Fans react as Craig Ervine scores record-breaking century on Day 5 of AFG vs ZIM 1st Test

Nov 9, 2026

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Craig Ervine scores century

Craig Ervine delivered a memorable performance in the first Test against Afghanistan, scoring an unbeaten century to put Zimbabwe in a commanding position on the final day. The 41-year-old left-hander showed tremendous composure on a deteriorating Sharjah surface, frustrating the Afghan bowling attack with a disciplined batting display.

Ervine’s knock also carried significant historical importance, as he became the oldest Test centurion in Zimbabwe’s history. His performance, which helped Zimbabwe move towards a draw after a high-scoring contest, attracted attention from cricket fans.

Craig Ervine becomes Zimbabwe’s oldest-ever Test centurion

Ervine produced a composed unbeaten century in Zimbabwe’s second innings after the visitors had struggled early in their innings. The left-hander remained unbeaten on 100, striking 16 boundaries and two sixes to guide his team through a challenging phase against Afghanistan’s spin attack. His ability to rotate the strike and find boundaries ensured that Zimbabwe maintained control during the final day’s play.

The defining moment of his innings came through a 140-run partnership with debutant Antum Naqvi. The pair frustrated Afghanistan’s bowlers across the final day, steadily extending Zimbabwe’s lead and leaving the hosts with little opportunity to force a result. Ervine’s century made him the oldest Test centurion in Zimbabwe’s history and the second-oldest player overall to achieve the milestone in men’s Test cricket.

Zimbabwe recover after Afghanistan take first-innings lead

The first Test witnessed a major batting effort from both sides, with Zimbabwe posting 504 in their first innings. Brendan Taylor scored 131, while Brian Bennett contributed 128 to help the visitors register a commanding total. Afghanistan responded with 514, taking a narrow 10-run lead after centuries from Sediqullah Atal and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, while captain Rahmat Shah led the innings with 173.

Newman Nyamhuri was Zimbabwe’s standout bowler, claiming his maiden five-wicket haul with figures of 5/82. However, Afghanistan’s first-innings advantage put pressure on Zimbabwe, who lost their opening batters early in their second innings after Zia-ur-Rehman struck twice. Taylor then steadied the innings with 82, while captain Bennett added 58 to rebuild the innings. Ervine carried that momentum forward alongside Naqvi, helping Zimbabwe reach 375/5 and extend their overall lead to 365 runs by the final day.

Ervine’s century puts Zimbabwe in control

With Zimbabwe establishing a substantial lead and little time remaining, Afghanistan faced a difficult task to force a victory. Ervine’s unbeaten century and his partnership with Naqvi ensured that the visitors could dictate the closing stages of the contest rather than take unnecessary risks.

The high-scoring encounter at Sharjah Cricket Stadium ultimately ended in a draw, with both teams unable to secure a decisive result. The two sides will now turn their attention to the second Test at the same venue, where Afghanistan will look to make better use of their batting performances and Zimbabwe will aim to carry forward the confidence gained from Ervine’s historic knock.

Also WATCH: Saleem Safi cleans up Brian Bennett with a beauty on Day 5 of AFG vs ZIM 1st Test

Here’s how fans reacted:

Also WATCH: Zia-ur-Rehman takes a stunning diving catch to dismiss Brian Bennett in AFG vs ZIM 1st Test

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