Sean Williams joins Misbah, Chanderpaul in rare list of Test centurions

Zimbabwe’s Sean Williams joined a famed list of only nine cricketers to score a Test century at the age of 38 or more in the 21st century. Williams, who achieved the feat during the country’s first-ever Boxing Day Test since 1996, was 38 years and 91 days old when he smashed the ton against Afghanistan on December 26 (Thursday) at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo. 

Among other batters to have scored a Test hundred after turning 38 in this century (since 2000) are the Pakistan duo of Misbah-ul-Haq and Younis Khan, the Indian pair of Rahul Dravid and Ravichandran Ashwin, West Indies’ Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Australia’s Steve Waugh, England’s Alec Stewart and South Africa’s Jacques Kallis. 

While Misbah scored seven of his 10 Test tons after turning 38, Chanderpaul added five of his 25 Test centuries after reaching the age of 38. India’s Dravid, too, hammered five Test hundreds after turning 38. However, only David Houghton and Williams have slammed Test tons for Zimbabwe after turning 38. 

Williams is the second-oldest Zimbabwean to score a Test century behind Houghton, who hit a Test century at 38 years and 211 days against New Zealand in Auckland in 1996. His maiden Test ton came at the age of 35 against India. Williams, who was unbeaten on 145 at the end of the day’s play in Bulawayo, has a chance to convert that hundred into his maiden double ton when the play begins on Day 2 with Zimbabwe in a strong position at 363/4.