Taylor hits 131 as Zimbabwe close opening day on 326 for five against Afghanistan

Brendan Taylor scored 131 as Zimbabwe finished the opening day of the first Test against Afghanistan on 326 for five in Sharjah on Thursday. Captain Brian Bennett remained unbeaten on 71, with Wessly Madhevere on 29, after Zimbabwe chose to bat. BBC Sport's scorecard recorded 87 overs in the innings at the close.

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Innocent Kaia and Ben Curran provided the initial platform with an opening partnership of 60. Kaia made 34 from 51 deliveries before Qais Ahmad took the first wicket. Curran stayed at the crease for 113 balls, scoring 42, and Zimbabwe reached 125 before losing their second wicket. His stand with Taylor had added another 65 runs.

Taylor then combined with Bennett for the day's largest partnership, putting on 137 for the third wicket. Cricbuzz reported that Taylor reached his hundred shortly after tea. He eventually faced 168 deliveries and struck 14 fours and four sixes, giving Zimbabwe a substantial contribution from their number three before his dismissal with the total on 262.

Afghanistan reduced the visitors to 287 for five as Taylor's departure was followed by two more wickets. Zia ur Rahman Akbar dismissed Craig Ervine for four and Test debutant Antum Naqvi for nine. Those breakthroughs brought Afghanistan three wickets for 25 runs, interrupting a period in which Taylor and Bennett had kept the bowlers waiting.

Bennett and Madhevere prevented further losses with an unbeaten sixth-wicket partnership of 39. Bennett's 71 came from 128 deliveries, while Madhevere needed 31 balls for his 29 and hit five fours. Cricbuzz reported that bad light ended play early, leaving the pair together after rebuilding from the loss of the middle-order wickets.

Akbar finished with two for 118 from 30 overs, while Mohammad Saleem, Qais and Hashmatullah Shahidi took one wicket apiece, according to the BBC scorecard. The match also marked Graeme Cremer's return to Zimbabwe's Test side. Cricbuzz reported that the 40-year-old had last appeared in the format in December 2017; Afghanistan had yet to begin their first innings.