Antum Naqvi breaks Zimbabwe cricket records with unbeaten 300

Antum Naqvi, the 24-year-old Mid West Rhinos captain in just his second first-class season, made history when he became the first player from a Zimbabwean team to hit a triple century at any level of representative cricket.

When play started on the third day of the Rhinos vs Matabeleland Tuskers Logan Cup game in Harare on Friday, Naqvi was already on 250, with Rhinos 461 for 3 in reply to Tuskers' 128. Naqvi built on that, getting to 300 before lunch, and breaking several Zimbabwe records along the way.

When he passed 265, he broke the Logan Cup first-class record for the highest individual score, which belonged to Cephas Zhuwao for his effort in the 2017-18 season. Ray Gripper's 279 not out, the highest individual score by a Zimbabwean player in first-class cricket, back in the 1967-68 Currie Cup in South Africa, was the next to be eclipsed. And finally, when he got to 300, he had bettered Brian Davison's 299 in 1973-74, the highest Logan Cup score before it became a first-class competition.

Graeme Hick and Murray Goodwin had both recorded triple-centuries in first-class cricket, but those were in the county circuit in England and not for a Zimbabwean team.

The best first-class score on Zimbabwe soil, though, belongs to Mark Richardson, who had scored 306 for the visiting New Zealanders against Zimbabwe A in the 2000-01 season in Kwekwe. Naqvi might have been able to top that, but Rhinos declared at 538 for 3 with him on 300 to press for a win. Armed with a lead of 410, Rhinos had Tuskers at 143 for 2 - still 267 behind - by close of play on the third day.

Naqvi faced 295 balls for his triple century, having batted for 444 minutes and hit 30 fours and ten sixes.