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England vs Zimbabwe, Rothesay Test Match, Day One:
England 498/3 (Pope 169*, Duckett 140, Crawley 124)
Constant change is here to stay.
So sang Canadian rock band Rush on their 80s hit Digital Man.
It’s probably fair to assume Neil Peart and Co weren’t Test cricket aficionados.
Perhaps an evening of baseball under Toronto’s Skydome was more to their taste, even if the two sports’ rhythms are distinctly similar at times.
But that line rather neatly summed up the feeling as England met Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge for the first time in a generation.
The competing nations and the venue may be the same, but much has changed in the 25 years since the Three Lions were given a scare by Andy Flower’s visitors.
Only three of Trent Bridge’s seven stands have been left untouched by redevelopment in that time – with the historic Pavilion now in the throes of a spruce-up.
The playing squads are, of course, entirely transformed; Mike Atherton, a century-maker in the 2000 Test, is now firmly established as one of English cricket’s most perceptive pundits, afforded two separate seating areas in the Trent Bridge press box, such is his standing.
And the manner in which England play their cricket is, frankly, unrecognisable.
The first session of the 2000 Test, after a rain-ruined morning, yielded 96 runs from 37 overs.
In 2025, England cantered to 130/0 from 26 overs at lunch, and barely looked like breaking sweat.
And the opening pair of Zak Crawley and Ben Duckett were far from in top gear.
The Notts southpaw put his foot firmly to the floor in the afternoon session – reverse-sweeps, lofted drives and outrageous leg-side pulls carrying him to, and past, a run-a-ball century.
He hit his 1,500th First-Class four shortly before departing for a masterful 140. As he soaked up the acclaim of his home crowd on taking his leave, one could safely assume he wasn’t retiring to consult the Geoffrey Boycott coaching manual.
Crawley was sailing in his slipstream, making an assured ton of his own, as Ollie Pope arrived to motor along in his wake.
The England number three sprinted to 31 from his first 20 balls – and even if his scoring rate subsequently slowed, his flick for six over deep backward square off Victor Nyauchi was one of the shots of the day.
He would go on to top-score with an unbeaten 169 - and even Joe Root, the sole batter to fail to reach fifty, had a celebratory moment of his own as he became the quickest batter to 13,000 Test runs.
This was a test for Zimbabwe in every sense of the word.
While off the field, there was much to savour – the warmest of receptions for former captain Tatenda Taibu as he rang the five-minute bell, a spirited visiting support conducting a rendition of Heads, Shoulders, Knees and Toes as afternoon became evening – Craig Ervine’s side are already facing a fight to stay in the contest after the first day of four.
25 years ago, the Three Lions were somewhat fortunate to escape with a draw as these two sides met in West Bridgford.
Perhaps the biggest change since then is that this England side look in no mood to give up the initiative.
*******
