut.
"He's kept knocking the door down, fair play to him," said England selector Luke Wright.
For the 10th-ranked visitors to defy all odds and catch England off-guard in Nottingham, leadership will be sought from those with local knowledge.
Impressive strike bowler Blessing Muzarabani, averaging 22 for 51 Test wickets, spent two seasons with Northamptonshire and offers a point of difference with his two-metre frame, while top-order batsmen Ben Curran and Nick Welch, along with power-hitter Sikandar Raza, also have county experience.
Zimbabwe have languished in cricket's doldrums since the turn of the century, but used to punch above their weight in regular spars with the former colonial power.
Their rivalry peaked during a 1996-97 tour when then-England coach David Lloyd infamously declared "we flippin' murdered 'em" upon drawing a Test series, prematurely claiming moral victory before being clean-swept on the 50-over leg and conceding a hat-trick to chicken-farmer-turned-paceman Eddo Brandes.
The restoration of cricketing ties between England and Zimbabwe will be completed on Thursday when Trent Bridge hosts a standalone four-day Test between the nations.
For Ben Stokes's men the unique fixture provides a tune-up before India visit in June for a marquee five-Test series, while for Craig Ervine's tourists it could be the only chance in their careers to play an international on English soil.
The last red-ball encounter between the sides came in 2003, James Anderson's debut series, and they have not met in any format since 2007.
"(England) is the only team I haven't played against, so (this) would basically be my debut men's international game against them," 38-year-old Sean Williams, Zimbabwe's premier Test batsman with five hundreds and an average of 44, told Reuters after supplanting Anderson as world cricket's longest-tenured player.
"When we talk about a 20-year career, that is an incredible thing to think about."
Both cricket and diplomatic relations soured by the mid-2000s, when Zimbabwe under Robert Mugabe embarked on an economy-crippling land redistribution program which displaced thousands of white farmers and left the African country isolated from the West.
Number-two ranked England will look to 'Bazball' exponents Harry Brook, Joe Root and Stokes to bat their opponents into submission and ease the burden on an inexperienced seam department in the abbreviated fixture.
Gus Atkinson, on 11 caps, will lead an injury-hit attack missing veterans Mark Wood and Chris Woakes as Essex mainstay Sam Cook, with 321 first-class wickets at 20 apiece, prepares for a debut.
"He's kept knocking the door down, fair play to him," said England selector Luke Wright.
For the 10th-ranked visitors to defy all odds and catch England off-guard in Nottingham, leadership will be sought from those with local knowledge.
Impressive strike bowler Blessing Muzarabani, averaging 22 for 51 Test wickets, spent two seasons with Northamptonshire and offers a point of difference with his two-metre frame, while top-order batsmen Ben Curran and Nick Welch, along with power-hitter Sikandar Raza, also have county experience.
Zimbabwe have languished in cricket's doldrums since the turn of the century, but used to punch above their weight in regular spars with the former colonial power.
Their rivalry peaked during a 1996-97 tour when then-England coach David Lloyd infamously declared "we flippin' murdered 'em" upon drawing a Test series, prematurely claiming moral victory before being clean-swept on the 50-over leg and conceding a hat-trick to chicken-farmer-turned-paceman Eddo Brandes.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

'Unbelievable' Aussie pace pack lord it at Lord's again
'Unbelievable' Aussie pace pack lord it at Lord's again

