Harry Brook took a jaw-dropping one-handed catch and Shoaib Bashir snared a six-wicket haul as England completed an innings-and-45-run victory over a dogged Zimbabwe inside three days of the one-off Test at Trent Bridge.
Brook flung himself to his left and caught a screamer in mid-air after captain Ben Stokes had found some extra bounce to take the edge of Wessly Madhevere (31), with the bowler, just like everybody else watching, stunned by the acrobatic take he had just seen.
Stokes’ face was reminiscent of Stuart Broad’s on this very ground during the 2015 Ashes, when Stokes himself had pouched a remarkable one-handed effort in the cordon off Broad while the now Sky Sports pundit was razing Australia for 60 with 8-15.
Off-spinner Bashir was England’s most prolific bowler in this innings, finishing with figures of 6-81 and nine wickets in the match, as the hosts bowled Zimbabwe out for 255 in their second dig – Bashir ending Raza’s hopes of a first Test ton in eight years when Brook took a regulation catch at slip, 45 minutes after his spectacular one.
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Bashir had struck either side of lunch to remove Sean Williams (88) and Ben Curran (37) after those batters had frustrated England in the morning session, extending their third-wicket stand to 122 after the away side resumed on 30-2 and 270 runs behind.
Williams, who smoked a 42-ball half-century as he feasted on the width he was offered by the England quicks, was lbw to Bashir, two overs after the same bowler had seen Curran overturn an lbw dismissal on 30 with the ball set to shoot over the stumps.
Stokes then caught Curran at the third time of asking after shelling him off his own bowling on 10 before being unable to complete a leaping one-handed take at midwicket when the left-hander, on 29 at the time, went after a Josh Tongue short ball.
Once Brook’s catch for the ages then snapped a 65-run fifth wicket stand between Madhevere and Raza, Bashir banished the latter, the lower order and the tail, finally pinning Tanaka Chivanga (10) leg before, as England earned themselves a day off on Sunday – one they can use watching Brook’s magic moment on a loop.
More to follow.
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