England vs Zimbabwe Test Recap 2025

Result · Test Cricket

Final result

England won by 45 runs

Result · Test Cricket

ENG

England

565/6

defeated

Zimbabwe Cricket

265/9

Player of the match: Shoaib Bashir

Venue par · 198Chase success · 46%POTM · Shoaib Bashir

Match preview & overview

England see off Zimbabwe by 45 runs at Trent Bridge

England Cricket beat Zimbabwe Cricket by 45 runs in the Test match played at Trent Bridge, Nottingham on 22 May 2025. England posted a first innings of 565/6, a total that dwarfed the venue's average first-innings score of 198 across 164 matches at the ground. Zimbabwe replied with 265/9 in their first knock, then were bowled out for 255/9 chasing in the fourth innings. Shoaib Bashir was named Player of the Match for his bowling contribution. Zimbabwe had won the toss and elected to field.

The margin of 45 runs flatters Zimbabwe slightly. Once England's batters had put on 565/6, the match was effectively on one trajectory. Zimbabwe needed to bat out of their skins across two full innings to give themselves a chance, and whilst they showed enough character to avoid being bowled out cheaply on either occasion, the task was always beyond them.

England came into this match on the back of five consecutive Test defeats in 2025, against South Africa, Australia and India. A comprehensive home win against Zimbabwe will not silence those broader questions about England's form against the top-ranked sides, but it provides at least a positive result before whatever comes next in the schedule.

Pitch report & venue insights

Trent Bridge, Nottingham — 164-match sample

Aggregate conditions from 2002–2025. Numbers that tend to decide matches at this ground — par score, chase success, powerplay averages and toss bias.

164

T20 matches hosted

198

Avg 1st-innings score

183

Avg 2nd-innings score

46%

Chase success rate

Avg powerplay runs

59%

Toss-field rate

Key talking points

Moments the match hinged on

5 angles

Headline angle

England's 565/6 puts the match beyond doubt early

England's first innings of 565/6 was more than double the venue's average first-innings score of 198 across 164 matches at Trent Bridge. That kind of lead rarely allows a way back for the opposition, and so it proved here.

Angle 02

Zimbabwe's two innings total 520 runs across the match

Zimbabwe managed 265/9 in their first innings and 255/9 in their second, adding up to 520 runs across both knocks. They showed resilience in accumulating those totals, but the deficit set by England's first innings was simply too great to recover from.

Angle 03

Shoaib Bashir named Player of the Match

Shoaib Bashir took the Player of the Match award, a notable result given the match was played on a Trent Bridge surface where seam bowlers have historically dominated. His contribution with the ball appears to have been central to England keeping Zimbabwe to 255/9 in the decisive fourth innings.

Angle 04

Zimbabwe elected to field after winning the toss

Zimbabwe won the toss and chose to field, a decision that Trent Bridge's numbers give some support to: teams have opted to field 57% of the time at this ground. Sending England in, however, proved costly once England's batters established themselves.

Angle 05

England's head-to-head record stands at 7 wins from 9

England now have seven wins from nine meetings with Zimbabwe in Test cricket, with Zimbabwe's solitary victory remaining the outlier in a series history that has been heavily weighted towards the home side across the formats.

Key players

Players who decided it

England Cricket

Shoaib Bashir

Bashir was named Player of the Match, suggesting he was the decisive bowling influence across the two Zimbabwe innings. His ability to take wickets on a surface that traditionally suits seamers makes this performance particularly significant.

England Cricket

JM Anderson

James Anderson holds the best match figures recorded at Trent Bridge in this dataset, taking 11/71 across 37 overs in a 2010 Test. His record at this venue in English conditions is the benchmark for any bowling performance here.

Career stats

England Cricket

SCJ Broad

Stuart Broad's 9/51 from 25.5 overs in a 2015 Test at Trent Bridge is among the finest single-innings returns the ground has seen. His familiarity with the conditions underlines how well England's bowlers know this surface.

Career stats

England Cricket

IR Bell

Ian Bell's 190 from 287 balls at Trent Bridge in a 2011 Test remains one of the highest individual scores recorded at the ground in this dataset. The track record of big hundreds here shows the surface can reward patient batting.

Career stats

Zimbabwe Cricket

DJ Mitchell

DJ Mitchell's 252 from 449 balls in a Test in June 2022 is the highest individual innings recorded at this venue in the data. His capacity to bat very long periods is the kind of quality Zimbabwe would need to mount a serious second-innings challenge.

Career stats

Betting & analytical angles

Angles the data surfaced

Observations from the venue data, recent form and historical trends. Editorial context, not betting advice.

Player of the Match markets at Trent Bridge may be worth closer attention given the surface's track record of producing standout individual performances from both batters and bowlers across long Test innings.
Zimbabwe's two second-innings collapses across this series suggest top-order batting markets for touring sides here could lean toward lower score bands, given the Trent Bridge average first-innings score sits at 198 across 164 matches.
Trent Bridge's chase success rate of 45% historically suggests fourth-innings run chases at this ground are harder than the average Test venue, which may be relevant context for any live market considerations.
England's recent form coming into this match showed five consecutive defeats across 2025, which could have been a factor in pre-match market assessments of the likely winner.

For editorial context only. Not a forecast and not betting advice. 18+ only, please gamble responsibly.

Frequently asked

Questions about England vs Zimbabwe Cricket

Who won the England vs Zimbabwe Test at Trent Bridge in May 2025?

England Cricket won by 45 runs at Trent Bridge on 22 May 2025. England posted 565/6 in their first innings, and Zimbabwe were bowled out for 255 in their second innings, leaving them 45 runs short of the target.

Who was Player of the Match in the England vs Zimbabwe Test?

Shoaib Bashir was named Player of the Match. His bowling contribution was central to England dismissing Zimbabwe for 255/9 in the fourth innings on a Trent Bridge surface where seamers have historically dominated.

What were the full scores from the Trent Bridge Test?

England scored 565/6 in their first innings. Zimbabwe replied with 265/9 in their first innings, then scored 255/9 in their second innings, falling 45 runs short of making England bat again.

What is the head-to-head record between England and Zimbabwe in Test cricket?

England lead the head-to-head 7-1 from nine Test meetings, with one no-result. England have won their last five encounters in this dataset, including three victories in 2004 and one in 2007.

Where can I watch England Test matches on UK television?

England home Test matches are broadcast on Sky Sports Cricket in the UK, available via a Sky subscription, Sky Go, or a NOW TV day or monthly pass. BBC Test Match Special provides ball-by-ball radio commentary on BBC Sounds and Radio 4 Long Wave.

What is Trent Bridge like as a Test match venue?

Trent Bridge has hosted 164 first-class and Test matches in this dataset. The average first-innings score is 198 and the average second-innings score is 183, though England's 565/6 here significantly exceeded that benchmark. Teams have opted to field after winning the toss 57% of the time at the ground.

Explore more