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England vs Zimbabwe, Rothesay Test Match, Day Two:

England 565/6 dec (Pope 171, Duckett 140, Crawley 124). Zimbabwe 265 (Bennett 139) and 30/2 (f/o)

Lately, speed has appeared to be a rather reoccurring concept when it comes to Nottingham’s sporting pursuits.

Wingers Anthony Elanga and Jodi Jones have been especially rapid for their respective football teams either side of the river, both of whom have competed towards the top end of their divisions this season.

Closer to the city centre, in what is commonly believed to be the fastest team sport in the world, the Nottingham Panthers lifted the Elite Ice Hockey League trophy for the first time in nine years last month.

It would have been churlish, then, had Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes’ England, a team that has become synonymous with quickfire scoring in recent years, not continued that trend at Trent Bridge.

What was perhaps more unexpected, certainly to the majority of the mostly home-supporting crowd, over 13,000 strong, was a successful effort from one Zimbabwean to do exactly the same, as precocious 21-year-old Brian Bennett hit his nation’s fastest ever century, from just 97 balls.

Bennett, who became only the second man from Zimbabwe to hit a Test hundred at Trent Bridge after Murray Goodwin’s unbeaten 148 in 2000, was eventually dismissed in the evening session for 139 from 143 deliveries, having hit 26 fours.

It was a stirring display from a man who was not even born when the Chevrons last visited these shores, but it was made all the more so by the rate at which he did it, after the tourists were subjected to a fresh England onslaught early on.

In declaring their first innings on 565-6 from just 96.3 overs shortly before the midway point of the morning session, England registered the fastest-ever run rate for a total above 300 in a Test on this ground.

It had, of course, been teed up by another record yesterday, with the Three Lions’ overnight 498-3 representing the most runs ever scored in one day of a Trent Bridge Test, after which Harry Brook’s breezy 50-ball 58 helped them add 67 further runs in just 8.3 overs.

Brook was the last man out at the hands of Blessing Muzarabani, having hit nine boundaries either side of the dismissal of Ollie Pope, the innings’ top scorer with 171 from 166 balls.

Speed, pace, rapidity. Call it what you will, every England man to emerge from the dressing rooms with a bat in their hand had taken it upon themselves to follow the mantra.

If it was a mantra that was written down, though - perhaps in debutant Sam Cook’s famed little black book - Bennett had clearly read it over someone’s shoulder, as he followed England’s script to the letter.

Cook, to his credit, bowled well as he became the first England debutant since Martin McCague in 1993 to bowl the first over of his first innings, and would go on to take the wicket of Ben Curran in his fifth over, caught by Harry Brook at second slip.

However, Bennett’s rhythm was such that he was initially put to the sword, with the opener striking three consecutive fours in that first over as Zimbabwe motored to 70-1 after 15 overs.

His total fours totted up to more than his century on their own, as his innings provided something for everyone, setting the purists purring with controlled drives through the covers as well as entertaining those asking for the more unorthodox by deploying several sweeps.

The one thing Bennett was lacking, however, was support, as a more measured 42 by his captain Craig Ervine, 18 years his senior, was the only other individual Zimbabwe innings to make it past 25.

Shoaib Bashir led the England attack - indeed, at one point finding success with a quicker delivery, showing that even slower bowlers can profit from pace too - with three wickets, as Zimbabwe were eventually dismissed for 265, 300 in arrears.

More rapid action followed, with Stokes asking Zimbabwe to follow on, and stumps arrived with the tourists two down, including Bennett for the second time in the day.

Zimbabwe may be up against the eight ball in the grand scheme of events, but of their opener’s innings, that saw him race from 50 to 100 in just 41 balls, they can be most proud.

Whether Messrs Elanga, Jones, and the entire Panthers squad have been influenced by their locality can be discussed, but there was clearly something about Nottingham at the moment.

One thing is for sure, that this game certainly continues to move on apace.

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