Let legends keep the records – Wiaan Mulder happy not to chase Brian Lara's 400
His surprising decision not to continue was immediately vindicated as Codi Yusuf had Takudzwanashe Kaitano caught behind off the first ball of the innings. Zimbabwe were all out for 170, with Mulder taking two for 20 in his six-over spell.
Mulder's declaration left West Indies great Lara as the only quadruple centurion in a Test innings, against England in Antigua in 2004, but he insisted he had no regrets.
He said in his post-match interview: 'First things first – we had enough to bowl (at).
'Brian Lara is a legend. He got 400 or 401 or something against England and for someone to keep that record, it is special.
'I spoke to Shuks (head coach Shukri Conrad) – and spoke about letting the legends keep (that record). Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be.'
A historic triple ton by Wiaan Mulder 💫#ZIMvSA pic.twitter.com/NvsP4tB2XC
— ICC (@ICC) July 7, 2025
He added: 'To be honest, I have never even dreamt of getting a double hundred, let alone a triple hundred, (but) most importantly, it has put the team in a good position to win this Test.'
Lara also made 375 against England in Antigua a decade before his 2004 feat. That mark was beaten by Matthew Hayden's 380 for Australia against Zimbabwe in 2003, only for Lara to reclaim top spot six months later.
Mahela Jayawardene made 374 for Sri Lanka against the Proteas in 2006, with Mulder passing Sir Garry Sobers' 365 not out for the West Indies against Pakistan in 1958 for fifth place on the all-time list.
His innings was a South African record, comfortably surpassing Hashim Amla's unbeaten 311 against England in 2012 which was their only previous triple century.
Conrad described his skipper's knock as 'nothing short of extraordinary'.
He said: 'Being the captain, then batting at number three where had to absorb early pressure and face the new ball, which he did with immense composure and control – it was unbelievable.
'The way he constructed his innings, session by session, was a masterclass in temperament and shot selection.
'It's the kind of performance that anchors a team and sets the tone for the entire match. We're incredibly proud of what he's achieved today.'
Cricket South Africa director of national teams and high performance Enoch Nkwe added: 'It was a truly world-class performance that will be remembered for generations. Records like this are not just personal milestones – they inspire young cricketers and elevate the stature of our game.'
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South Wales Guardian
10 hours ago
- South Wales Guardian
Let legends keep the records – Wiaan Mulder happy not to chase Brian Lara's 400
Mulder opted to bring an end to his innings 33 runs shy of Lara's landmark as his side posted 626 for five against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. His surprising decision not to continue was immediately vindicated as Codi Yusuf had Takudzwanashe Kaitano caught behind off the first ball of the innings. Zimbabwe were all out for 170, with Mulder taking two for 20 in his six-over spell. Mulder's declaration left West Indies great Lara as the only quadruple centurion in a Test innings, against England in Antigua in 2004, but he insisted he had no regrets. He said in his post-match interview: 'First things first – we had enough to bowl (at). 'Brian Lara is a legend. He got 400 or 401 or something against England and for someone to keep that record, it is special. 'I spoke to Shuks (head coach Shukri Conrad) – and spoke about letting the legends keep (that record). Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be.' A historic triple ton by Wiaan Mulder 💫#ZIMvSA — ICC (@ICC) July 7, 2025 He added: 'To be honest, I have never even dreamt of getting a double hundred, let alone a triple hundred, (but) most importantly, it has put the team in a good position to win this Test.' Lara also made 375 against England in Antigua a decade before his 2004 feat. That mark was beaten by Matthew Hayden's 380 for Australia against Zimbabwe in 2003, only for Lara to reclaim top spot six months later. Mahela Jayawardene made 374 for Sri Lanka against the Proteas in 2006, with Mulder passing Sir Garry Sobers' 365 not out for the West Indies against Pakistan in 1958 for fifth place on the all-time list. His innings was a South African record, comfortably surpassing Hashim Amla's unbeaten 311 against England in 2012 which was their only previous triple century. Conrad described his skipper's knock as 'nothing short of extraordinary'. He said: 'Being the captain, then batting at number three where had to absorb early pressure and face the new ball, which he did with immense composure and control – it was unbelievable. 'The way he constructed his innings, session by session, was a masterclass in temperament and shot selection. 'It's the kind of performance that anchors a team and sets the tone for the entire match. We're incredibly proud of what he's achieved today.' Cricket South Africa director of national teams and high performance Enoch Nkwe added: 'It was a truly world-class performance that will be remembered for generations. Records like this are not just personal milestones – they inspire young cricketers and elevate the stature of our game.'
