Nottingham, May 22 (IANS) Experienced batter Joe Root scored 34 on the opening day of the lone Test against Zimbabwe and in the process became the fastest batter to reach 13,000 runs in red-ball cricket here on Thursday.

Root reached the milestone of 13,000 runs, becoming only the fifth batter ever to do so in his 153rd Test, scoring 13,006 runs in 279 innings at an average of 50.80. He has scored 36 hundreds and 65 half-centuries with a highest score of 262.

Root is fifth in the list of most run scorers in the history of the game behind Sachin Tendulkar (15921), Ricky Ponting (13378), Jacques Kallis (13289) and Rahul Dravid (13288). The 34-year-old Root is the highest scorer for England in red-ball cricket, with Alistair Cook second with 12472 runs in 134 matches.

Root’s contribution was a small part of England’s massive score of 498/3 in 88 overs at the stumps. The hosts rode on centuries by Zak Crawley (124), Ben Duckett (140), and Ollie Pope (169 not out) and piled on a huge score at the end of the first day of proceedings against a Zimbabwe bowling that looked totally outclassed.

Crawley and Duckett gave England a superb start with a 231-run partnership for the opening wicket as England scored at a break-neck pace. They went for lunch at 130 for no loss in 26 overs.

Duckett stormed to a run-a-ball century, reaching the milestone in 100 balls, his knock laced with 15 boundaries. Crawley reached his century next, off 145 balls, hitting 12 fours in the process. The evening session saw Ollie Pope reach his hundred in just 109 balls, hitting 14 fours and one six. He shared a 137-run partnership for the second-wicket partnership as England piled on the runs.

Crawly was trapped lbw by Sikandar Raza and Root, who came in next, failed to make merry of a wicket good for batting as he could manage only 34 runs before top-edging to Sean Williams, undone by the extra bounce off Blessing Muzarabani. Pope was batting on 169 at stumps on Day 1, with Harry Brook 9 not out.

Brief scores:

England 498/3 in 88 overs (Ollie Pope 169 not out, Zak Crawley 124, Ben Duckett 140; Wessly Madhevere 1-34, Sikandar Raza 1-93) against Zimbabwe.

–IANS

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