Zimbabwe’s 21-year-old batsman Brian Bennett created history on Friday after scoring his country’s fastest Test century during the one-off Test against England at Trent Bridge.
Bennett scored his century in just 97 balls as he led Zimbabwe’s charge against England’s mammoth total of 565/6.
In fact, Bennett reached the milestone during the second session of Day 2 with a hat trick of fours against England fast bowler Gus Atkinson.
This was Zimbabwe’s first Test centurion in England after 25 years. Murray William Goodwin was the previous Zimbabwe batter to reach three figures in England. He scored an unbeaten 148 in 2000, incidentally at the same venue of Trent Bridge.
Stokes makes sensational return
Meanwhile, England’s Test skipper has made a memorable return to Test cricket after a lengthy injury layoff.
The fast-bowling all-rounder picked up two wickets in his first two overs as he put on an outswinging masterclass with the ball in the final few overs leading up to the Tea break.
Leading up to the match, there were concerns about Stokes’s return to bowling, but the England captain didn’t need much time to get into rhythm.
He first picked up the wicket of the dangerous Sikandar Raza with a brutal delivery.
Bending into the right-hander, Stokes’s outswinging delivery found some lift from a good-length spot, and it squared Raza inside-out for a simple snick to wicketkeeper Jamie Smith. Watch below
Movement for Stokes
According to live commentary from the BBC, Stokes found 1.6° of swing and 0.8° of seam movement within his first 8 balls of his spell, which was comfortably the most movement in the air and off the pitch for any pace bowler in the Test match at that point of the game.
Stokes followed up Raza’s wicket with another peach of a delivery to get Wessly Madhevere castled for a duck.
After peppering Madhevere with outswing after outswing, the Zimbabwe batsman played a delivery outside the line. The ball kissed the inside edge of the bat and rattled the stumps as the Zimbabwe batsman was undone by the movement.
Former England fast bowler Stuart Broad, who is on commentary duty for the Test match, said Stokes promised him that he wouldn’t bowl a spell longer than five overs as he makes his way back from surgery.
He kept his promise as he bowled 3.2 overs and made a sensational impact before umpires called for Tea.
While Bennet made history for Zimbabwe with a brilliant ton, the spotlight was on Stokes, who was making his much-anticipated return to Test cricket ahead of two important series.
England first hosts India for five Tests starting June 20 before they embark on a gruelling Ashes series down under in Australia later this year.
