Sam Plays for England, But Brother Ben Slams Historic Last-Man-Standing Century for Zimbabwe Against Bangladesh:

In a truly miraculous display of grit, resilience, and top-order dominance, Zimbabwe opening batsman Ben Curran—the older brother of England’s marquee all-rounder Sam Curran—has etched his name into the history books. Playing against a fierce Bangladesh bowling attack in the second ODI at the Harare Sports Club, Ben Curran pulled off an incredible rescue act that has taken the cricketing world by storm. Opening the innings for the hosts, Curran displayed ultimate composure as wickets tumbled around him, batting through the entire 50 overs to register a phenomenal century and secure an ultra-rare global cricketing milestone.

The Savior of Harare: How Ben Curran Carried His Bat Through a 50-Over Masterclass

The three-match ODI series between Zimbabwe and Bangladesh in Harare has intensified, especially after the hosts secured a low-scoring thriller in the opening encounter. However, the second match saw Zimbabwe’s top order collapsing under immense pressure, finding themselves in a massive hole at 66 for the loss of 4 wickets. Stepping up as the ultimate savior, Ben Curran anchored the innings meticulously, playing an unbeaten knock of 111 runs off 135 deliveries, garnished with 9 elegant boundaries. By staying at the crease from the first ball to the absolute last, Curran became only the 9th Zimbabwean opening batsman in history to carry his bat through a complete 50-over ODI innings, joining iconic legends like Andy Flower and Grant Flower.

The Elite 50-Over Club: Every Zimbabwean Opener to Achieve the Historic Feat

Carrying the bat through an entire 50-over innings remains one of the toughest challenges for an opening batsman in modern white-ball cricket. Ben Curran’s 2026 masterclass against Bangladesh officially elevates him into an exclusive club of local cricketing royalty. Here is the complete historical list of Zimbabwean openers who have batted through all 50 overs:

Andy Flower vs Sri Lanka, 1992

Grant Flower vs England, 1994

Neil Johnson vs Australia, 1999

Alastair Campbell vs India, 2000

Craig Wishart vs Namibia, 2003

Hamilton Masakadza vs Kenya, 2009

Brendan Taylor vs South Africa, 2010

Brian Bennett vs Ireland, 2025

Ben Curran vs Bangladesh, 2026

Brad Evans Blasts Aggressive Half-Century to Guide Zimbabwe to a Fighting 247

While Ben Curran held the fort at one end with his technical defensive brilliance, lower-order batsman Brad Evans provided the much-needed explosive firepower in the death overs. Evans took the Bangladeshi spinners and pacers to the cleaners, smashing an unbeaten, quick-fire 58 runs off just 38 balls. His entertaining, high-octane cameo included two boundaries and five massive sixes, shifting the momentum completely back to the home side. Thanks to the vital 100-plus run partnership between Curran and Evans, Zimbabwe successfully recovered from their initial batting collapse to post a highly competitive and respectable total of 247 runs on the scoreboard.