Brian Bennett, who joined Peshawar Zalmi ahead of the PSL 2026 season, played a match-winning knock for Mountaineers in the Pro50 Championship.
Peshawar Zalmi owner Javed Afridi announced Bennett’s signing on Tuesday (March 24). Just a few hours later, the Zimbabwe opener scored a crucial 134 not out in a 250-run chase for the Mountaineers against Mashonaland Eagles. This was his first professional outing since a highly successful T20 World Cup.
After opting to field first, the Mountaineers didn’t enjoy the best of starts, with Eagles’ openers Tinashe Kamunhukamwe and Tadiwanashe Marumani adding 80 before the latter retired hurt. Kamunhukamwe held on to complete his fifty and was the second batter to be dismissed with the team at 124 in the 24th over.
Though Marumani returned to bat upon the fall of the fourth wicket, he could add just one more run to the team’s total before getting dismissed. The Eagles were in danger of getting bowled out for under 200, but a 69-run stand for the eighth wicket between Faraz Akram and Kundai Matigimu eventually took them to 249.
Match 17, Mountaineers vs Mashonaland Eagles
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- Ball by ball Over
In reply, Bennett lost his opening partner Joylord Gumbie in the sixth over, with 31 on the board. But he ensured there were no further hiccups, adding 94 runs with Nick Welch before a 102-run partnership with Ronak Patel left them just 23 from the target. In the process, Bennett completed his second List A hundred, getting to three digits off 110 deliveries.
Bennett eventually finished with 134 not out off 133 balls, including 16 boundaries. This extends his great run of form going into the PSL, following knocks of 97*, 63*, 64* and 48* against India, Sri Lanka, Australia and Oman, respectively, in the T20 World Cup. He finished the ICC tournament as its sixth-highest run-getter as Zimbabwe made the Super Eights.
Also read: PSL 2026 revised schedule: Updated fixtures list, match timings and venues for Pakistan Super League
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