Mulder hits fifth highest test score but turns down chance to go for record
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.
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.
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
9 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Jofra Archer's England return is pure box-office as four years of frustration melt away in a beautiful moment of catharsis, writes OLIVER HOLT
Father Time, stooped over a wicket on his vantage point above the Mound Stand, is facing towards Maida Vale. The clock beneath him reads 2.45pm when Jofra Archer wanders over from mid-off, removes his cap and hands it to umpire Sharfuddoula. A cheer of anticipation rings around Lord's. An elderly man in the lower level of the Grandstand, who has been berating Chris Woakes during the first over of India 's innings, which costs 13 runs, stills and locks his hands behind his head as Archer walks back towards his mark at the Pavilion End. It has been more than four years since Archer last bowled a ball in Test cricket, against India in Ahmedabad in February 2021, four years that have been damned by serious elbow and back injuries and agonies of uncertainty and the torture of wondering what might have been. He was 25 when we last saw him in the longer format of the game, about to enter his prime, fresh from delivering the Super Over that won England the World Cup here in July 2019, a player who seemed destined to be the spearhead of the attack for as long as he wished. How different would he be now to that player? Framed by that august pavilion and its denizens, sweltering in the heat, Archer begins his run-up and gathers speed before unleashing his first ball at Yashasvi Jaiswal. It squares up India's accomplished young opener but he gets his bat on it and pushes it into the off side. England have grown used to bleeding runs in this series. They have had to accept the impotence of their bowling attack and chasing huge totals. Already, there is a different energy about this over. The ground starts to come alive. Archer, 30, glides in for his second ball. Jaiswal plays at it outside the line of off stump but the pace and the movement beat him and the ball whistles through to Jamie Smith, who catches it somewhere just below his midriff. Now the crowd is agog. The big screen between the Tavern Stand and the Pavilion shows Ben Stokes smiling. This is what England have been missing. We can already feel it. This sense of danger that Archer brings. This pace. This sense that we are watching a duel between a batter and a bowler. As he runs up for his third delivery, the crowd claps and cheers and hollers as he quickens his stride. Archer arrows the ball at Jaiswal's stumps and it beats him for speed. The ball finds his leading edge and flies towards Harry Brook at second slip. Lord's holds its breath for a split second. Brook takes the catch. The crowd erupts with joy. And Archer wheels away, his face full of elation. It is a moment of sheer release. A moment when four years of frustration and pain and worry fall away in one beautiful rush of catharsis. Archer runs into the outstretched arms of Shoaib Bashir at backward square leg. And soon he is mobbed by the rest of his team-mates, who are celebrating and rejoicing and laughing at the glorious theatre of it all. His third ball after four years and now this. Only sport can do this. Archer wheels away, his face full of elation - it is a moment of sheer release for the bowler Eventually, Archer returns to his mark. Spectators who have taken a break from the heat after the end of England's innings are thronging the walkways behind the Grandstand to try to get back to their seats to witness this. Usually, it is batters who are supposed to clear out bars but Archer's return is pure box-office. A gasp goes around the ground. It shows that Archer's wicket ball was measured at just shy of 90mph. Archer runs in for his fourth ball. More clapping, and even louder cheering. The new batter is Karun Nair, who is not in the best of form. He plays at the ball outside his off stump and misses it. There is a fever inside this grand old arena now. Everyone is gripped. It is taking us back six years to when Archer made his Test debut here and engaged Steve Smith in what turned into a battle for survival for the former Australia skipper. This over is a spectacle, too. It contains that element that England's attack has often been missing since Archer's injury woes began: fear. Fear and intimidation, those great friends of fast bowlers everywhere. Mark Wood can call on them, too. He has also been unlucky with injuries. The big screen flashes up in big figures that Archer's fourth ball was measured at 93mph. There is another gasp of delight and awe. The ground is in tumult. Archer runs in. The applause is even more raucous. Nair tries to fend the ball away to the off side but it squirts away towards midwicket. One more ball of the over to go. The heat is unsparing but Archer is relishing every moment. Even when he was clean bowled by Jasprit Bumrah towards the end of England's innings, he raised his eyes to the sky and smiled at the craft of his opponent. He is back in the arena, back in the thick of it, back on the biggest stage, back in the hearts of the England fans who have been longing for his return. Nair gets behind his sixth ball and prods it nervously into the leg side. The over is done. It is a wicket maiden. Archer turns and takes his cap from umpire Sharfuddoula. Up on his plinth, Father Time has turned to face St John's Wood, but he is still removing the bails from his wicket.
BBC News
9 hours ago
- BBC News
South Africa rescue point against Tanzania at Wafcon
Veteran defender Bambanani Mbane rescued South Africa as the defending Women's Africa Cup of Nations champions had to settle for a 1-1 draw against Tanzania in Group showing intent and creating more chances, it was hardly surprising when returning Twiga Stars captain Opah Clement opened the scoring in the 24th minute in forward's header from a free-kick beat Kaylin Swart, although the South Africa goalkeeper perhaps should have done better with her positioning.A double substitution at half-time injected more energy into Banyana Banyana and the holders levelled in the 70th minute when Mbane found the net with the shot following a had to close out the game with ten players after Winfrida Gerald was shown a straight red card with six minutes remaining following a VAR check for a poor clip from behind on the ankles of Linda Africa moved back to the top of Group C, level on four points with Mali but ahead of the West Africans on goal difference. Those two sides meet in the final round of games on Monday with a place in the quarter-finals virtually assured.A first point for Tanzania keeps their hopes of reaching the knock-out stages alive, but the East Africans must beat Ghana, who drew 1-1 with Mali earlier on Friday, to have a chance of progressing.
Daily Mail
11 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Jofra Archer is England's Jasprit Bumrah, Joe Root declares after the fast bowler made 'X-factor' return in third Test against India
Joe Root declared it a pure joy to witness Jofra Archer 's latest fast bowling theatre at Lord's after the 2019 World Cup hero struck with his third ball back in Test cricket. Archer, 30, had a full house of 30,000 on its feet when he ended a four-year absence with a ferocious first over from the pavilion end, including the dismissal of India opener Yashasvi Jaiswal. 'It was class, wasn't it? That atmosphere - it was a genuine joy seeing him back playing Test cricket. Everyone's excitement to see him playing again,' said Root. 'Bowling 94mph, getting a wicket first over, that's the kind of player he is. He's clearly X-factor. Someone that does things others can't. He complements nicely what we've already got in the attack. 'It's a bit like India turning to Jasprit Bumrah. He can create something different for you. It's great to see him being so impactful and keeping his pace up. There's more to come from him.' Root began the day unbeaten on 99, having woken up at 1.30am playing every possible dismissal over in his head, and although he put overnight jitters behind him by celebrating a 37th Test hundred, he was dismissed soon afterwards by Bumrah, who marked his return after being rested in India's win at Edgbaston last week with a five-wicket haul. England looked like folding in the wake of Bumrah's burst, but a partnership of 84 between Jamie Smith and Brydon Carse hoisted them to 387 and India resume this morning on 145 for three. Following his five for 75, Bumrah reckoned a match on a sluggish surface is finely balanced, adding: 'We don't come here very often. You never know how many matches you'll get to play here. As a child, you see a lot of Test cricket played here. Being on the honours board feels good.'
