Symbolic illustration of a floodlit cricket stadium at dusk in Sharjah, with wooden stumps and a red cricket ball on the green pitch and empty stands glowing under the lights.
Sports & Cricket
Taylor's 131 at 40 puts Zimbabwe on top in Sharjah Test
Brendan Taylor struck 131 at the age of 40 as Zimbabwe reached 326 for 5 on the opening day of the first Test against Afghanistan in Sharjah.
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Brendan Taylor struck 131 at the age of 40 as Zimbabwe reached 326 for 5 on the opening day of the first Test against Afghanistan in Sharjah.
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Brendan Taylor struck 131 at the age of 40 as Zimbabwe reached 326 for 5 on the opening day of the first Test against Afghanistan in Sharjah.
By StoryTimesNow News Desk — 05 November 2026, 9:04 PM IST
Illustration: stumps and a red ball at a floodlit Sharjah stadium at dusk. Taylor's 131 put Zimbabwe on top on day one. (Illustrative image)
Key Takeaways
What happened: Brendan Taylor made 131 off 168 balls as Zimbabwe closed on 326 for 5 at stumps on day one of the first Test against Afghanistan in Sharjah on Thursday, 5 November 2026.
Why it stands out: At 40, Taylor became the oldest Zimbabwe batter to score a Test hundred - his seventh, and his first in eight years.
What next: Play resumes on day two on Friday, 6 November, with captain Brian Bennett unbeaten on 71 and Wessly Madhevere on 29.
Introduction
Brendan Taylor rolled back the years with a superb 131 to put Zimbabwe in command on the opening day of the first Test against Afghanistan in Sharjah. The 40-year-old struck 14 fours and four sixes in his seventh Test century, his first in eight years, as the visitors closed on 326 for 5.
What Happened?
Zimbabwe made a steady start at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Thursday, but the day belonged to Taylor. He added 65 with Ben Curran for the second wicket, then took control with captain Brian Bennett in a 137-run stand that carried Zimbabwe from 125 for 2 to 262.
Taylor was 95 not out at tea, with Zimbabwe on 213 for 2, and reached his hundred shortly after the break. He kept attacking before his innings ended on 131 off 168 balls, a lofted drive off Hashmatullah Shahidi finding Zia-ur-Rehman at long-off.
Craig Ervine fell soon after Taylor, and one more wicket went down before the close, but Bennett held firm on 71 not out off 128 balls, with Wessly Madhevere on 29 off 31. Zia-ur-Rehman was the pick of the attack with two for 118.
Why Does This Matter?
Taylor's century is a landmark on several counts. Reports noted he became the oldest Zimbabwe batter to score a Test hundred, and the second-oldest batter to reach one since the start of the century. It was his seventh Test hundred, and his first in the format for eight years.
For Zimbabwe, it was also a statement of intent. Afghanistan swept the Twenty20 series 3-0 in Sharjah only days earlier, bowling them out for 79 in the final game on 1 November. A first-innings total past 325 shows how different this contest is.
For Taylor, the innings continues a remarkable late-career run. In his third stint in international cricket he scored a maiden Twenty20 international century, 123 off 54 balls against Botswana, in September 2025, and last month he passed Andy Flower as Zimbabwe's leading one-day international run-scorer.
Important Details
Match: Afghanistan vs Zimbabwe, 1st Test, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, 5-9 November 2026. Two-match series.
Day one score: Zimbabwe 326 for 5 in 87 overs. Brendan Taylor 131 (168 balls, 14 fours, 4 sixes); Brian Bennett 71 not out (128 balls); Wessly Madhevere 29 not out (31 balls).
Key partnership: 137 for the third wicket between Taylor and Bennett, off 200 balls, taking Zimbabwe from 125 for 2 to 262.
Earlier stand: Taylor and Ben Curran added 65 for the second wicket.
Dismissal: Taylor was caught by Zia-ur-Rehman off Hashmatullah Shahidi after a lofted drive to long-off.
Bowling: Zia-ur-Rehman two for 118 for Afghanistan.
Toss: Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat.
Background and Context
Taylor is one of Zimbabwe's most experienced cricketers, a former captain who has carried the batting for more than a decade. His return to the side has been one of the stories of the season.
On 17 October 2026, Taylor scored 81 against Bangladesh in Abu Dhabi to pass Andy Flower's 6,786 runs and become Zimbabwe's all-time leading one-day international run-scorer. His hundred in Sharjah adds a Test landmark to that record.
Afghanistan completed a 3-0 Twenty20 sweep in Sharjah on 1 November, but Zimbabwe have set the pace in the first Test of a two-match series, with the second to follow in the UAE.
What Happens Next?
Play resumes on day two on Friday, 6 November, with Bennett on 71 and Madhevere on 29. Zimbabwe will look to push past 400, while the hosts need early wickets to keep the total in check.
The Test runs until Monday, 9 November. A strong first-innings lead would put Zimbabwe in position to press for a win.
What Readers Should Know
Day one belonged to Taylor, but Zimbabwe are well placed at 326 for 5. The second morning will be decisive: a big stand for the sixth wicket would put the game firmly in Zimbabwe's hands.
FAQs
What is the score in the first Test between Afghanistan and Zimbabwe? Zimbabwe reached 326 for 5 in 87 overs at stumps on day one in Sharjah, with Brian Bennett unbeaten on 71 and Wessly Madhevere on 29.
How many did Brendan Taylor score? Taylor made 131 off 168 balls, with 14 fours and four sixes, before he was caught at long-off off Hashmatullah Shahidi.
What record did Taylor set? At 40, he became the oldest Zimbabwe batter to score a Test hundred. It was his seventh Test century and his first in eight years.
When does play resume in Sharjah? Day two begins on Friday, 6 November 2026, with Bennett and Madhevere resuming their unbroken stand.
Sources and Verification
The day-one score, Taylor's 131, the 137-run stand with Brian Bennett, and the stumps total are taken from the Cricbuzz match report and Cricket World coverage of 5 November 2026, cross-checked against The Sports Encounter, Newsday and the ESPNcricinfo live scorecard. One report's headline gave the score as 326 for 6; its own body and every other source give 326 for 5, which is used here. Sources differ on the balls Taylor needed for his hundred, so no figure is given. All sources were accessed on 5 November 2026.
This report is based on day-one match reports and live coverage published on 5 November 2026. Where sources disagreed on the day-one total, the scorecard figure of 326 for five is used, as noted above.
