Under the heavy sky, it was a fair decision for Zimbabwe to insert the home team. Stokes said he would have done the same.
But after Duckett slammed left-armer Ngarava through the covers for four in the first over of the match, it was a run-scoring procession.
Zimbabwe’s attack, including imposing seamer Blessing Muzarabani, were incapable of applying any sort of pressure. Feasting on a plethora of loose deliveries, England scored at well above five an over without breaking sweat.
Duckett, on his home ground, was the aggressor, whipping into the leg side when the tourists drifted on to his pads.
After a wretched tour of New Zealand just before Christmas, Crawley was more measured, but still leaned into handsome cover drives when Zimbabwe overpitched.
Left-hander Duckett’s fifth Test century came from exactly 100 deliveries. He had just hoiked off-spinner Wesley Madhevere for his second six when he slapped the same bowler to short cover.
Pope was immediately into his stride, 31 runs the most he has ever taken from the first 20 balls of a Test innings.
When Crawley reached three figures, it was his first Test century since the all-time great 189 against Australia in the fourth Ashes Test of 2023. The second-wicket pair shared 137 until Crawley, struggling with a hip problem, was lbw sweeping spinner Sikandar Raza.
Pope peppered the off-side boundary, often with cuts and occasional cheeky deflections over the slips. His eighth Test hundred came against an eighth different opponent. Australia are the only team he has failed to reach three figures against.
Joe Root replaced Crawley and became the fifth batter to reach 13,000 Test runs when he moved to 33, then pulled Muzarabani to long leg. Pope pushed on against the second new ball, the highlight being an impudent flick over fine leg for six off Victor Nyauchi.
England went past the most number of runs scored on the opening day of a Test in this country, 475 by Don Bradman’s Australians in 1934, though fell short of their own worldwide first-day record of 506, set in the famous first Test against Pakistan in Rawalpindi in 2022.
