Credits: X
Former Zimbabwe skipper Sean Williams, along with current skipper Craig Ervine and Brian Bennett came up with respective centuries to help their side post the highest score in first Test against Afghanistan. Not only this, but it was the third instance in their history when the Cheverons had three centurions in their playing XI. The side thrashed the Afghanistan bowlers at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo to register their highest Test score. With their total of 586 in the first Test of the series, they surpassed 563/9 (D), which they had posted against the West Indies in Harare in 2001.
Zimbabwe rode on the brilliant centuries by Sean Williams, Craig, and Bennett to post their mammoth total. While Williams posted 154 off 174, Craig hit 104 runs off 176 deliveries. On the other hand, Bennett remained unbeaten on 110 off 124 balls. Williams also became the second-oldest Zimbabwean after Dave Houghton to hit a Test ton. On the other hand, Bennett became the second-youngest player from Zimbabwe to score a Test hundred after Hamilton Masakadza. The 21-year-old made his debut against Ireland earlier this year, where he could come up with only 18 runs across two innings.
Craig Ervine etches name in history books with century in first Test
As Craig came up with his century on the second day of the Test against Afghanistan, he became the third oldest player to smash a Test hundred in the 21st century. Ervine hit his fourth Test hundred at the age of 39 years and 130 days. He became the third player after Pakistan’s Misbah-ul-Haq and West Indies’ Shivnarine Chanderpaul to come up with a hundred in the longest format. Apart from them, Ben Curran and Takudzwanashe Kaitano came up with the knocks of 68 runs and 46 runs, respectively.
Speaking of Ervine, he hit 104 runs with a combination of 10 boundaries off 176 balls. He now has 1,448 runs from 22 Tests at the average of 35.31. This was his fourth hundred, and his previous hundreds came against Sri Lanka, New Zealand, and Bangladesh. Moreover, with his knock, he moved past the 7,000 run mark in First Class cricket, and now has 7,023 runs from 94 matches in 168 innings.
