Star Zimbabwe all-rounder Brad Evans created history on Sunday, September 6, when he became the first player from a Test-playing country to hit a half-century while batting at No. 6 or lower in a T20I series or tournament final.
In Sunday’s Namibia T20I tri-series final against South Africa in Windhoek, Evans batted at number eight for Zimbabwe and scored an undefeated 56 runs off 31 balls.
For the Sikandar Raza-led team, he hit four fours and as many sixes, but his efforts were in vain as Zimbabwe lost by 48 runs after scoring just 157 runs in response to South Africa’s aim of 206.
Brad Evans’ Historic Fifty
Prior to Evans, nine batters-none of whom represented a had hit half-centuries when batting at No. 6 or below in a T20I series or event final.
Basir Ahamad of Nepal holds the record for the highest score by a batsman ranked No. 6 or lower in a T20I series final. On April 13, 2025, he hit 80 runs for Nepal against Kuwait in the Quadrangular T20 Series final in Mong Kok, Hong Kong.
Together with Kundai Matigimu, who scored 19 runs off 11 balls, Evans, who also claimed two wickets for 36 runs in four overs on Sunday, combined 52 runs off 28 balls for the ninth wicket.
Their partnership is the first 50-run stand for the eighth or lower wicket by two players from a Test-playing country in the final of a T20 International series or competition. They surpassed the previous mark set by Ross Taylor and Ish Sodhi of New Zealand, who combined for 38 runs for the ninth wicket in the Trans-Tasman Twenty20 Tri-Series final against Australia in Auckland on February 21, 2018.
Currently, Nepal’s Basir Ahmed holds the record for the highest score by a no.6 or lower batter in the T20I series final. His 80 off 43 balls against Kuwait sit on top of the list.