Sports
Zimbabwe's Brad Evans Sets New T20I Record With Lower-Order Fifty in Losing Final
Zimbabwe all-rounder Brad Evans made history on Sunday, September 6, becoming the first batter from a Test-playing nation to score a half-century while batting at No. 6 or lower in the final of a T20I series or tournament. Evans achieved the feat during the final of the Namibia T20I tri-series against South Africa in Windhoek, where he came in to bat at No. 8 for Sikandar Raza's Zimbabwe side and struck an unbeaten 56 runs off just 31 balls, hitting four fours and four sixes. Despite his effort, Zimbabwe fell short in their run chase, losing by 48 runs after being restricted to 157 runs in response to South Africa's target of 206. Prior to Evans' innings, nine batters had recorded half-centuries while batting at No. 6 or lower in a T20I series or tournament final, though none represented a Test-playing nation. The overall record for the highest score by a No. 6 or lower batter in such a final remains held by Nepal's Basir Ahamad, who scored 80 runs against Kuwait in the Quadrangular Twenty20 Series final in Mong Kok, Hong Kong, on April 13, 2025. Evans also contributed with the ball, taking two wickets for 36 runs across his four overs. With the bat, he shared a 52-run partnership off 28 balls for the ninth wicket alongside Kundai Matigimu, who contributed 19 runs off 11 balls. This stand marked the first-ever 50-run partnership for the eighth wicket or lower between two players from a Test-playing nation in a T20I series or tournament final, surpassing the previous mark of 38 runs set by New Zealand's Ross Taylor and Ish Sodhi in the Trans-Tasman Twenty20 Tri-Series final against Australia in Auckland on February 21, 2018.