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England humiliate Zimbabwe in first Test

England beat Zimbabwe by an innings and 209 runs in the first Test at Lords on Sunday to take a 1-0 lead in the two match series.

Zimbabwe failed to recover from the overnight 39-5 in their second innings and were bowled out in the afternoon session for 123. Bryan Strang top scored with 37.

Rain delayed the start of play on the fourth day until 2.10 pm local time.

Zimbabwe resumed on 39 for five, 293 runs short of an innings defeat, rain their only realistic chance of staving off defeat inside four days. Brian Murphy was 11 not out and Neil Johnson not out on 1.

Johnson was the first to go, when on nine he edged the 16th ball of the day, a good length delivery from Andy Caddick straight to Graeme Hick at second slip to leave Zimbabwe 49 for six.

Bowling initially from the Nursery End, Caddick obtained good lift and sharp swing, while at the Pavilion End, Darren Gough initially struggled to make the batsmen play as much as he would have wanted.

But the introduction of Ed Giddins, who had taken five wickets in the first innings, from the Nursery End provided England with their next breakthrough. Murphy, who had already edged Giddins short of Hick, offered no stroke against the Warwickshire paceman and was given out lbw for 14 by umpire Peter Willey.

It was a sad way for Murphy's 91 minutes of resistance to end. During his 63-ball innings he had shown good judgement in what to play and what to leave outside his off-stump, which could not be said for all his top-order teammates in either innings.

Two balls later Heath Streak was well-caught at third slip for a duck by Giddins's county colleague Nick Knight as Zimbabwe slid to 74 for eight, Giddins completing a double-wicket maiden in the 28th over.

Meanwhile, Guy Whittall was playing the occasional stylish stroke, his cover-driven four off Caddick the best of the lot.

After some entertainingly lusty boundaries from Strang, Whittall went next pushing forward to Caddick and caught at second slip by Hick for 23, Zimbabwe 92 for nine.

Now the only question was whether or not Zimbabwe would avoid becoming the 16th side in Test history to be dismissed for under 100 in each innings.

A magnificent extra-cover drive from Strang against Gough took them to 99. Next ball Strang gave himself an extravagant amount of room and late cut the Yorkshireman for a single.

Batting much like Gough himself Strang then got a lucky inside edge for four down to the pavilion railings, 13 runs coming off the over.

Last man Mpumelelo Mbangwa caught the mood, producing a textbook clip through midwicket for four against Caddick.

But the next ball he backed away like a true No 11 only to see the ball take the inside edge and beat Alec Stewart's despairing legside dive before it went for a far luckier boundary to fine leg.

The last-wicket pair gave a sparse crowd plenty of entertainment frequently going for and missing big hits.

But now and then they came off -- Strang hitting a tremendous backfoot drive against Gough through mid-off for four and two balls later advancing down the wicket to pull him for another boundary.

In between Gough hit Strang on the hands but it hardly seem to make any difference, Gough's two comeback overs from the Nursery End going for 23 runs.

It could not last and Caddick concluded the match bowling Mbangwa for eight after the ball appeared to deflect off the batsman's helmet.