ENG vs ZIM | Bennett ton keeps Zimbabwe hanging on as England enforce follow-on on Day 2

Brief score: ENG 565/6d [Pope 171, Duckett 140; Muzarabani 24.3-3-143-3‌] lead ZIM 265 [Bennett 139, Ervine 42; Bashir 16.4-2-62-3] & 30/2 [Williams 22*, Curran 4*; Atkinson 3-2-1-1] by 270 runs at Stumps on Day 2

Zimbabwe got Friday off to a dream start when Tanaka Chivanga struck on the 10th ball of the day to dispatch Ollie Pope for 171 courtesy of a lose drive away from the body. However, while the visitors must have anticipated it would bring a lull in the scoring rates, the scalp had the opposite exact effect as it triggerred Harry Brook to break his shackles and go on a rampage. The York struck tow back-to-back sixes off Blessing Muzarabani, either side of pumelling Chivanga for consecutive fours twice, as Brook accelarate from nine off 27 deliveries to a 48-ball half-century. However, amidst the onslaught, Muzarabani managed to get rid of skipper Ben Stokes with a snorter, and as soon as the quick had Brook chop on for 58 the hosts declared their innings, leaving the Chevrons 565 to pursue.

Zimbabwe got their response off to a nervous start when Brian Bennett scored the first runs through an inside-edge boundary, but the opener immediately calmed matters by following the mistake up with two fours on the trot. The opener then score a boundary in each of the next three overs to keep the Englishmen under the pump, but it was not enough to keep debutant Sam Cook from scalping his maiden Test wicket in the form of Ben Curran. Neverthless, Craig Ervine arrived to the crease with a similar temperament as he struck two early fours to stamp his authority, setting the stage for the duo to take Zimbabwe through to Lunch at 73/1. 

The visitors picked up the tempo again at the start of the second session with 23 runs off the first four overs, but yet again the upsurge culminated in a wicket as Ervine edged a Shoaib Bashir peach to Brook at slip. Regardless, Bennett kept plundering along to bring up a 56-ball fifty with a four, and found able company in Sean Williams to stitch together another half-century stand. However, the latter ended up chopping a Bashir arm-ball straight back onto his stumps to yet again bring England to the fore, only to end up injuring his finger soon after and force Stokes into the attack. The skipper had Bennett nick behind first-up but Joe Root dropped a sitter, allowing the opener to bring up a 97-ball ton with two more fours -- the fastest by a Zimbabwean in Test cricket. It did little to break Stokes' morale though as he struck all the same in his second go-around by having Sikander Raza caught behind with a jaffa, before firing an inducker through Wesley Madhevere's gate in his next over to send Zimbabwe into Tea at 210/5.

The final session began ominously when Josh Togue had Bennett caught at short-leg off a no-bell, and eventually did account for the opener in the exact same fashion in his very next over. It was all downhill thereafter for Zimbabwe, as England ran through the tial to make 246/5 into 265 all-out and enforce the follow-on.

The second innings got off a horrid start for Zimbabwe when Bennett was trapped plumb by Gus Atkinson in the fourth over before Josh Tongue scalped Craig Ervine. Curran and Williams ensured there was no further damage, as Stumps were called at 30/2.