Metro
10 hours ago
- Metro
Why South Africa's Wiaan Mulder declared 33 runs short of Brian Lara's record
South Africa captain Wiaan Mulder declared when he was 367 not out against Zimbabwe – 33 runs short of Brian Lara's Test record. The Proteas stand-in skipper smashed 367 from 334 balls as South Africa reached 626-5 by lunch on day two of the second Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. Mulder was on course to break Lara's record for the highest individual score in a Test innings, which he set in 2004 when he made 400 not out against England. But Mulder decided to deprive himself a shot at one of cricket's most iconic records following a chat with South Africa's coaches and declared at lunch. The 27-year-old said he made the decision partly out of respect to cricket icon Lara and also because it was in the best interest of his team. 'First things first, I thought we'd got enough and we need to bowl,' Mulder told South African broadcaster SuperSport. 'And secondly Brian Lara is a legend, let's be real. He got 400 against England and for someone of that stature to keep that record is pretty special. 'If I get the chance again I'd probably do the same thing. I was speaking to our coach Shukri Conrad and he kind of said to me, 'Listen, let the legends keep the really big scores'. 'And you never know what my fate or whatever you want to call it, or what's destined for me, but I think Brian Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be.' Mulder's belligerent 367 goes down as the fifth-highest individual score in Test cricket and the best by a South African. 400* – Brian Lara for West Indies v England, Antigua 2004 380 – Matthew Hayden for Australia v Zimbabwe, Perth 2003 375 – Brian Lara for West Indies v England, Antigua 1994 374 – Mahela Jayawardene for Sri Lanka v South Africa, Colombo 2006 367* – Wiaan Mulder for South Africa v Zimbabwe, Bulawayo 2025 After piling on over 600, South Africa bowled Zimbabwe out for 170 and had the tourists 50-1 as they enforced the follow-on. West Indies legend Lara set the record the highest individual score in Test cricket twice, first in 1994 when he made 375 against England, and then again ten years later with his 400 not out. Mulder is only captaining South Africa – world Test champions following their victory over Australia at Lord's last month – due to injuries to Temba Bavuma and Keshav Maharaj. South African cricket writer Neil Manthorp claimed 'old school' head coach Conrad had decided they would only bat for four sessions regardless of what records were on the line. 'I don't know whether this will make it worse or better for those who think he was foolish, but it wasn't his decision,' Manthorp told Sky Sports. 'The coach Shukri Conrad is very, very old school, it is his team, he calls the shots, he makes the plans, he does the tactics and the players do what he wants them to do. 'He decided that they would bat for four sessions. If you look at the way that Mulder was accelerating, he was scoring at an astonishing rate in the last half an hour so he was obviously aware that the declaration would be made on his behalf at lunch and he was unable to get there. More Trending 'To call it a missed opportunity or a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is not really doing it justice because most of the greatest batters in the history of the game have never had such an opportunity. 'So, I know that there will be those who will say it wouldn't have counted the same and Lara's was scored against England but Zimbabwe are a full ICC Test nation, Matthew Hayden had no shame in belting them to beat Brian Lara's first world record – he made 380 over a decade ago in Perth. 'I think that Mulder should have done it or tried at least, he could have been dismissed, but he should have been given the opportunity. 'I think Test cricket's morality police are probably misplaced in situations like this.' For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. MORE: This African country is the continent's best-kept safari secret MORE: Ben Duckett has a bit of Brian Lara about him and won't back down against Jasprit Bumrah in India Tests
Glasgow Times
10 hours ago
- Glasgow Times
Let legends keep the records – Wiaan Mulder happy not to chase Brian Lara's 400
Mulder opted to bring an end to his innings 33 runs shy of Lara's landmark as his side posted 626 for five against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. His surprising decision not to continue was immediately vindicated as Codi Yusuf had Takudzwanashe Kaitano caught behind off the first ball of the innings. Zimbabwe were all out for 170, with Mulder taking two for 20 in his six-over spell. Mulder's declaration left West Indies great Lara as the only quadruple centurion in a Test innings, against England in Antigua in 2004, but he insisted he had no regrets. He said in his post-match interview: 'First things first – we had enough to bowl (at). 'Brian Lara is a legend. He got 400 or 401 or something against England and for someone to keep that record, it is special. 'I spoke to Shuks (head coach Shukri Conrad) – and spoke about letting the legends keep (that record). Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be.' A historic triple ton by Wiaan Mulder 💫#ZIMvSA — ICC (@ICC) July 7, 2025 He added: 'To be honest, I have never even dreamt of getting a double hundred, let alone a triple hundred, (but) most importantly, it has put the team in a good position to win this Test.' Lara also made 375 against England in Antigua a decade before his 2004 feat. That mark was beaten by Matthew Hayden's 380 for Australia against Zimbabwe in 2003, only for Lara to reclaim top spot six months later. Mahela Jayawardene made 374 for Sri Lanka against the Proteas in 2006, with Mulder passing Sir Garry Sobers' 365 not out for the West Indies against Pakistan in 1958 for fifth place on the all-time list. His innings was a South African record, comfortably surpassing Hashim Amla's unbeaten 311 against England in 2012 which was their only previous triple century. Conrad described his skipper's knock as 'nothing short of extraordinary'. He said: 'Being the captain, then batting at number three where had to absorb early pressure and face the new ball, which he did with immense composure and control – it was unbelievable. 'The way he constructed his innings, session by session, was a masterclass in temperament and shot selection. 'It's the kind of performance that anchors a team and sets the tone for the entire match. We're incredibly proud of what he's achieved today.' Cricket South Africa director of national teams and high performance Enoch Nkwe added: 'It was a truly world-class performance that will be remembered for generations. Records like this are not just personal milestones – they inspire young cricketers and elevate the stature of our game.'
