Zimbabwe register their highest total in Tests

Zimbabwe smashed Afghanistan to all parts at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo to register their highest Test score. They scored 586 in the first Test of the series, surpassing the 563/9 (declared) they'd racked up against the West Indies in Harare in 2001.

Zimbabwe rode on centuries from Sean Williams (154), skipper Craig Ervine (104) and Brian Bennett (110*) to register the mammoth total. During his innings, Williams became the second-oldest Zimbabwean after Dave Houghton to hit a Test ton. 

Bennett (21y 46d), on the other hand, became the second-youngest Zimbabwean player to score a Test century after Hamilton Masakadza (17y 352d). The 21-year-old made his debut against Ireland in Belfast earlier this year, where he managed just 18 runs across two innings.

This is also just the third instance of three Zimbabwe players scoring a century in an innings. The last time was in 2001 when Trevor Gripper (112), Andy Flower (114*) and Craig Wishart (114) scored tons against Bangladesh in Chattogram. Before that, it was against Pakistan in 1995 when the Flower brothers Andy (201*) and Grant (156) hit tons along with Guy Whittall (113*).

Zimbabwe have not won a Test in over three years. In fact, their last win in the format also came against Afghanistan, which was played in Abu Dhabi in March 2021. Since then, they have lost six and drawn one.