Brendan Taylor ton puts Zimbabwe in control on opening day
Taylor and captain Brian Bennett added 137 runs for the third wicket as Zimbabwe finished the day at 326/5
Brendan Taylor struck a fine century to put Zimbabwe in a commanding position on the opening day of the one-off Test against Afghanistan in Sharjah. After winning the toss and electing to bat, the visitors finished the day on 326 for 5, with captain Brian Bennett unbeaten on 71 and Wessly Madhevere on 29 at stumps.
On a fine batting surface, Zimbabwe made a steady start, with Innocent Kaia and Ben Curran adding 60 for the opening wicket. Kaia was given an early reprieve when Zia-ur-Rehman dropped him at fine leg off Mohammad Saleem Safi in the seventh over, but he could not make the most of it, edging Qais Ahmad to slip for 34.
Taylor walked in at No.3 and quickly settled into the conditions, looking particularly assured against the spin. Curran, meanwhile, took a more measured approach, occupying the crease and gradually finding his rhythm. The pair added 65 for the second wicket before Curran was bowled by an excellent yorker from Saleem for 42.
Afghanistan had to wait until after Lunch for their next breakthrough, as Taylor and Bennett tucked in to feast on the batting conditions on offer. Both batters played positively, keeping the scoreboard moving and making the most of a surface that offered turn but was slow enough to allow them time to negotiate the spin. Their third-wicket stand yielded 137 runs and put Zimbabwe firmly on course for a sizeable first-innings total.
Taylor brought up his hundred shortly after Tea, continuing his fluent innings before falling for 131 off 168 balls. Having taken a liking to Rahmat Shah's bowling, he attempted one shot too many and holed out to long-off, giving Afghanistan a much-needed breakthrough. His innings included 14 fours and four sixes.
Afghanistan capitalised on Taylor's dismissal by striking twice more in quick succession, both wickets coming through spin. Zia-ur-Rehman Akbar dismissed Craig Ervine for 4 and debutant Antum Naqvi for 9, briefly putting Zimbabwe under pressure after they had looked set for a much bigger total.
Bennett, who is leading Zimbabwe in the absence of regular captain Richard Ngarava, continued to hold the innings together amid the late strikes. He remained unbeaten on 71 off 128 balls and added an unbroken 39 with Madhevere to take Zimbabwe to 326 for 5 when bad light brought an early end to the day's play.
Earlier in the day, Zimbabwe welcomed back 40-year-old Graeme Cremer to the Test fold after nearly nine years, having last played in December 2017. They'll hope he has more of a role to play in the fourth innings by when a little wear and tear ought to make the pitch tougher for batting.
Brief scores: Zimbabwe 326/5 (Brendan Taylor 131, Brian Bennett 71; Zia-ur-Rehman 2-118) vs Afghanistan
