South Africa are on track to claim their most brutal win ever in Test cricket, largely led by a record-breaking 367 not out from stand-in captain Wiaan Mulder in Bulawayo on Day 2 against Zimbabwe.
The 27-year-old plundered an eye-watering 49 fours and four sixes on his way to the fifth-highest score in Test history, before selflessly declaring at lunch on Day 2, just 33 runs away from Brian Lara’s historic 400 not out all the way back in 2004 against England.
His knock — which also came at a record strike rate — meant the visiting side declared on a mammoth 5-626, after Zimbabwe regrettably decided to bowl first on a flat track at Queens Sports Club.
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Mulder’s six-hour-and-50-minute-long innings skyrocketed the batting allrounder onto the podium of a plethora of records, and in some instances, to the very top. (See below for the full list of records)
And while Mulder scored nearly 59 per cent of the Proteas’ runs in the first innings, he was also aptly supported by teammates David Bedingham (82) and Lhuan-dre Pretorius (78).
Zimbabwe’s bowling card made for grim reading upon their rivals’ declaration, with only right-arm seamer Tanaka Chivanga (4.66 economy) going at less than five runs an over as South Africa dined out on the hosts.
After 114 overs in the field, Zimbabwe got off to the worst start possible as six-Test opener Takudzwanashe Kaitano nicked off to a Codi Yusuf gem with the very first ball of the innings.
The Chevrons continued to lose wickets consistently, slumping to 3-14 and 6-82, before stalwart Sean Williams smashed an unbeaten 83 not out off just 55 balls to take his side to 170 all out. Proteas spinner Prenelan Subrayen (4-42) led the way on Test debut with the ball, while Yusuf and Mulder each took two wickets.
Unsurprisingly, Mulder — who is filling in as skipper for Keshav Maharaj, who is nursing a left groin complaint — enforced the follow-on on the hosts, as the sun in the south-west of Zimbabwe slowly began to set.
Still needing another daunting 456 runs to make South Africa bat again, the Chevrons started positively to reach 0-31, before Dion Myers had his middle stump removed by quick Corbin Bosch less than seven overs before stumps. Kaitano (30*) and Nick Welch (6*) will resume at the crease to start Day 3, trailing by 405 runs at 1 for 51.
South Africa’s biggest win by an innings in a Test match coincidentally came only just over eight months ago against Bangladesh in Chattogram, where they won by an innings and 273 runs. Zimbabwe’s biggest loss by an innings in Test cricket came against New Zealand in 2012, where they fell 301 runs short despite batting once more than their opponents.
Only eight Test matches out of the sport’s 2,593 have ever resulted in a team losing by more than an innings and 300 runs.
South Africa won their first Test of the two-Test series by 328 runs, with a T20I tri-series set to commence between the two countries and New Zealand starting July 14.
ALL THE RECORDS & STATS FROM MULDER’S WHIRLWIND 367*
– The highest by any player in an away Test, surpassing Pakistani Hanif Mohammad’s 337 all the way back in 1958.
– Highest individual score by a South African in Test cricket, passing Hashim Amla’s 311* against England in 2012.
– His final strike rate of 109.88 is the fastest of any Test player to pass 300 runs, surpassing India’s Virender Sehwag’s 104.93 vs South Africa in 2008
– First player ever to score a triple century in their first innings as a captain at Test level
– His 265 runs on Day 1 are the most runs scored by a South African batter in a single day of a Test match (sixth-most of all time in a day)
– Second-fastest triple century in Test cricket off 297 balls, only behind Sehwag’s, made off 278 balls.
– Second-most fours hit in a Test innings ever, only behind England’s John Edrich’s 57 vs New Zealand back in 1995
– Third-highest score batting at No.3 in Test history, only behind Brian Lara’s 400* and Lara’s 375* — both against England
– Fifth-highest score by an individual in Test cricket