England v Zimbabwe: men’s cricket Test, day two - live

29s ago 07.36 EDT 8th over: Zimbabwe 48-1 (Bennett 28, Ervine 13) Atkinson driven off the back foot by Bennett for three and Ervine follows suit with a couple down the ground. I wonder if we might see Josh Tongue for a burst before lunch, there’s about 25 minutes til the interval. Share

5m ago 07.32 EDT 7th over: Zimbabwe 43-1 (Bennett 24, Ervine 7) The dichotomy of Sam Cook. He bowls too full and it rather floats onto the bat of Ervine who has plenty of time to get on the front foot and drive away through cover for four. The very next ball is a beauty though, pitching and leaving the batter on off stump. Share

8m ago 07.28 EDT 6th over: Zimbabwe 38-1 (Bennett 24, Ervine 7) Gus Atkinson hasn’t settled into his groove just yet so far this morning, he gives Ervine width and is flogged through point for four. Share

10m ago 07.27 EDT 5th over: Zimbabwe 34-1 (Bennett 24, Ervine 3) Craig Ervine is the new batter and he’s off the mark with a prod into the off-side. Sam Cook takes his cap and heads down to fine leg where he gets a lovely reception. Share

12m ago 07.24 EDT WICKET! Ben Curran c Brook b Cook 6 (Zimbabwe 31-1) There’s the first Test wicket for Sam Cook! Lovely ball and one that he has sent down thousands of times for Essex. Hitting a spot on off stuff and jagging away just enough to take the edge of Ben Curran’s bat as he turned his bat on it slightly. Cook celebrates with abandon, plenty of nervous energy and relief in his double fist pumps! What a moment for him, one he’ll have dreamt about for years. England have their first. Share Updated at 07.24 EDT

20m ago 07.17 EDT 4th over: Zimbabwe 31-0 (Bennett 24, Curran 6) Another fruitful over for Zimbabwe – Curran collects two with a clip off his toes through midwicket and then drives for three down the ground. Atkinson is a bit too wide outside off stump and Brian Bennett doesn’t need a second invitation, he flays away behind point for his sixth boundary. Share

23m ago 07.14 EDT 3rd over: Zimbabwe 22-0 (Bennett 20, Curran 1) “Adding to the middle initials riff” writes Mark Lewis. “Surely IR Bell must be in with a shout…? It wouldn’t be the OBO without The Sledgehammer Of Eternal Justice getting in on the act.” Tidier over from Sam Cook, a leg bye and four dots and then nearly a catch to Crawley in the slips from Bennett but it landed a bit short and ran away for another boundary. Sprightly start from Zimbabwe. Share

27m ago 07.10 EDT 2nd over: Zimbabwe 17-0 (Bennett 16, Curran 1) The final ball of the previous over was actually a beauty from Cook. Dragged his length back and got the ball to jag off the surface. Signs that there is something in it for the seamers. Gus Atkinson shares the new ball – he’s the leader of this green attack with only ten months Test experience. Curran jabs off his hip for single into the leg side and Bennett carries on his merry way, carving off the back foot through point for four. “Afternoon James, did that declaration score give anyone else just a frisson of Adelaide 2006? Still sends a shiver down the spine…” IT’S STILL TOO SOON TOM HOPKINS! Share Updated at 07.14 EDT

32m ago 07.04 EDT 1st over: Zimbabwe 12-0 (Bennett 12, Curran 0) Cook is right on the money with his first ball, zoning in on off stump. There’s no swing that I can see and Bennett gets an inside edge to a full ball that zips away fine for four to open Zimbabwe’s account. Another inside edge races away through the leg side as Cook is a smidge too full looking for the magic ball first up. Bosh! Another full ball is driven away through the covers to make it three fours in a row to Bennet – Zimbabwe are chasing this down! Twelve off the first over, welcome to Test cricket Sam Cook. Share Updated at 07.05 EDT

36m ago 07.01 EDT Righto, here comes Sam Cook for his first bowl in Test cricket. He’s earned this chance with some remarkable consistency over the last few years. Brian Bennett and Ben Curran will open up for the visitors – let’s play! Share

40m ago 06.57 EDT So there will be a few minutes break whilst Zimbabwe strap the pads on. We’ll get a look at Sam Cook on debut before lunch. Share

47m ago 06.50 EDT WICKET! Harry Brook b Muzarabani 58 (England DECLARE on 565-6) Brook smears Muzarabani for a six and a four into the leg side to bring up a bludgeoning fifty but then chops on the very next ball. It wasn’t pretty but England won’t mind – Ben Stokes has called them in! Share

49m ago 06.47 EDT 95th over: England 555-5 (Brook 48, Smith 4) Jamie Smith clips off his pads for four but is then DROPPED by the keeper! Chivanga is a bit hit or miss but he gets it spot on and Smith edges behind only to be spilled! It was a regulation chance and should have been taken. “L Hutton. H Sutcliffe? They did ok I think…” emails a droll Peter Wyatt Share

54m ago 06.43 EDT 95th over: England 548-4 (Brook 45, Smith 0) Jamie Smith is the new batter. The wonderful Don McRae did a lovely interview with him a week or two back. He plays out a dot to his first ball as Blessing has his dander up after pocketing the big beast. Zimbabwe have bowled much better so far today. Share

