NOTTINGHAM, May 22 (V7N) – England and Zimbabwe are poised to face each other in a Test match today, marking their first encounter in the longest format of the game in over two decades. The four-day Test is scheduled to commence at 4:00 PM Bangladesh time (11:00 AM local time) at Trent Bridge in Nottingham. The last bilateral Test series between the two nations was during Zimbabwe's tour of England in 2003, which England won 2-0.

Zimbabwe, currently ranked 12th and last in the Test rankings, is eager to make history against their English counterparts. Captain Craig Ervine expressed the team's excitement, stating, "We are facing England after 22 years. There is extra excitement among everyone about this Test." He added, "We have never won a Test match against England. This time we want to make history. We want to give birth to something new. We will go to the field with the aim of winning."

Despite Zimbabwe's ranking, England's coach Brendon McCullum emphasized that his team is not taking them lightly. "Zimbabwe did well in the last Test series. So there's no point in taking them lightly. We'll be careful and try to play according to our plan," McCullum said, indicating a respectful approach from the English side.

Squads for the Match:

England XI: Ben Stokes (captain), Jack Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Jamie Smith (wicketkeeper), Gus Atkinson, Sam Cook, Josh Tang, and Shoaib Bashir.

Zimbabwe Squad: Craig Ervine (captain), Brian Bennett, Ben Curran, Trevor Gwandu, Clive Madande, Wesley Madhevere, Wellington Masakadza, Blessing Mujarabani, Richard Ngarava, Newman Namhuri, Victor Nyuchi, Sikandar Raja, Tafadjawao Siga, Nicholas Welch, and Sean Williams.

Historically, England and Zimbabwe have played three Test series: in 1996, 2000, and 2003, totaling six matches. England has won three of these matches, while three Tests ended in a draw. Zimbabwe has yet to secure a Test victory against England.

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