By Jonathan Agnew BBC cricket correspondent

I doubt if Johnson will ever pick up six Test wickets as easily as this again

Another utterly feeble batting performance by Zimbabwe has ensured that Chester-le-Street's first experience of Test cricket will end both prematurely, and in anti-climax.

Nothing can excuse the manner in which they subsided to 37-7 in only 16 overs.

Although they showed a little more spirit second time around, the damage had already been done and is irreparable.

Richard Johnson has enjoyed a debut of which dreams are made.

He strode out to bat after Alec Stewart had been dismissed for 68 and Anthony McGrath 81, and thrashed 24 runs from only 14 balls, including four fours and a six.

This cameo encouraged Ashley Giles, who had been showing little inclination to get on with things, to open his shoulders, and he was last man out for exactly 50.

What followed was absolute mayhem.

Johnson was on a hat-trick in his first over, having trapped Mark Vermeulen and Stuart Carlisle lbw.

Grant Flower negotiated the hat-trick ball, but was soon following Dion Ebrahim back to the dressing room for eight, and Zimbabwe were 18-4.

Once again, it was the basic technique of the visitors that was lacking.

The batsmen were simply planting their front pad in front of their stumps, and playing with a crooked bat.

Therefore, rather than presenting the full width of the blade, they were trying to hit a ball travelling at 85mph with only an inch of wood.

Small wonder there were a world record seven lbws in the innings.

Test matches against inadequate opposition will become increasingly hard to sell both to the public and broadcasters

As a result it's difficult to offer an accurate assessment of Johnson's achievement.

He finished with 6-33 having done little more than bowl full and straight, leaving the batsmen to do the rest.

He did, though, plug away manfully into a strong breeze and worked up a decent head of steam.

I doubt if he will ever pick up six Test wickets as easily as this again.

The only Zimbabwean to show anything approaching the ability and technique one expects to see at this level was Tatenda Taibu.

The 20-year-old wicket-keeper batted with guts and poise to top score with 31.

The fact, though, is that Zimbabwe really do not look capable of competing with anyone other than Bangladesh, who lie below them in the Test championship table.

With so much international cricket being played, Test matches against inadequate opposition will become increasingly hard to sell both to the public and to broadcasters.

The correct balance has to be struck, or the true worth and attraction of Test cricket will be devalued.