Brian Bennett's Exceptional Knock (Source: @ZimCrickettv/x.com)
The red-ball thrills are back in the cricket world as England is crossing swords against Zimbabwe in a one-off Test. Amidst the English batting brilliance, Zimbabwe opener Brian Bennett grabbed the attention with his exceptional innings.
While batting in the first innings after England put on a massive total, Bennet steadied Zimbabwe’s ship with an exceptional ton. After this standout knock, let’s take a quick look at the journey that’s shaped his cricketing rise.
Who Is Brian Bennett?
Brian Bennet was born on November 10 in 2003. The aggressive top-order batter, along with remarkable spin skills, the all-rounder grabbed the attention with his cricket brilliance. He had an exceptional season in the U-19 World Cup that year and ended as Zimbabwe’s top run scorer with 273 runs.
He made his first debut in December 2022 against the Mashonaland Eagles as a concussion substitute and scored 28 runs. As success followed his way, he got his maiden T20I call-up in February 2023 and made his debut against Ireland. His much-anticipated Test debut came later, as the young all-rounder finally stepped onto the red-ball stage against Ireland in July 2024.
Within a short time span, he has been one of the strongest pillars of Zimbabwe’s lineup. In just 6 Tests, he scored 320 runs with 2 half-centuries and one century. His ODI journey is equally impressive, with 327 runs in 9 games. And in the fast-paced T20I format, he’s lit up the stage with 692 runs in 30 matches, smashing three half-centuries along the way.
Bennett’s Test Hundred Against England
After England put on a mammoth total while batting first, Zimbabwe faced an early setback after Ben Curran walked out early. But Brian Bennett tightened his grip to turn the tide. Showcasing sheer consistency, he smashed a thrilling hundred on the second day in just 97 deliveries. Making the moment more iconic, he smashed three consecutive boundaries to Gus Atkinson to reach the milestone.
Amidst the turmoil, he stood tall and played an exceptional innings of 139 runs in 143 balls with 26 boundaries. He recorded the quickest Test century ever by a Zimbabwean and became just the third player from his country to notch a hundred against England. Depending on his knock, Zimbabwe tried to fight back against the mighty England.
 "Poulomi Chakraborty")
