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England vs Zimbabwe, Rothesay Test Match, Day Three:
England (565/6 dec) beat Zimbabwe (265 and 255) by an innings and 45 runs.
Ben Stokes simply cannot avoid the limelight.
Ever since his third delivery in senior cricket – with which he bowled a Mark Ramprakash still in his county cricket pomp – the England captain has exuded an undeniable magnetism.
Those twin heroics of 2019 in the World Cup Final and Headingley Ashes Test may always be his calling card, but he’s left an indelible imprint upon Trent Bridge too.
Not for nothing did he call England’s Bazball-birthing victory over New Zealand in 2022 the greatest win of his career.
Even set against that backdrop, however, his impact upon the 2025 Trent Bridge Test has been nothing short of remarkable.
Pressed into action with the ball after Shoaib Bashir injured a finger, his 20-ball first innings spell yielded two wickets for 11 runs, at a time when Zimbabwe were establishing a foothold in the contest.
And while his almost 34-year-old hamstrings prevent those herculean bowling spells of old, England’s talisman still makes quite the impact in his shorter bursts with the ball.
As Sikander Raza and Wesley Madhevere began to build a platform, Stokes turned to himself to change the game, triggering a noticeable buzz among the assembled Trent Bridge faithful.
He overstepped for a no-ball shortly after, but his fourth legal delivery proved a game-changer.
Harry Brook would claim the finest of assists – flying skyward, single-handed, at second slip to pluck the ball from mid-air – but Stokes’ reaction was the image that would surely go on to adorn tomorrow’s back pages.
In 2015, it was his breathtaking catch that saw Stuart Broad dumbfounded – even in Broad’s finest hour there was a share of the spotlight for Stokes.
Ten years later, for Oh My Broad, read Oh My Stokes.
The remainder of the hard yards were shared among the rest of the home attack – Shoaib Bashir claiming his second Test five-fer in England, both of which have come at Trent Bridge – but Stokes was the centrepiece of a comprehensive victory.
Refreshed by a spell away from the Test match pressure-cooker, he had arrived in Nottingham fighting fit.
Indeed, he must have tired of being told he ‘looked lean’ by countless commentators in pre-match press conferences.
But this was Stokes in fine fettle – the only thing that wasn’t trim about the England skipper’s appearance was his mullet.
Zimbabwe had their moments during these three days – Brian Bennett’s fine first-innings hundred was a particular thrill for a partisan visiting support whose passion never wavered.
On their first visit to England in a generation, their fighting spirit meant they more than earned the lap of honour they took at the game’s conclusion.
But while Ben Stokes may have banned all talk of ruthlessness, England Men’s Test record at Trent Bridge is beginning to justify that tag.
They have not lost a First-Class contest in West Bridgford since 2018. Ahead of a potentially era-defining ten Tests against India and Australia, this was the perfect preparation.
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