Latest news with #GarySobers
Yahoo
07-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Wiann Mulder declares 33 runs short of Brian Lara's iconic test record
South Africa captain Wiann Mulder declared on himself this morning, 33 runs shy of Brian Lara's record for the highest individual score in a Test innings. Captaining South Africa for the first time as they faced Zimbabwe, he was 367 not out at lunch in the second day of the second Test. Advertisement Windies legend Lara set the bar at 400 not out in 2004, facing England in Antigua, but Mulder opted against challenging that record. He broke his own record of 380 in doing so. With plenty of time still left in the test, it was expected he would bat into the second session to chase down Lara's record but Mulder turned down the chance and declared at lunch, to put Zimbabwe into bat. The 27-year-old all-rounder had come in at No. 3 with South Africa on 24-2 after being put into bat on the opening day on Sunday and was 264 not out at the close as he rallied his side to finish the day on 465-4. He had a fortunate break when on 247 he was bowled, only for a no ball to be called as Tanaka Chivanga had overstepped. Advertisement But the rest of Mulder's impressive innings was chanceless as he brought up his 300 in Monday's morning session, off 297 balls for the second fastest triple century in test cricket. He then passed Hashim Amla's record test score for a South African of 311 not out against England at the Oval in 2012 and got to 350 in 324 balls before going to lunch 367 not out. It put him fifth in the all-time list, ahead of the likes of fellow triple centurions Gary Sobers and Donald Bradman, and behind Lara (400 not out and 375), Australian Matthew Hayden (380) and Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene, who hit 374 against South Africa in Colombo in 2006. Additional reporting: Reuters
News.com.au
07-07-2025
- Sport
- News.com.au
Brian Lara, Matt Hayden, Wiaan Mulder: South African batsman has Test records in his sights
Brian Lara's historic all-time record of 400 was under threat with South African all-rounder Wiaan Mulder on the brink of making Test history, before a shock decision ended his shot at history. Mulder was unbeaten on 367 from a staggering 334 balls at lunch on day two of the Second Test against Zimbabwe, and had three of the greatest Test batsmen in history in his sights as he pursued the record for the highest runs scored in an innings. But Mulder, the first-time captain, declared during lunch, ending his chance at further history with South Africa at 5-626. Sri Lankan great Mahela Jayawardene was the next name on the leaderboard (374 v SA, 2006), with Matthew Hayden's 380 against Zimbabwe in 2003 sandwiched between two Lara knocks. The West Indies legend scored 375 against England in 1994, then a decade later plundered an unbeaten 400 - a mark which has stood for more than 21 years. But Mulder could have taken a blowtorch to that mark. At lunch on day two, he'd smashed 49 boundaries and four sixes to take South Africa to 5-626, and rarely looked troubled against a well-beaten Zimbabwe attack. Mulder had already left some all time greats in the rear view mirror. He passed Leonard Hutton (364 v Australia in 1938) and the legendary Sir Gary Sobers, who cranked an unbeaten 365 against Pakistan in 1958. Further down the list are the Australians in Dave Warner (335*), Mark Taylor (334*), Don Bradman (334) and Michael Clarke (329*). Mulder already surpassed Hashim Amla's unbeaten 311 against England in 2012 for the highest score by a South African in a Test match. This Test series has had a staggering impact on his career figures, too, as he brought up the second and now third centuries of his Test career. Before the first Test, he averaged 22.21 with the bat. With his unbeaten 367, that has ballooned to 38.43.
BBC News
02-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Cecil Wright: Tributes to cricket ace who played last game at 85
A Jamaican-born cricketer who made England his home and became a veteran of the Lancashire leagues before finally retiring at the age of 85 has Wright played his last match for Uppermill in September 2019 in a career that saw him take more than 7,000 wickets over six in Santa Cruz, St Elizabeth, in 1933, the fast bowler played one first class game for Jamaica before moving to England in 1959, where he played semi-professionally in Lancashire alongside some of the greats of the game including Gary Sobers and Viv daughter Cecile Wright, a retired BBC network radio producer, said: "He was my hero really - it sounds like a cliche but he really was." The 91-year-old father-of-three died at home in Royton, Oldham on Sunday where he had been receiving palliative care from Dr Kershaw's Wright described his care there as "fantastic". Ms Wright said her father, who was married to wife Enid for 60 years until she died three years ago, had become a "bit of a character" in the local recalled how when she was out with him he was regularly stopped in the said: "Someone would say 'alright Cec how're you doing?'"They would walk off and I would say, 'who's that?' and he would go, 'I've no idea'."I think so many people knew him because they had watched him play cricket."She also described how they were out together a couple of months before his death when a bus driver recognised him and told her watching her father play cricket had given him "hours of pleasure". Wright's career also saw him play for Crompton, Colne, Astley Bridge, and Walsden. Last year he officially opened an exhibition entitled West Indians in the Lancashire Leagues at Old Trafford, home of Lancashire County Cricket Lancashire captain John Abrahams, whose father Cec Abrahams played for Milnrow, said: "He was a friend of my dad. He was true gentleman."He was genuinely quick but also very innovative - he had one delivery which batters only saw very late." 'Never looked back' Wright's only game for Jamaica was not a success as he bowled against a Barbados team that included cricket greats Wes Hall, Collie Smith and Seymour Nurse without taking a he found life within Lancashire league cricket a happier hunting ground, and continued terrorising batsmen in his latter years as a wily medium pacer who could also handle the once recounted the time the late Sir Frank Worrell, a famous West Indies captain, gave him a piece of advice that he credited with changing his fortunes bowling in England."He said you're not in Jamaica anymore, you know. Up here, you're bowling in the mud," Wright said. "He told me how to go about bowling when it's wet, and I haven't looked back ever since."But to Ms Wright, and her siblings Courtney and Laura, he was "just our lovely dad". "Even up until recently - I'm 60 now - and I would go and see him and when I'd leave he would say 'ring me when you get home so I know you got home safe'." Listen to the best of BBC Radio Manchester on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Manchester on Facebook, X, and Instagram, and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
