Craig Ervine Scores Unbeaten 206 at 41 to Become Third-Oldest Test Double Centurion

Zimbabwe's Craig Ervine scored an unbeaten 206 on the final day of the first Test against Afghanistan in Sharjah on Monday, November 9. He is 41. That makes him the third-oldest batter to score a Test double century. The match ended in a draw.

Ervine faced 279 balls and hit 22 fours and two sixes. He reached 200 with a boundary off Abdul Malik in the 119th over. At the time he was 41 years and 82 days old. Only South Africa's Eric Rowan and England's Jack Hobbs have scored a Test double hundred at an older age.

It was Ervine's first Test double century. He is also only the fifth Zimbabwean to score one. His maiden Test hundred came back in 2016, when he made an unbeaten 115 against New Zealand in Bulawayo.

Zimbabwe started the last day on 164 for 3. Brian Bennett was dismissed for 58 early on. Ervine then added 140 runs with debutant Antum Naqvi, who made 61, before Malik broke the stand.

Wessly Madhevere then joined Ervine. The pair put on an unbroken 208 runs for the sixth wicket, a Zimbabwe record for that wicket. Madhevere finished on 100 not out, his maiden Test hundred. Zimbabwe ended the day on 523 for 5.

That total came with a team record. Zimbabwe scored 504 in the first innings, so they became the first team in Test history to score over 500 runs in both innings of a match. The first-innings runs were led by Brendan Taylor, who made 131 and was named Player of the Match. Bennett added 128. The game produced six centuries in all, including Ervine's double.

Afghanistan's bowlers got little help from the pitch. Zimbabwe batted for the whole last day to save the Test comfortably.

The second Test of the series starts on November 13 and runs until November 17.