‘Nottingham Knocked Us, But We Grew’: Ervine Finds Positives in England Drubbing
Craig Ervine isn’t licking his wounds after Zimbabwe’s tough re-entry into Test cricket, he’s already drawing up the positives.
After an innings-and-46-run defeat to England at Trent Bridge in their first red-ball appearance in over two years, the Chevrons captain returned home with more optimism than regret.
“The experience, on and off the field, I think was fantastic,” said Ervine after touching down in Harare over the weekend.
“Getting to play England, and doing it in front of a packed Trent Bridge, was something special. The atmosphere especially from the Zimbabwean fans really lifted the guys. It was electric.”
The solitary four-day Test saw Zimbabwe bundled out inside three days, but the bruising encounter was just one stop on a testing tour that also included a 138-run loss to a First-Class Counties XI in Leicester and a rain-affected draw behind closed doors against South Africa.
But for Ervine, it wasn’t about wins and losses, it was about exposure.
“We moved around quite a bit Leicester, Nottingham, then down south in Portsmouth. We even had a tour of Lord’s. I’ve been playing cricket for years and had never been to Lord’s — it was one of the biggest highlights for me personally.”
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Importantly, England didn’t treat it like a warm-up. They unleashed a full-strength lineup: Joe Root, Ben Stokes, Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, and Ollie Pope. Ervine welcomed it as a priceless test of character.
“It’s always good to play the best. It gives you a true sense of where you are, both as a group and as individuals.
“Their bowling attack was relentless, and for our batters, it was a real eye-opener.”
Zimbabwe’s slow start proved their undoing, with England racking up nearly 500 runs on Day 1.
“That’s an area we need to fix,” admitted Ervine.
“We have to start stronger in Tests. Once England got going like that, we were playing catch-up.”
Still, he praised the hunger and curiosity shown by the squad.
“Some of the guys were watching Root and Stokes closely — how they prepare, how they move in the nets.
“After the match, we were even invited into England’s dressing room. The lads asked questions, soaked in the environment — it was fantastic to see,” said Ervine, in comments reported by H-Metro.
With that experience now in their rear-view, the focus shifts to a high-stakes two-Test home series against South Africa, who are currently in England for the ICC World Test Championship final against Australia at Lord’s.
The Proteas head straight to Zimbabwe afterward, with the first Test set for June 28–July 2 and the second from July 6–10 both at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.
Ervine and the Chevrons may have taken a hit in Nottingham, but the fire’s clearly been lit.
