Craig Ervine Becomes Oldest Test Double-Centurion in 75 Years

On 9 November 2026, Zimbabwean batter Craig Ervine scored an unbeaten 206 against Afghanistan in the first Test in Sharjah. Aged 41 years and 82 days, he became the third-oldest cricketer to score a Test double-century and the first batter aged over 40 to do so since Graham Gooch in 1994.

Ervine’s record-breaking innings

Ervine’s 206 came off 279 balls and helped Zimbabwe reach 523/5 in their second innings; the match ended in a draw. He became the oldest Zimbabwean to score a Test century and the seventh Zimbabwean to pass 2,000 Test runs. Zimbabwe’s previous Test double-century was Andy Flower’s unbeaten 232 against India in November 2000.

Only Eric Rowan, aged 42 years and six days in 1951, and Jack Hobbs, aged 41 years and 195 days in 1924, were older when they scored Test double-centuries. Ervine shared an unbroken 208-run sixth-wicket stand with Wessly Madhevere, who made his maiden Test century. It was Zimbabwe’s highest sixth-wicket partnership in Tests. Zimbabwe scored 504 in their first innings, becoming the first team to exceed 500 in both innings of a Test.

Important Facts for Exams

• Milestone bands: Cricket scorekeeping classifies 200–299 as a double-century, 300–399 as a triple-century and 400–499 as a quadruple century.
• Partnership accounting: A batting partnership includes extras in the runs credited to the pair, not only runs scored directly by the two batters.
• Test innings: A Test can have up to four innings in total, with each team permitted up to two innings.