Stokes and Bennett shine before Zimbabwe follow on

Only Test, Trent Bridge (day 2 of four)

England 565-6 dec (Pope 171, Duckett 140, Crawley 124; Muzarabani 3-143)

Zimbabwe 265 (Bennett 139; Bashir 3-62) & 30-2 (Williams 22*)

Zimbabwe are 270 runs behind

Scorecard

Ben Stokes hinted astatine a return to his champion and Brian Bennett struck a sparkling period earlier England made Zimbabwe travel connected on nan 2nd time of nan one-off Test astatine Trent Bridge.

England skipper Stokes, playing for nan first clip since having room connected his hamstring, took 2-11 successful a captivating spell of only 3.2 overs.

Opener Bennett delighted nan dancing visiting fans successful Nottingham pinch Zimbabwe's fastest Test hundred, from 97 balls. His 139 was nan backbone of nan tourists' 265 each out.

Off-spinner Shoaib Bashir claimed 3-62 while Josh Tongue, successful his first Test for 2 years, and Sam Cook, connected debut, took a wicket each.

Holding a monstrous lead of 300 successful nan four-day Test and pinch Saturday's forecast looking mixed, England asked Zimbabwe to bat again, bowling for nan 2nd clip to get 10 overs successful earlier nan close.

Bennett could not repetition his heroics, trapped limb earlier by Gus Atkinson, while Craig Ervine lobbed Tongue to short limb to time off Zimbabwe 30-2, still 270 behind.

England earlier declared connected 565-6, pushing connected from their overnight 498-3.

Ollie Pope added only 2 much connected Friday greeting earlier edging down for 171, while Harry Brook made a 48-ball half-century, contempt having only 9 runs from 27 deliveries.

Brook whipped 3 sixes into nan limb broadside earlier being bowled to springiness Blessing Muzarabani a 3rd wicket, astatine which constituent Stokes called his squad in.

England's gluttonous run-scoring connected nan opening time verged connected tedium because of its one-sided nature.

Although nan hosts' grip connected nan title is conscionable arsenic tight astatine nan extremity of nan 2nd day, Friday astatine slightest had elements of back-and-forth, immoderate captivating cricket and an energetic ambiance brought by nan Zimbabwe supporters.

Brook blazed distant successful nan first hr and his mantle was picked up by Bennett, nan 21-year-old who had not been calved nan past clip these 2 sides played a Test against each other. His joyful ceremony connected reaching 3 figures was a awesome moment.

Like nan location batters earlier him, Bennett's strokeplay showed nan placid quality of nan aboveground and location were times erstwhile England's bowlers were made to work.

After six months out, nan show of Stokes marking retired his tally sent a frisson of excitement astir Trent Bridge. The skipper did not disappoint, serving up 20 exhilarating deliveries that suggested he is backmost to afloat fittingness and fresh for nan challenges of India and Australia that dishonesty ahead.

If England decided to bat again it would person produced a dismal spectacle. Instead they already person 2 prize wickets and tin return refreshed connected Saturday to push for triumph pinch a time to spare.

With 13 erstwhile caps betwixt them, Atkinson, Tongue and Cook shape nan astir inexperienced master gait trio England person fielded successful a location Test since Zimbabwe were past present successful 2003. Still, that discounts Stokes, pinch much than 200 wickets to his name.

Whether aliases not nan skipper was intending to bowl, erstwhile he did he was England's champion connected show. With a outpouring successful his approach, his gait was lively and Stokes extracted much activity than nan different England pacers.

Cook often mislaid his statement but astatine slightest had Ben Curran prod astatine 1 that nipped and bounced. Atkinson looked down connected wound until he claimed 2 precocious wickets, while Tongue impressed successful a fiery first spell and later bounced retired Bennett.

Stokes seemed wished to springiness Bashir a agelong bowl. His 3 wickets were much than nan 2 he antecedently managed this season. Bashir was 4 balls into nan 13th complete of a spell erstwhile he trim his digit trying to return a return catch, meaning Stokes had to summon himself.

His first transportation was a no-ball, his 2nd took Bennett's separator and was dropped by Joe Root astatine first slip. In nan adjacent over, Stokes had Sikandar Raza fend down and, successful nan next, Wesley Madhevere chopped on.

Stokes did not vessel aft tea. He had already shown enough.

After a demoralising day-and-a-bit pinch nan ball, Zimbabwe could person imploded pinch nan bat. That they battled was almost wholly down to Bennett, nan swashbuckling opener who scored his maiden Test period against Afghanistan successful a Boxing Day Test past year.

He had immoderate fortune. Twice he edged Cook astatine catching tallness past nan slips and besides inside-edged past his ain stumps. There was nan Root driblet disconnected Stokes and, later, he fended Tongue to nan swooping Pope astatine short limb disconnected a no-ball.

But Bennett was besides rewarded for nan condemnation of his shot-making. There were immoderate occasional T20 hacks, though they were outshone by immoderate dreamy on-drives. Bennett added 65 pinch skipper Ervine, who made 42, while Sean Williams and Tafadzwa Tsiga were nan only others to walk 20.

When he reached 3 figures pinch a trim disconnected Atkinson, he became nan 3rd Zimbabwean to make a Test 100 against England and first since Murray Goodwin 25 years ago.

Bennett yet fended to Pope disconnected a ineligible Tongue short ball, signalling nan autumn of nan last 4 wickets for 19 runs. The injured Richard Ngarava did not bat.

Pushed retired to bat again, Bennett was pinned by Atkinson's nip-backer. In a shrewd move from Stokes, Pope had only conscionable been posted astatine short limb erstwhile Ervine obliged pinch nan simplest of catches.

Ex-England skipper Michael Vaughan: "England person had a bully day. When you get 12 wickets you person had a really bully day. Harry Brook was smoking it to each parts but I liked nan declaration. They could person batted on.

"Bennett's was a special, typical innings. The gulf successful people has shown again but I admired nan conflict shown by Zimbabwe."

Zimbabwe opener Brian Bennett connected Test Match Special: "It was evidently a awesome day. After fielding for that long, to spell out, unfastened nan batting and do what I did, I americium really proud.

"There is thing much typical than a 100 against England successful England."