1h ago 06.40 EDT WICKET! Ben Stokes c Curran b Muzarabani 9 (England 548-5) Gone! Stokes has been bounced out by Blessing! A short ball that was well directed and seamed to rear late at Stokes’ helmet – he pulled out of the attempted hook but too late and the top edge is extremely well caught by Ben Curran at deep third. View image in fullscreen Blessing Muzarabani celebrates with teammates after taking the wicket of Ben Stokes. Photograph: Peter Cziborra/Action Images/Reuters Share Updated at 06.47 EDT

1h ago 06.37 EDT 94th over: England 545-4 (Brook 43, Stokes 8) Brook plays an audacious upper cut to a Chivanga short ball and is DROPPED on the boundary at deep third. Not the best effort from the sub fielder – the wonderfully named Wellington Masakadza. Brook pulverises the next ball for four with a rasping cut shot. He hit that so hard the fielder barely moved in the deep. Speaking of names, Gareth Wilson drops a missive into the OBO mailbag: “Hi James- very sad to see Zak Crawley has no middle initial. Will never be an England all timer without at least one of those. Think IT Botham, GA Gooch, PBH May and of course the deliberate MC Cowdrey. Feels sad for the young Crawley to miss out.” I’m a no middle name man myself Gareth and that isn’t the only reason I’m not an England great. My daughter calls middle names ‘fiddle names’. Which is quite cute… and they can be fiddly. Cherrington anyone? Share

1h ago 06.28 EDT 93rd over: England 531-4 (Brook 31, Stokes 7) Trouble against the short ball? Pah! Harry Brook smashes a Muzarabani bouncer for SIX into the crowd behind square… and again! SIX more the next ball, slightly more top-edgy but same result. Brook is ticking, he charges at the next two balls but Muzarabani digs them in at his feet. Another full delivery is squirted into the leg side and Stokes calls Brook through for a quick single. Excited burbling in the crowd, there might well be some catches coming their way in the next hour. Share

1h ago 06.24 EDT 92nd over: England 518-4 (Brook 18, Stokes 7) Apologies I just spotted there was a typo in the link for my email at the side of the page – corrected now and you can fling me a missive here. Harry Brook carves for four and then skips down the track to loft Chivanga over mid off for another. I wonder if Stokes has had a little word in his ear, there is plenty of rain about in Nottingham tomorrow according to the latest forecast. England will need to bowl Zimbabwe out twice in what is already a shortened game. Share

1h ago 06.17 EDT 91st over: England 508-4 (Brook 9, Stokes 6) Glorious cover drive from Ben Stokes! That will feel good. Pitched up and smoked away to the fence. Share

1h ago 06.16 EDT 90th over: England 503-4 (Brook 9, Stokes 1) Stokes gets off the mark with a nice clip off his toes. Some time in the middle will do him the world of good too, there was talk he might even play for the Lions in the run up to the India series in order to get some rhythm at the crease. Zimbabwe have been much better in the two overs this morning, a stat going around states that they bowled over fifty per cent of their deliveries down the leg side yesterday. Share

1h ago 06.11 EDT WICKET! Ollie Pope c Tsiga b Chivanga 171 (England 502-4) Pitched up and a tiny edge! Ollie Pope goes early on day two, playing away from his body at a decent ball from Chivanga. A late review was called for but the spike was clear for all to see. Trent Bridge gives Pope a hearty ovation and then there’s a loud cheer as Ben Stokes strides out to the middle. Shades of Botham as blond whisps of mullet billow out from under Stokes’ helmet as he takes guard. View image in fullscreen Ollie Pope edges one behind. Photograph: Darren Staples/AFP/Getty Images Share Updated at 06.47 EDT

1h ago 06.07 EDT 89th over: England 499-3 (Pope 170, Brook 9) Blessing Muzarabani from the Pavilion End. Pope tucks off his hip for the first run of the day. It looks like Zimbabwe are going to go short at Harry Brook – there’s been a bit of chatter about that being a potential weak spot for Brook, especially early in his innings against genuine pace. Ooh beauty! Muzarabani pushes Brook back and then pitches fuller and the ball zips off the surface and carries through at head height to the keeper. Brook was drawn into the stroke and plays and misses. Good, probing first over from the bowler, just one run off it. Share

2h ago 06.01 EDT Here come the players! Harry Brook and Ollie Pope stride out in beautiful sunshine and Zimbabwe’s players gird themselves for what could be a tough morning. England know there is a bit of weather about this weekend and it is only a four day Test, they’ll throw the blade this morning at the new ball and press the game forward. Buckle up! Share Updated at 06.01 EDT

2h ago 05.59 EDT Its Sunny. Its Friday. My four-going-on-24-year-old daughter demanded this song three times in a row on the way to school. Share

2h ago 05.42 EDT Ali’s report from Trent Bridge pleasingly alluded to The Thick of It on a day that was very much not difficult difficult lemon difficult for England. There were shades of The Thick of It after Ben Stokes gave his press conference a day out from this one-off Test against Zimbabwe. When the minister – or in this instance the England captain – said Jacob Bethell would be straight back in for the series against India, this apparently referred to the squad and not necessarily the XI. That Stokes sought to make this clarification through the back channels perhaps said more about the task at hand than England’s true thoughts on the subject. No captain would ever wish to send a player out believing whatever they achieved would be irrelevant, especially not a vice-captain and selfless cricketer such as Ollie Pope.” Ollie Pope smashes 169 off Zimbabwe to show England selectors his class Read more Share Updated at 05.50 EDT

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