Yesterday, Sean Williams scored a century. On the second day of the Boxing Day Test in Bulawayo against Afghanistan, Craig Ervine and Brian Bennett followed suit with centuries of their own.
With these three centuries, Zimbabwe posted 586 runs in their first innings, their highest total in a single innings in Test cricket. In response, Afghanistan ended the day at 95 for 2, still trailing by 491 runs.
Zimbabwe began the second day at 363 for 4. Williams, unbeaten on 145 overnight, was eventually dismissed for a career-best 154. Captain Ervine notched up his fourth Test century, while Bennett registered his maiden Test hundred. Bennett reached his century off just 121 balls and remained unbeaten on 110. This marks only the third time in Zimbabwe’s Test history that three batters have scored centuries in the same innings.
For Afghanistan, Allah Ghazanfar was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3 wickets for 127 runs.
In their first innings, Afghanistan lost openers Sediqullah Atal and Abdul Malik. Rahmat Shah remains unbeaten on 49, and skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi, on 16, will join him at the crease tomorrow on the third day.
Brief Scores:
Zimbabwe 1st Innings: 586 all out in 135.2 overs
(Williams 154, Bennett 110*, Ervine 104; Ghazanfar 3/127)
Afghanistan 1st Innings: 95/2 in 30 overs
(Rahmat 49*, Malik 23, Shahidi 16*; Muzarabani 1/15, Gwande 1/16)
End of Day 2.
