Brendan Taylor Century Puts Zimbabwe on Top
Brendan Taylor hit 131, his first Test century in eight years, as Zimbabwe reached 326 for five on the opening day of the first Test against Afghanistan in Sharjah on Thursday.
The 40-year-old struck 14 fours and four sixes in a 168-ball innings that carried Zimbabwe from a solid start to a commanding position. It was his seventh Test century, and it made him the oldest Zimbabwe batter to score a Test hundred, and the second-oldest player to register a Test hundred since the start of the century.
Zimbabwe captain Brian Bennett, leading the side in Tests for the first time, was unbeaten on 71 at stumps, with all-rounder Wessly Madhevere on 29. The pair will resume on Friday with Zimbabwe aiming for a mammoth first-innings total in the first Test of the two-match series.
Brendan Taylor century ends eight-year wait
Taylor walked out at No. 3 after openers Innocent Kaia and Ben Curran had put on 60 for the first wicket. Kaia fell to Qais Ahmad for 34 off 51 balls in the 17th over, and Taylor kept the momentum with a 65-run stand for the second wicket with Curran, who made a cautious 42 off 113 deliveries.
The defining passage came next. Taylor and Bennett added 137 runs for the third wicket, carrying Zimbabwe from 125 for two to 262. Taylor reached his fifty off 67 balls and his hundred off 135, shortly after tea, upper-cutting Mohammad Saleem for four. He kept attacking after the milestone and finished with 80 of his 131 runs in boundaries.
Hashmatullah Shahidi finally broke the stand in the 69th over, having Taylor caught by Zia-ur-Rehman at long-off. Zimbabwe then lost two wickets in quick succession as Zia-ur-Rehman sent back Craig Ervine for four and Antum Naqvi for nine, and the side slipped to 287 for five.
Bennett stood firm through the brief collapse and found support from Madhevere. The pair added an unbeaten 39 runs to push Zimbabwe past 300 before stumps, after 87 overs. Zia-ur-Rehman was the pick of the Afghan bowlers with two wickets for 118 runs in 30 overs, while Shahidi, Qais and Saleem took one wicket each.
A comeback century at 40
The innings meant more than the runs. Taylor said after play that this was his fourth Test since returning to the side, and that a lot of hard work had gone into getting back to this level. His previous Test century had come about eight years earlier, and the knock in Sharjah was a reminder of the class that once made him Zimbabwe’s most reliable batter.
At 40, he batted with the freedom of a much younger man. He drove the seamers through the covers, swept the spinners, and cleared the ropes four times. Afghanistan’s bowlers had no answer while he was at the crease, and the 137-run stand with Bennett set the tone for the day.
The series is the other Test cricket in the region this week, and it comes just as Pakistan prepares for its own home Tests. Sri Lanka arrive in Rawalpindi for a two-Test series starting on November 9, after a warm-up game against a PCB Patron’s XI in Islamabad. Pakistan have shaken up their Test squad for the Sri Lanka series, and the PCB has announced ticket prices for the Rawalpindi Tests.
Pakistan’s own recent Test form has had its bright spots. Arafat Minhas was named the ICC Player of the Month for October, while Mohammad Rizwan struck a double century in the domestic first-class competition. Taylor’s innings in Sharjah is a reminder that experience still counts in the longest format, and that a 40-year-old returning to the side can still shape a Test match on day one.
Zimbabwe won the toss and chose to bat first at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. The match runs from November 5 to 9, and Afghanistan will need early wickets on Friday to keep Zimbabwe’s total within reach.
Frequently asked questions
How many runs did Brendan Taylor score?
Taylor scored 131 off 168 balls, with 14 fours and four sixes. It was his seventh Test century and his first in eight years.
What is Zimbabwe’s score?
Zimbabwe reached 326 for five at stumps on day one, after 87 overs. Captain Brian Bennett was unbeaten on 71 and Wessly Madhevere was on 29.
How old is Brendan Taylor?
Taylor is 40. He became the oldest Zimbabwe batter to score a Test hundred, and the second-oldest player to register a Test hundred since the start of the century.
When does the series finish?
The first Test runs from November 5 to 9 at Sharjah Cricket Stadium. It is the first of a two-match series between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe.