The Advertiser

timean hour ago

  • The Advertiser

'Unbelievable' Aussie pace pack lord it at Lord's again

At the party they always get to host but never get the chance to play in, English cricket has again been left to gaze on enviously on that old Australian cut-throat firm of Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc and Smith, who have been lording it at Lord's for years. First up, in this third World Test final to be staged in England, it had been that old nuisance Steve Smith, in all his familiar idiosyncratic glory even while suffering with a dose of the flu, marking himself the all-time overseas top scorer in all Lord's Tests with a knock of 66 that took his total to 591 in 10 innings. Er, Bradman only got 551 in eight. And even if that other 'old firm' of Smith and Marnus Labuschagne looked as if it could be on its last legs after perhaps one unconvincing struggle too many from the junior partner, the self-styled 'home of cricket' was then left to witness the familiar excellence of Australia's three-pronged mean, green, pace machine doing its stuff. Even the egg 'n bacon-tied MCC brigade in the Long Room, on their very best behaviour this time, couldn't help but applaud the 'big three'. After all, who knows how long Hazlewood, Cummins and Starc can keep up the sort of heroics after eight years working in perfect harmony at the Test coalface? "It's unbelievable. Me and (Cameron) Greeny were watching from the slips and gully and it looked like every ball they were going to make something happen," said an admiring Beau Webster as he got a close-up view of the trio who've never been on a losing final in an ICC event when they've all been on the same side. Their combined 4-34 off a combined 21 overs felt like a rinse-and-repeat show to infect every English fan's nightmares. Mean, tight and destructive, the three now have 959 Test wickets between them - and counting quickly. Could they actually be better than ever? Starc was just as menacing as usual while being even less expensive; Hazlewood, coming off a full IPL season, looked fresh and immensely sharp. Cummins was just Cummins, leading from the front, probing relentlessly. "They've done it for a long time, haven't they?" smiled Smith. "Today was no different. They all bowled really nicely." After Australia had struggled to 212, they knew they had to hit back sharpish. "When you know you've only got a couple of hours to bowl in the night, you can probably give a little bit more knowing you can have a break afterwards," said Smith, praising Starc's 2-10 contribution in particular. "I looked this up today and kind of forget every now and again, Starcy, he's played 97 Tests with this one, which is a hell of an effort for a fast bowler. He's just relentless with his body, a tough character. He bowls through a lot of pain and things like that. "The three have been great, and hopefully they can come again in the morning and make a few early inroads." Webster, the 'Slug from Snug', will take his place back in the catching cordon and just enjoy. "They're a luxury we've had for a lot of years and it's not going to last for ever, but we are still in a good place," mused the Tasmanian. "And the less overs I have to bowl the better!" At the party they always get to host but never get the chance to play in, English cricket has again been left to gaze on enviously on that old Australian cut-throat firm of Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc and Smith, who have been lording it at Lord's for years. First up, in this third World Test final to be staged in England, it had been that old nuisance Steve Smith, in all his familiar idiosyncratic glory even while suffering with a dose of the flu, marking himself the all-time overseas top scorer in all Lord's Tests with a knock of 66 that took his total to 591 in 10 innings. Er, Bradman only got 551 in eight. And even if that other 'old firm' of Smith and Marnus Labuschagne looked as if it could be on its last legs after perhaps one unconvincing struggle too many from the junior partner, the self-styled 'home of cricket' was then left to witness the familiar excellence of Australia's three-pronged mean, green, pace machine doing its stuff. Even the egg 'n bacon-tied MCC brigade in the Long Room, on their very best behaviour this time, couldn't help but applaud the 'big three'. After all, who knows how long Hazlewood, Cummins and Starc can keep up the sort of heroics after eight years working in perfect harmony at the Test coalface? "It's unbelievable. Me and (Cameron) Greeny were watching from the slips and gully and it looked like every ball they were going to make something happen," said an admiring Beau Webster as he got a close-up view of the trio who've never been on a losing final in an ICC event when they've all been on the same side. Their combined 4-34 off a combined 21 overs felt like a rinse-and-repeat show to infect every English fan's nightmares. Mean, tight and destructive, the three now have 959 Test wickets between them - and counting quickly. Could they actually be better than ever? Starc was just as menacing as usual while being even less expensive; Hazlewood, coming off a full IPL season, looked fresh and immensely sharp. Cummins was just Cummins, leading from the front, probing relentlessly. "They've done it for a long time, haven't they?" smiled Smith. "Today was no different. They all bowled really nicely." After Australia had struggled to 212, they knew they had to hit back sharpish. "When you know you've only got a couple of hours to bowl in the night, you can probably give a little bit more knowing you can have a break afterwards," said Smith, praising Starc's 2-10 contribution in particular. "I looked this up today and kind of forget every now and again, Starcy, he's played 97 Tests with this one, which is a hell of an effort for a fast bowler. He's just relentless with his body, a tough character. He bowls through a lot of pain and things like that. "The three have been great, and hopefully they can come again in the morning and make a few early inroads." Webster, the 'Slug from Snug', will take his place back in the catching cordon and just enjoy. "They're a luxury we've had for a lot of years and it's not going to last for ever, but we are still in a good place," mused the Tasmanian. "And the less overs I have to bowl the better!" At the party they always get to host but never get the chance to play in, English cricket has again been left to gaze on enviously on that old Australian cut-throat firm of Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc and Smith, who have been lording it at Lord's for years. First up, in this third World Test final to be staged in England, it had been that old nuisance Steve Smith, in all his familiar idiosyncratic glory even while suffering with a dose of the flu, marking himself the all-time overseas top scorer in all Lord's Tests with a knock of 66 that took his total to 591 in 10 innings. Er, Bradman only got 551 in eight. And even if that other 'old firm' of Smith and Marnus Labuschagne looked as if it could be on its last legs after perhaps one unconvincing struggle too many from the junior partner, the self-styled 'home of cricket' was then left to witness the familiar excellence of Australia's three-pronged mean, green, pace machine doing its stuff. Even the egg 'n bacon-tied MCC brigade in the Long Room, on their very best behaviour this time, couldn't help but applaud the 'big three'. After all, who knows how long Hazlewood, Cummins and Starc can keep up the sort of heroics after eight years working in perfect harmony at the Test coalface? "It's unbelievable. Me and (Cameron) Greeny were watching from the slips and gully and it looked like every ball they were going to make something happen," said an admiring Beau Webster as he got a close-up view of the trio who've never been on a losing final in an ICC event when they've all been on the same side. Their combined 4-34 off a combined 21 overs felt like a rinse-and-repeat show to infect every English fan's nightmares. Mean, tight and destructive, the three now have 959 Test wickets between them - and counting quickly. Could they actually be better than ever? Starc was just as menacing as usual while being even less expensive; Hazlewood, coming off a full IPL season, looked fresh and immensely sharp. Cummins was just Cummins, leading from the front, probing relentlessly. "They've done it for a long time, haven't they?" smiled Smith. "Today was no different. They all bowled really nicely." After Australia had struggled to 212, they knew they had to hit back sharpish. "When you know you've only got a couple of hours to bowl in the night, you can probably give a little bit more knowing you can have a break afterwards," said Smith, praising Starc's 2-10 contribution in particular. "I looked this up today and kind of forget every now and again, Starcy, he's played 97 Tests with this one, which is a hell of an effort for a fast bowler. He's just relentless with his body, a tough character. He bowls through a lot of pain and things like that. "The three have been great, and hopefully they can come again in the morning and make a few early inroads." Webster, the 'Slug from Snug', will take his place back in the catching cordon and just enjoy. "They're a luxury we've had for a lot of years and it's not going to last for ever, but we are still in a good place," mused the Tasmanian. "And the less overs I have to bowl the better!"

