Centuries from Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley and Ollie Pope helped England plunder a record 498 runs on Thursday, the first day of the one-off four-day Test against Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge in Nottingham. 498 is the most runs scored by any team on the first day of the Test on England’s soil, bettering Australia’s previously-held record of 475 scored against England during the fifth Test at the Oval in London in 1934.
The most runs scored by any team on the first day of a Test also belong to England. During the first Test against Pakistan in 2022, England amassed 506 runs on Day 1 to break Australia’s record set in 1910, where they managed 494 against South Africa.
The most runs scored in a day in Test cricket is 588, managed by England and India on Day 2 of the Manchester Test in 1936.
On Thursday, Zimbabwe’s decision to bowl first after winning the toss turned costly right from the get-go when the openers stitched a fifty-run partnership in just 10.2 overs. In the next 10 overs, they managed 50 more runs. The pair added 231 for the opening wicket before Duckett was dismissed for 140 off 134.
Crawley also snapped his poor run in the Test — managing just 212 runs in his last eight Tests while averaging just 15.14 — scoring his fifth century in 54 Tests. He scored 124 off 171 and added 137 for the second wicket with Pope. The third wicket partnership was also above 100 between Pope and Joe Root, who became the fastest to 13000 Test runs during his 34-run innings.
Most runs on Day 1 of a Test
- 506 – England against Pakistan (Rawalpindi; 2022)
- 498 – England against Zimbabwe (Nottingham; 2025)
- 494 – Australia against South Africa (Sydney; 1910)
- 482 – Australia against South Africa (Adelaide; 2012)
- 475 – Australia against England (The Oval; 1934)
Most runs in one day in a Test
- 588 – England vs India – Day 2 – (Manchester; 1936)
- 522 – England against South Africa – Day 2 – (Lord’s; 1924)
- 509 – Sri Lanka against Bangladesh – Day 2 – (Colombo (PSS); 2002)
- 508 – England against South Africa – Day 3 – (The Oval; 1935)
- 506 – England against Pakistan – Day 1 – (Rawalpindi; 2022)