Nottingham: Zimbabwe’s opening batter Brian Bennett etched his name in the history books by scoring the fastest Test century for his country during the ongoing match against England at Trent Bridge.
After England declared their first innings at 565/6, thanks to centuries from Ben Duckett, Zak Crawley, and Ollie Pope, Zimbabwe faced a shaky start. They lost opener Ben Curran early with just 31 runs on the board.
However, Bennett showcased remarkable resistance and flair, reaching his century off just 97 balls, setting a new record for the fastest Test hundred by a Zimbabwean.
Previously, the record belonged to Sean Williams, who scored a century off 106 balls against New Zealand in 2016.
Bennett also became only the third Zimbabwean to score a Test century against England and the first in 25 years to do so. The last was Murray Goodwin, who remained unbeaten on 148 at the same venue in 2000.
This knock also marked Bennett’s second Test century, placing him in the top 10 list of Zimbabwean players with most Test centuries, led by Andy Flower with 12.
Zimbabwe was eventually bowled out for 265 in 63.2 overs, trailing England’s first-innings total by 300 runs. Bennett was the standout performer, scoring 139 off 133 balls, laced with 26 boundaries.
His innings not only salvaged Zimbabwe’s effort but also highlighted his growing stature in international cricket.
