Brian Bennett (cricketer)

Bennett was included alongside his twin brother David in Zimbabwe national under-19 cricket team for the 2022 Under-19 Men's Cricket World Cup. In fact, Bennett was appointed as the vice-captain of the Zimbabwean squad ahead of the 2022 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.^[1] He had a prolific tournament with the bat, where he ended up the 2022 edition of the Under-19 World Cup on a higher note in batting perspective as Zimbabwe's top runscorer with an aggregate of 273 runs in across six matches, including of three half-centuries and his runs came at an healthy average of 45.50, with a scintillating strike rate of 84.52 and he also picked up four wickets in the tournament.^[2][3][4] His emergence in youth level caught the eyes of the selectors and within a space of ten months, he earned his maiden call-up to join the senior domestic set up in order to play top-flight first-class cricket matches.

He made his first-class debut for Mountaineers against Mashonaland Eagles in the 2022–23 Logan Cup on 11 December 2022.^[5][6] His first-class debut was itself came under the serendipitous circumstance, as he was announced as a concussion substitute for Spencer Magodo and Bennett walked out to bat at number five position during Mountaineers's second innings.^[7] Magodo was ruled out retired hurt after a blow to his head in the second innings of Mountaineers during the fixture between Mountaineers and Eagles on 11 December 2022. He made his T20 debut for Mountaineers against Lions on 20 February 2023 during the 2022–23 Zimbabwe Domestic Twenty20 Competition.^[8] He made his List A debut for Mountaineers against Southern Rocks on 27 October 2023 during the 2023–24 Pro50 Championship.^[9]

Bennett got his first international call up during the Irish tour of Zimbabwe in 2023–24 and made his T20I debut during the three match T20I series on 7 December 2023.^[10][11][12] On 18 January 2024, he scored 29 runs off 12 balls against Sri Lanka in the third and final T20I match of the three-match T20I series, where he signalled his first real intent of scoring and he announced his arrival to international cricket, but during the same match rest of the Zimbabwean batters faltered to make an impact and Zimbabwe were bowled out for 82 runs.^[13] in February 2024, he received spotlight and widespread attention from cricketing fraternity after his unbeaten knock of 264 against Mashonaland Eagles during the 2023–24 Logan Cup and his innings came in a run-a-ball fashion facing only 259 deliveries and his knock included 33 fours and three sixes.^[14] In March 2024, he was included in Zimbabwe's contingent for the 2023 African Games and he represented Zimbabwe Emerging Team in the men's cricket tournament at the 2023 African Games.^[15] Zimbabwe eventually claimed gold medal in the African Games cricket tournament defeating Namibia by 8 wickets in the final.^[16][17][18]

In July 2024, he received his maiden call-up to join Zimbabwe test squad for their one-off test match against Ireland and it was also the first instance Zimbabwe and Ireland locked horns in a test match.^[19][20] He eventually made his test debut on 25 July 2024 against Ireland.^[21] In November 2024, he was included in Zimbabwe's ODI and T20I squads to face-off Pakistan.^[22] He made his ODI debut on 24 November 2024 against Pakistan.^[23][24]

In December 2024, during first test match of the two-match test series between Zimbabwe and Afghanistan which was played in Bulawayo (as the start of day's play began coinciding with the Boxing Day), Bennett notched up his maiden Test century, albeit in a dramatic cinematicesque fashion by launching a six to reach the triple figures. When Bennett was approaching towards his century who was well set in the crease to reach his landmark, bowler Zadran deployed a short-ball ploy by instructing to have two sweeper fielders in the deep on the leg side and Bennett tactfully handled the mind game of the bowler by playing the pull shot to raise his bat and take off his hemlet, signalling towards the crowd that he had reached to his century. Bennet's pull shot was a high risk, high return approach as the ball eventually went straight into the hands of the fielder in the deep, but the fielder had apparently stepped into the boundary line while he was still holding onto the ball.^[25] During the process, he became the second youngest Zimbabwean to score a test century after Hamilton Masakadza at the age of 21 and it was only Bennett's second test match appearance.^[26] He eventually ended up unbeaten on 110 off just 124 deliveries as Zimbabwe also registered their highest test team total of 586 and his innings included five fours and four sixes.^[27][28] Later in the same match he took his first Test match five-wicket haul, recording figures of 5/95.^[29][30]

• Brian Bennett at ESPNcricinfo