Mulder revels in his first day as stand-in Test captain
He also beat the record for the highest score by a South African batter on a single day of a Test match, while hitting the second fastest double century by a South African player, and remains unbeaten on an astounding 264 after the Proteas ended Day 1 of the second Test match at 465/4.
This was South Africa's highest score on a single day in a Test and was also the most runs scored in a day's play in Zimbabwe.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Khaleej Times
7 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Mulder reveals why he didn't attempt to break Lara's batting record
South Africa stand-in captain Wiaan Mulder felt he had no right to dislodge West Indies great Brian Lara from the summit of highest Test innings scores and decided to declare his team's innings against Zimbabwe when he was 34 runs short of breaking the record. Mulder was 367 not out at lunch on the second day of the second Test at the Queens Sports Club on Monday when he made the surprise call not to continue batting, passing up the opportunity to set a unique cricketing milestone. 'First things first. I thought we'd got enough and needed a bowl. And, secondly, Brian Lara is a legend, let's be real," Mulder said at the close of play on Monday. "He got 400 against England (in Antigua in 2004) and for someone of that stature to keep that record is pretty special. I think if I get the chance again, I'd probably do the same thing." The 27-year-old all-rounder, in his first stint as captain, said he also got support for his decision from coach Shukri Conrad. "He said to me, 'Let the legends keep the really big scores'. And you know, you never know what's my fate or what's destined for me, but I think Brian Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be.' Mulder did notch up the fifth highest Test score and, on the list of triple centurions, now sits above the likes of Don Bradman and Gary Sobers. He was only recently promoted up the South Africa order to fill the troublesome No. 3 position and before his triple hundred averaged only 26.20 in 33 test innings, with two previous tons. 'To be honest with you, I've never even dreamed of getting a double hundred, never mind a triple hundred,' he said on Monday after lashing a mediocre home attack to all corners in an impressive knock made up of 53 boundaries. 'But it's super special and the most important thing is putting the team in a good position to hopefully win this test,' Mulder added. South Africa, who declared on 626-5, are in a commanding position with Zimbabwe trailing by 405 runs, having been forced to follow on after being dismissed for 170 in their reply, with Mulder taking two wickets to top off a day he will never forget.
Khaleej Times
11 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Wiaan Mulder's refusal to go after Brian Lara's record of 400 runs makes global headlines
South Africa's stand-in captain Wiaan Mulder scored the fifth highest Test score of 367 not out against Zimbabwe on Monday but then declared his side's innings despite being only 34 runs away from the record for the most runs in a test innings. Mulder, leading the side for the first time as a depleted team take on their neighbours in a two-Test series at Bulawayo's Queens Sports Club, hit 53 boundaries (49 fours and four sixes) in his knock to see South Africa to 626-5 at lunch on the second day of the second Test. With plenty of time still left in the test, it was expected he would bat into the second session to chase down Brian Lara's 21-year-old record of 400 not out for the West Indies against England in Antigua but Mulder turned down the chance and declared at lunch, to put Zimbabwe into bat. Mulder's decision to declare the innings despite having a once-in-lifetime opportunity to break one of cricket's most coveted batting records made global headlines on Monday. But the 27-year-old, who was just 33 runs short of Lara's record of 400 not out for West Indies against England in 2003/04, had an inauspicious start to his Test career. Mulder made his Test debut in February 2019 but did not score his first half-century until his 25th innings in his 15th match -– 54 against Bangladesh in Mirpur last October. Before that he had scored a total of 401 runs -– one more than Lara's single-innings record -– at an average of 17.43. Picked as an all-rounder, his bowling figures at that point were better than his returns with the bat, although they were not outstanding –- 25 wickets at an average of 25.00. He was not a guaranteed first-choice player for a South African team in search of a quality all-rounder until head coach Shukri Conrad, appointed in January 2023, gave him his unequivocal backing. The tide turned for Mulder after the half-century in Mirpur. He made 105 not out in his next innings in the second Test against Bangladesh in Chattogram. Having mainly batted low in the order –- his first century was made at number seven -- Conrad chose him to fill the crucial number three batting position in the Test