Ervine, Bennett tons help Zimbabwe retain control

Centuries from Craig Ervine and Brian Bennett put Zimbabwe in firm control of the first Test against Afghanistan in Bulawayo. After Sean Williams was dismissed for 154, Ervine and Bennett notched up three-figure scores to power Zimbabwe to their highest Test total - 586. In reply, Afghanistan were 95/2 at Stumps on Day 2, with Rahmat Shah unbeaten on 49.

Zimbabwe, who started the day at 363/4, lost overnight centurion Sean Williams early in the day. Williams got to his second 150-plus score and registered his career-best knock before he fell to the short-ball trap from Naveed Zadran. This ended a partnership worth 163 runs but Zimbabwe continued to pile on the agony for Afghanistan with Ervine and Brian Bennett adding to the total. The 39-year-old Ervine got to his fourth Test hundred and was involved in a good stand with Bennett as they powered Zimbabwe past 450.

Zia-ur-Rehman delivered a double strike by sending Ervine and Brandon Mavuta back in the same over, with Zimbabwe ending the first session on Day 2 at 471/7. Upon resumption, Bennett continued to deflate Afghanistan as he got to his maiden fifty-plus score in Test cricket and was supported well by debutant Newman Nyamhuri and Blessing Muzarabani in two 40-plus stands for the eighth and ninth wickets. Muzarabani's dismissal left Zimbabwe at 548/9, with Bennett batting on 79 and resting his hopes on another debutant, Trevor Gwandu, digging in and supporting him towards his maiden Test ton.

Bennett also struck a six off Zia-ur-Rehman, his second in the innings, en route to the 90s. When Zimbabwe got to 565 with Bennett's couple, they registered their highest Test total, going past 563 they scored against West Indies in Harare back in 2001. A short while later, Bennett thought he was a goner as he hit Naveed's delivery to the deep square leg fielder. But fortune favoured him as the fielder crossed the ropes after taking the catch, which added six more to Bennett's tally as he brought up his 100. He celebrated it with another six before Gwandu became the last to depart, leading into Tea.

Gwandu then delivered an early breakthrough, bagging his maiden Test wicket by having Sediqullah Atal bowled for 3. A steady partnership between Abdul Malik and Rahmat Shah followed, with the latter striking regular boundaries. Rahmat also had a lucky break, put down by Dion Myers at gully to deny Nyamhuri his first Test wicket. The fifty partnership was raised by the pair but Zimbabwe managed to tighten it up, bringing down the scoring rate with a few quiet overs, as they tried to build pressure on Afghanistan.

Eventually, the partnership worth 61 was broken when Muzarabani surprised Malik with a short delivery, having him caught at backward square leg. But with 15 overs left in the day's play, Zimbabwe were forced to use only spin as it became gloomy at the Queens Sports Park. Rahmat and Hashmatullah Shahidi capitalised on it with a few hits to the boundary: Rahmat struck a six and a four off Williams while Shahidi hit three fours off Mavuta before the players went off the field for bad light, with nine overs still left in the day.

Brief scores: Zimbabwe 586 (Sean Williams 154, Brian Bennett 110*, Craig Ervine 104; AM Ghazanfar 3-127) lead Afghanistan 95/2 (Rahmat Shah 49*; Blessing Muzarabani 1-15) by 491 runs.