![Craig Ervine century vs Afghanistan. [Source - Zimcricketv/X]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1794222322521_CraigErvine.jpg?type=hq)
Craig Ervine century vs Afghanistan. [Source - Zimcricketv/X]
Craig Ervine scored a magnificent century against Afghanistan on Day 5 of the ongoing first Test in Sharjah. He became the second-oldest player to score a Test hundred since 2000.
The left-hander brought up his fifth Test century in the second innings at 41 years and 82 days, also equalling Hamilton Masakadza's tally for the most Test centuries by a Zimbabwe batter.
Craig Ervine Becomes Zimbabwe's Oldest Test Centurion
Craig Ervine became Zimbabwe's oldest-ever Test centurion at 41 years and 82 days. He surpassed Brendan Taylor, who had earlier set the record with his 131-run knock in the first innings of this very Test.
Interestingly, Taylor scored his century against Afghanistan at 40 years and 272 days, becoming Zimbabwe's oldest-ever Test centurion at the time. Ervine has now surpassed his teammate with a superb second innings century.
In the overall list of oldest Test centurions since 2000, Ervine now sits second behind former Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq, who scored a century against England at Lord's in 2016 at 42 years and 47 days.
Rank | Player | Age |
|---|---|---|
1 | Misbah-ul-Haq | 42 years, 47 days |
2 | Craig Ervine | 41 years, 82 days |
3 | Brendan Taylor | 40 years, 272 days |
4 | Shivnarine Chanderpaul | 40 years, 31 days |
5 | Alec Stewart | 39 years, 68 days |
(Oldest Players to Score a Test Century Since 2000)
Craig Ervine Holds Zimbabwe's Second Innings Together With Fifth Test Century
Batting at No. 5, Craig Ervine walked in during a tricky situation after Zimbabwe lost three wickets for 120 runs. Afghanistan were looking to trigger a collapse and wrap things up quickly to have a shot at winning the test.
However, Ervine held his ground alongside Brian Bennett and Antum Naqvi, both of whom also registered half-centuries. The 41-year-old continued to build his innings and eventually reached three figures, an innings comprising of 11 fours.
Most Test Centuries for Zimbabwe
- 12 centuries – Andy Flowe
- 7 centuries – Brendan Taylor
- 6 centuries – Grant Flower and Sean Williams
- 5 centuries – Craig Ervine and Hamilton Masakadza
It was Ervine's fifth Test century, taking him level with Hamilton Masakadza for the most hundreds by a Zimbabwe batter. However, achieving the milestone at 41 years of age made the knock even more special.