side. He was out for five in his first innings at number three, against Pakistan in Cape Town in January, and struggled to six off 44 balls in the first innings of the World Test Championship final against Australia at Lord's in England last month. But Mulder won praise for an enterprising 27 in the second innings as he and Aiden Markram laid a foundation for South Africa's successful chase of a challenging target of 282. Run out for 17 in the first innings of the first Test against Zimbabwe, he made a stylish 147 in the second innings, which proved a mere prelude to his effort in the second Test. Mulder grew up in a mining area west of Johannesburg and won a scholarship to St Stithians College, one of South Africa's leading private schools and the alma mater of Kagiso Rabada and, more recently, Ryan Rickelton and teenage prodigies Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Kwena Maphaka. An outstanding schoolboy cricketer, Mulder captained South African Schools and South Africa Under-19s. He made his first-class debut for the Gauteng Lions at 18, taking seven wickets in an innings in his second match and making his maiden century a week later. But the ascent to Test cricket's loftier heights took a little longer. On Monday he went past Len Hutton (364) and Garry Sobers (365 not out) -– two all-time greats who both held the record for the highest score for many years. Now, only Lara (twice), Matthew Hayden and Mahela Jayawardene have scored more runs in a Test innings. Mulder is in exalted company -– but given the poor quality of Zimbabwe's bowling attack there are doubtless many statisticians and Test cricket traditionalists who are grateful that he did not take the final steps to the summit.
Int'l Cricket Council
16 hours ago
- Int'l Cricket Council
ICC Women's Player of the Month nominees for June 2025 revealed
The South African opener had a stellar run with the bat in June, dominating the ODI series and carrying her fine form into the T20Is against the West Indies. Her consistent performances earned her the Player of the Series award in the ODI series. She got off to a strong start in the ODI series, scoring 57 off 65 balls in the first match. However, her performance dipped in the second ODI, where she struggled to find rhythm and managed just 26 off 54 deliveries. Any doubts about her form were quickly put to rest in the third ODI, where she smashed her fourth ODI century—an impressive 101 off 91 balls. Across the three-match series, Brits amassed 184 runs at an average of 61.33 and a strike rate of 87.61. She continued her impressive form in the T20I encounters, smashing an unbeaten 98* in the first match, which earned her the Player of the Match award. However, her final two innings yielded scores of 14 and 20, as South Africa went on to lose the T20I series 2-1 to the West Indies. In total, the opener scored 132 runs in the T20I series at an average of 66 and a strike rate of 122.22. The West Indies skipper was in fine form with the bat as she guided her side to a 2-1 T20I series victory against South Africa. She had a slow but solid start to the ODI series against South Africa, registering scores of 40 and eight before notching up a well-played half-century. With the ball, she chipped in by claiming four wickets at an average of 34.25. Despite West Indies winning the opening match, they lost the next two to concede the series 2-1. In total, Matthews scored 104 runs at an average of 34.66 and a strike rate of 94.54 across the three ODIs. The skipper truly showed her class in the T20I series, scoring 147 runs at an average of 73.50 and a strike rate of 120.49, while also picking up two wickets. After a modest 19 in the first match, she anchored the innings with unbeaten knock of 63* and then 65, leading West Indies to fight back from a 0-1 deficit to win the series 2-1. Her all-round brilliance earned her the Player of the Series award in the T20Is. The leggie topped the wicket-taking charts in both the T20I and ODI series against South Africa and played a key role in West Indies' T20I series triumph. Dream delivery from Afy Fletcher | WCWCQ 2025 Afy Fletcher bamboozles Bangladesh's Mst Rity Moni with the perfect leg-spinner's delivery to keep West Indies on the offensive Fletcher began the month with a solitary wicket against England and followed it up with another in the first ODI against South Africa. However, she soon found her rhythm, claiming four wickets in the second ODI and adding another three in the final match. In total, she picked up nine wickets in the ODIs at an economy of 5.53 and an average of 24, while also contributing 30 runs at a strike rate of 100. Her stellar form continued in the T20Is, where she once again topped the wicket-taking charts, claiming five wickets at an average of 16.20 and an economy of 6.75. She played a crucial role in West Indies' comeback, with figures of 2/13 in the second T20I and 2/28 in the final match helping to restrict South Africa and guide her team to a 2-1 series victory. Women's Player of the MonthNewsWomen's News
