Zimbabwe Hundred Hero Brian Bennett Says Trent Bridge 'War Cries' Remind Him Of Home

Zimbabwe Hundred Hero Brian Bennett Says Trent Bridge 'War Cries' Remind Him Of Home (Image Source: AFP)

Zimbabwe's Brian Bennett said he felt as if he was back in Harare after a loyal band of travelling fans cheered him all the way to a record-breaking century in a one-off Test against England at Trent Bridge on Friday.

The opener, in what is Zimbabwe's first Test in England in 22 years, struck a sparkling 139 off just 143 balls, with over a hundred of those runs coming in boundaries.

And in reaching his century in 97 balls, Bennett broke the record for the fastest Test hundred by a Zimbabwe batsman that previously belonged to Sean Williams for a 106-ball effort against New Zealand at Bulawayo in 2016.

Unfortunately for Zimbabwe, opener Bennett's heroics were not enough to prevent his side from following-on, with the tourists dismissed for 265 -- exactly 300 runs behind England's imposing first-innings 565-6 declared.

And come the close of Friday's second day of four, the tourists were facing defeat at 30-2 -- a deficit of 270 runs -- with Bennett out for just one in Zimbabwe's second innings.

- 'Unbelievable' -

But nothing could diminish Bennett's joy in joining Andy Flower and Murray Goodwin as only the third Zimbabwean to score a Test century against England.

Although outnumbered in Nottingham, the Zimbabwe supporters made their presence felt, with many dressed in the colours of their national flag, and an elated Bennett told reporters after stumps: "I could hear them singing the war cries we always get at Harare Sports Club, so it gave me goosebumps a little bit.

"The reception from the crowd was unbelievable -- to do it in England, against England, with my family there, it's going to be a good performance to beat this one."

Trent Bridge staged its first England match in 1899 and Bennett's innings means he will join Goodwin as well as such all-time greats as Donald Bradman, Denis Compton, Vivian Richards, and Geoffrey Boycott on the pavilion honours board dedicated to all those who have scored Test hundreds at Nottinghamshire's headquarters.

Meanwhile Bennett's fellow 21-year-old Shoaib Bashir said he was back in his "happy place" after putting a tough start to the county season behind him with three wickets on Friday.

Although England's first-choice spinner, Bashir has been unable to dislodge Jack Leach in the Somerset side and, for the second campaign in a row, was forced into a loan move.

Three matches at Glamorgan yielded just two wickets at 152 apiece but, not for the first time, he found the Test arena a happier hunting ground than the County Championship, with Bashir taking 3-62 in Zimbabwe's first innings.

In the process, Bashir surpassed Steven Finn as the youngest England bowler to reach the landmark of 50 Test wickets.

"I feel like I am very well backed here," said Bashir, thrust into the attack early on by England captain Ben Stokes.

"England cricket is my happy place. I walk into this England team and feel 10-foot tall because of the backing I get."