'Unbelievable' Aussie pace pack lord it at Lord's again
'Unbelievable' Aussie pace pack lord it at Lord's again

West Australian

time2 hours ago

  • West Australian

'Unbelievable' Aussie pace pack lord it at Lord's again

At the party they always get to host but never get the chance to play in, English cricket has again been left to gaze on enviously on that old Australian cut-throat firm of Cummins, Hazlewood, Starc and Smith, who have been lording it at Lord's for years. First up, in this third World Test final to be staged in England, it had been that old nuisance Steve Smith, in all his familiar idiosyncratic glory even while suffering with a dose of the flu, marking himself the all-time overseas top scorer in all Lord's Tests with a knock of 66 that took his total to 591 in 10 innings. Er, Bradman only got 551 in eight. And even if that other 'old firm' of Smith and Marnus Labuschagne looked as if it could be on its last legs after perhaps one unconvincing struggle too many from the junior partner, the self-styled 'home of cricket' was then left to witness the familiar excellence of Australia's three-pronged mean, green, pace machine doing its stuff. Even the egg 'n bacon-tied MCC brigade in the Long Room, on their very best behaviour this time, couldn't help but applaud the 'big three'. After all, who knows how long Hazlewood, Cummins and Starc can keep up the sort of heroics after eight years working in perfect harmony at the Test coalface? "It's unbelievable. Me and (Cameron) Greeny were watching from the slips and gully and it looked like every ball they were going to make something happen," said an admiring Beau Webster as he got a close-up view of the trio who've never been on a losing final in an ICC event when they've all been on the same side. Their combined 4-34 off a combined 21 overs felt like a rinse-and-repeat show to infect every English fan's nightmares. Mean, tight and destructive, the three now have 959 Test wickets between them - and counting quickly. Could they actually be better than ever? Starc was just as menacing as usual while being even less expensive; Hazlewood, coming off a full IPL season, looked fresh and immensely sharp. Cummins was just Cummins, leading from the front, probing relentlessly. "They've done it for a long time, haven't they?" smiled Smith. "Today was no different. They all bowled really nicely." After Australia had struggled to 212, they knew they had to hit back sharpish. "When you know you've only got a couple of hours to bowl in the night, you can probably give a little bit more knowing you can have a break afterwards," said Smith, praising Starc's 2-10 contribution in particular. "I looked this up today and kind of forget every now and again, Starcy, he's played 97 Tests with this one, which is a hell of an effort for a fast bowler. He's just relentless with his body, a tough character. He bowls through a lot of pain and things like that. "The three have been great, and hopefully they can come again in the morning and make a few early inroads." Webster, the 'Slug from Snug', will take his place back in the catching cordon and just enjoy. "They're a luxury we've had for a lot of years and it's not going to last for ever, but we are still in a good place," mused the Tasmanian. "And the less overs I have to bowl the better!"

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store