Alec Stewart and Anthony McGrath scored unbeaten half-centuries to restore some semblance of sanity to England's performance as they reached 298 for five against Zimbabwe after the first day of the second test.
The pair compiled 142 without major alarm after Douglas Hondo had turned the game on its head by taking three middle-order wickets in an 11-ball spell during the afternoon.
Stewart, aged 40 and in his 128th match, and McGrath, in only his second, stuck to the basics after England, 1-0 up in the two-match series, slumped from 109 for one to 156 for five.
Stewart finished with 67 and his partner, who made 69 in his debut innings at Lord's, was one run ahead of him as they rattled along at more than four runs an over.
The former England skipper, who passed David Gower's 8,231 test runs during his innings to go eighth in the all-time list of run scorers, said: "It's something to go past names like Gower and Geoff Boycott. It gives you an extra reason to carry on.
"A lot has been written (about whether he should carry on playing for England) but all I've done is make myself available."