Chevrons break Test records

Brandon Moyo-Zimpapers Sports Hub

LED by three centurions, Zimbabwe broke records on Day Two of the historic Boxing Day Test against Afghanistan at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo.

The Chevrons began Day Two on 363/4 and ended their innings on a mammoth 586 runs from 135.2 overs.

The 586 runs scored over the five sessions of batting became their highest ever total in Test cricket, surpassing the previous best of 563/9 (declared) against the West Indies in Harare in 2001.

For the first time in Test history, Zimbabwe had three players score centuries in the same innings.

Sean Williams, captain Craig Ervine, and young Brian Bennett were the key contributors, leading Zimbabwe to their highest total in red-ball cricket.

Williams resumed day two on 145 runs, while Ervine was on 56.

The hometown hero, Williams, went on to score a career-best 154 runs from 174 balls. 

Following his departure, Bennett came in to bat at number seven.

Ervine reached his fourth Test century in the 109th over, taking 167 balls to bring up three figures. 

It was his first century in four years, his last being 107 runs against Bangladesh in Mirpur in 2020. 

The captain fell soon after his milestone, falling for 104 runs off 176 balls.
Two balls later, Brandon Mavuta was bowled for a duck, leaving Zimbabwe on 465/7 in 110.3 overs.

At that point, Bennett was on 42 runs, closing in on his maiden Test half-century.

He was joined by debutant Newman Nyamhuri, who chipped in with 26 runs off 38 balls.

Bennett soon found himself running out of partners as tail-enders fell at the other end. 

When Muzarabani walked back to the pavilion, Bennett was on 78, and he managed to hold on, with another debutant, Trevor Gwandu, batting at number 11.

Zimbabwe passed their highest Test score in the 134th over, when they reached 566/9, with Bennett needing four more runs to bring up his century.

He achieved the milestone with a six, though the shot nearly resulted in his dismissal.

The fielder managed to catch Bennett’s pull shot but stepped on the boundary rope while holding onto the ball.

Bennett’s brilliant innings included five fours, four sixes, 39 singles, and 11 twos. 

At 21, he became the second-youngest player to score a Test century for Zimbabwe, behind only Hamilton Masakadza, who achieved the feat at 17.

Bennett finished on an unbeaten 110 runs off 124 balls.

Afghanistan’s debutant AM Ghazanfar was the pick of the bowlers, finishing with figures of 3/127 from 30.2 overs, while Naveed Zadran, Zahir Khan, and Zia-ur-Rehman took two wickets apiece.

Following Zimbabwe’s innings, there was a slight rain delay, but play resumed promptly after an early tea. 

The Chevrons made a brilliant start with the ball, as Gwandu picked up his maiden Test wicket, dismissing Sediqullah Atal for three runs off six balls leaving the visitors on 3/1 in 1.5 overs.

At stumps, Afghanistan were on 95/2 from 30 overs, trailing by 491 runs.

Muzarabani had claimed the other wicket, dismissing Abdul Malik for 23 runs off 55 balls.

Bad light forced play to be called off with nine overs remaining in the day.