England set for big win after forcing fighting Zimbabwe to follow on

NOTTINGHAM England AP England ousted Zimbabwe cricketers at a rate on Friday that suggested their four-day test will be over with a day to spare at Trent Bridge Despite an acclaimed fightback by Zimbabwe for much of the second day the visitor was out for and forced to follow on At stumps Zimbabwe was - still runs away from making England bat again A magnificent maiden test century by opener Brian Bennett kept Zimbabwe s spirit aflame but his exit for after tea sparked a collapse of six wickets for runs including Bennett in the second innings for Rain won t appear to save Zimbabwe on Saturday when clouds will return giving England s battery ideal conditions to wrap up a big win in the first test matchup between the teams in years Centuries on Thursday by Zac Crawley Ben Duckett and Ollie Pope staked England to an intimidating - overnight on a flat pitch The innings was declared at - after nine more overs on Friday morning Pope added two runs to his overnight until he drove at Tanaka Chavinga and nicked behind ending the third highest of his eight hundreds Captain Ben Stokes was bounced out and declared when Harry Brook chopped on for off balls Sam Cook the first England debutant to bowl the first over in years was welcomed to test cricket by Bennett hitting three successive boundaries But Cook got his maiden wicket in just his third over when Ben Curran edged to Brook at second slip That was the only Zimbabwe wicket to fall by lunch taken at - with Bennett and Craig Ervine cruising Ervine on was also caught by Brook and was the th test wicket for off-spinner Shoaib Bashir He s England s youngest to the milestone at Bashir also claimed Sean Williams But soon after Bashir left the field with a bloodied pinkie finger when he tried a caught-and-bowled against Sikandar Raza Stokes finished bowling the over and another chance was mishandled when Joe Root at first slip dropped a sitter off Bennett on An unfazed Bennett rushed to his century in the next over after hitting three straight boundaries against pacer Gus Atkinson Trent Bridge stood to applaud Bennett s maiden ton and the fastest test century by a Zimbabwean in balls But Zimbabwe hopes of sighting the follow-on target of were ruined by a double strike by Stokes in his first bowling stint in six months He got Raza to nick behind and bowled Wessly Madhevere to have - off overs By tea Zimbabwe was - and Bennett was steaming at off balls but running out of partners with teammate Richard Ngavara unavailable after suffering a back spasm on Thursday Bennett was undone when he popped a Josh Tongue delivery to Pope at short leg Bennett s off balls included runs in boundaries He received another standing ovation Bashir returned to help wrap up the extra-short tail and took - Forced to follow on with overs left in the day Zimbabwe s first-innings leaders were both removed for the second time in the day Bennett by Atkinson leg before on and Ervine caught at short leg on AP cricket https apnews com hub cricket Source