Williams hits century for Zimbabwe but South Africa in control
BULAWAYO: Sean Williams hit an aggressive century for Zimbabwe but South Africa were in control after the second day of the first Test at Queens Sports Club on Sunday.
The left-handed Williams hit 137 off 163 balls - more than half his team's total of 251.
South Africa led by 167 runs on the first innings and stretched their lead to 216 runs when they reached 49 for one at the close of play.
Zimbabwe were soon in trouble after South Africa declared their first innings at their overnight 418 for nine.
New cap Codi Yusuf took two wickets in his first three overs and Zimbabwe suffered a major blow when opening batsman Brian Bennett was forced to retire hurt for 19 after being struck on the helmet when he missed a hook against fast bowler Kwena Maphaka.
Bennett, who scored 139 on his previous Test appearance against England in Nottingham last month, was ruled out of the rest of the match with mild concussion.
He was replaced by Prince Masvaure who was dismissed for seven when he batted at number seven.
Williams and captain Craig Ervine (36) shared the only substantial partnership of the innings, putting on 81 before Ervine was stumped by Kyle Verreynne to give Keshav Maharaj his 200th Test scalp.
Yusuf, like fellow debutants Lhuan-dre Pretorius and Dewald Brevis, made a promising start to his Test career, taking three for 42. Pretorius made 153 and Brevis 51 in South Africa's first innings.
All-rounder Wiaan Mulder took four for 50 and left-arm spinner Maharaj, captaining the team for the first time in the absence of injured Temba Bavuma, claimed three for 70.
Fast bowler Tanaka Chivanga took a wicket in his first over for the second time in the match, having Matthew Breetzke caught at gully for one.
But Tony de Zorzi (22 not out) and Mulder (25 not out) prevented any further breakthroughs before bad light stopped play.
The match is not part of the World Test Chanpionship and the South African team includes only four of the players who won the World Test Championship final against Australia at Lord's in London earlier this month. — AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
2 hours ago
- The Star
Cricket-Mulder scores 147 as S Africa set Zimbabwe 537 for victory
(Reuters) -Wiaan Mulder struck a career-best 147 as South Africa set hosts Zimbabwe a massive victory target of 537 on day three of the first test in Bulawayo, with the home side 32 for one at the close of play at the Queens Sports Club on Monday. Takudzwanashe Kaitano was the only wicket to fall with what proved the final delivery of the day as he edged seamer Corbin Bosch to Lhuan-dre Pretorius as second slip having made 12. Fellow opener Prince Masvaure (5 not out), in the side as a concussion replacement for Brian Bennett, survived a testing spell in the fading light to reach the close with Zimbabwe still needing 505 runs for victory and two days remaining. Masvaure had two close leg before wicket appeals from South Africa's teenage fast bowler Kwena Maphaka, but with no third umpire in operation in this series, the latter was unable to challenge the decisions. South Africa resumed their second innings on 49-1 in the morning and upped the tempo with the bat before being bowled out for 369 in 82.5 overs. Mulder was the glue that held the innings together as he scored a second test century in his new number three position in the batting order, with his 147 coming from 206 deliveries. He played shots all around the ground before being caught on the boundary attempting a six, topping his previous best test score of 105 not out against Bangladesh last October. Stand-in captain Keshav Maharaj added a quick-fire 51 on a wicket that has started to turn. Left-arm spinner Wellington Masakadza was the pick of the home bowlers with figures of 4-98, while leg-spinner Vincent Masekesa took 2-117. A much-changed South Africa are fielding only four of the players who did duty in the World Test Championship final victory over Australia at Lord's earlier this month. The second and final test in this series will be played at the same venue and starts on Sunday. (Reporting by Nick SaidEditing by Christian Radnedge)
The Star
3 hours ago
- The Star
Cricket-England name unchanged team for second test against India
FILE PHOTO: Cricket - International Test Match Series - First Test - England v India - Headingley Cricket Ground, Leeds, Britain - June 24, 2025 England's Ben Duckett hits a six Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Boyers/File Photo (Reuters) -England have named an unchanged team on Monday for the second test against India, set to begin on July 2 at Edgbaston, with fast bowler Jofra Archer remaining sidelined. The England and Wales Cricket Board retained the lineup that secured a five-wicket win at Headingley to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Archer, who was added to England's test set-up last week for the first time since 2021, missed training on Monday due to a family emergency, British media reports said. The 30-year-old is expected to rejoin the squad on Tuesday. ENGLAND PLAYING XI Zak Crawley, Ben Duckett, Ollie Pope, Joe Root, Harry Brook, Ben Stokes (captain), Jamie Smith (wicket-keeper), Chris Woakes, Brydon Carse, Josh Tongue, Shoaib Bashir. (Reporting by Suramya Kaushik in BengaluruEditing by Christian Radnedge)
Malay Mail
6 hours ago
- Malay Mail
F1 to hold two Saturday races in 2025 as Baku date shifts, Las Vegas remains night event
LONDON, June 30 — Formula One will race on a Saturday in Azerbaijan next year to avoid a clash with a national day and pre-season testing will start behind closed doors at Spain's Barcelona circuit in January. Formula One and the governing FIA said the change of date for the race in Baku had been made at the request of the promoter and government stakeholders. Originally scheduled for September 27 next year, it will now be held on the 26th with each day of the event also moving forward. That will mean Formula One having two Saturday races on next year's 24-round calendar, with the Las Vegas night grand prix scheduled for November 21. Formula One is entering a new engine era next season with major technical changes and the new cars will hit the track earlier than usual, with teams having three pre-season tests to shake out any gremlins. The first on January 26-30 will be a private one at the Circuit de Catalunya. The second and third, with the usual access for media, will be in Bahrain between February 11-13 and 18-20. The season starts in Australia on March 8. — Reuters
