
South Africa's Mulder makes record score as new Test captain
Mulder made 264 not out, the highest score by a player in his first Test innings as captain, eclipsing Graham Dowling's 239 for New Zealand against India 56 years ago.
The 27-year-old all-rounder took over as skipper from the injured Keshav Maharaj and led from the front as the touring side thrashed the ball to all corners of the Queens Sports Club.
It was a second successive century for Mulder, who hit 147 in the second innings of South Africa's 328-run win in the first Test.
His century came up in 118 balls and his double ton in 214, the second fastest by a South African in Test cricket, and as the run rate increased he got to 250 off 243 balls including 35 boundaries.
South Africa, playing without many of the key players who helped them to win the World Test Championship final against Australia last month, were put into bat by Zimbabwe, who removed openers Tony de Zorzi (10) and debutant Lesogo Senokwane (3) cheaply in a positive start.
Gupta replaces Allardice as ICC chief executive
But Mulder, promoted up the order to number three since the Lord's final, and David Bedingham put on 184 runs for the third wicket before the latter was trapped lbw by Tanaka Chivanga for 82.
Teenager Lhuan-dre Pretorius was aggressive from the outset and scored 78 off 87 balls before top edging and being caught to end a 217-run partnership with Mulder.
After Pretorius was dismissed, Zimbabwe took the new ball and Mulder was bowled when on 247, only for a no ball to be called as Chivanga had overstepped.
Mulder will resume on Monday with Dewald Brevis, who is 15 not out, with Sunday's play halted by bad light just before the close.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Express Tribune
19 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Bumrah strikes for India as Eng post 387 in Test
India's Jasprit Bumrah (2R) celebrates with teammates after clean bowling England's Joe Root on the second day of the third cricket Test match at Lord's on Friday. PHOTO: AFP Jasprit Bumrah marked his India return by gaining a coveted place on the Lord's honours boards with a five-wicket haul before England paceman Brydon Carse's maiden Test fifty frustrated the tourists. Bumrah, the world's top-ranked Test bowler, took 5-74 in 27 overs as England were dismissed for 387 in their first innings after lunch on Friday's second day of the third Test. Bumrah's haul included a brilliant burst Friday of three for one in seven balls that reduced England, who resumed on 251-4, to 271-7, with the fast bowler dismissing captain Ben Stokes, century-maker Joe Root and Chris Woakes. But tailender Carse frustrated India with 56 after he shared a valuable eighth-wicket stand of 84 with Jamie Smith. England wicketkeeper Smith made India pay for dropping him on five with an innings of 51. That followed his impressive scores of 184 not out and 88 during India's crushing 336-run win in the second Test at Edgbaston last week. That victory meant India levelled this five-match series at 1-1 despite resting Bumrah in Birmingham. Initial interest Friday focused on whether Root, 99 not out overnight, would go on to make a hundred. In all 17 previous instances in Test cricket, batsmen who were 99 not out overnight completed their centuries the following morning. Root maintained the sequence off Friday's first ball, pushing a wide Bumrah delivery past gully for four. That fortunate boundary completed Root's 37th Test century, fifth on an all-time list headed by India's Sachin Tendulkar with 51 hundreds. Stokes, fit following a groin injury that hampered him on Thursday, had added just five runs to his overnight 39 when he was bowled by a Bumrah delivery that jagged back and smashed into off stump. Next ball, Woakes fell for a golden duck as he got a thin edge to reserve wicketkeeper Dhruv Jurel, still deputising after Rishabh Pant suffered a finger injury on Thursday. Carse survived the hat-trick delivery but England were still struggling at 271-7. Their position would have been even worse had KL Rahul not dropped a relatively straightforward slip chance when Smith had made just five, with Mohammed Siraj the unlucky bowler. Smith went onto complete a 52-ball fifty including a whipped four through midwicket off Bumrah, with Carse also flaying the paceman through the covers. However, Smith was out shortly after lunch when he was caught behind off the persevering Siraj. Bumrah then bowled Jofra Archer, playing his first Test after more than four years of injury exile, to complete his five-wicket haul. Carse was dropped on 45 when Akash Deep failed to hold a tough chance running back towards deep midwicket. But the unconcerned Carse went to fifty in style when he launched a Siraj slower delivery for a superb straight six to reach the landmark in 77 balls. South African-born Carse was dropped again before he was last man out hitting across the line against a yorker from Siraj, who finished with 2-85 in 23.3 overs.


Business Recorder
2 days ago
- Business Recorder
Brian Lara said I should have gone for his record: Mulder
Wiaan Mulder said West Indies batting great Brian Lara had told him he should have tried to break his record for the highest individual score in a Test match after the South African all-rounder stopped 34 runs shy of setting a new mark on Monday. Mulder was on 367 when he declared South Africa's innings at lunch on the second day of the second Test against Zimbabwe, turning down the chance to go for Lara's record of 400 not out registered against England in Antigua 21 years ago. Mulder said he felt he had no right to dislodge a legend like Lara, who had set the record against a much stronger opponent. 'Now that things have settled a little bit, I've chatted a little bit to Brian Lara,' Mulder told SuperSport. 'He said to me I'm creating my own legacy and I should have gone for it. He said records are there to be broken and he wishes if I'm ever in that position again, I actually go and score more than what he had.' Mulder, who has hit three centuries in 21 Tests, said he has no regrets about his decision in Bulawayo. 'That was an interesting point of view from his side, but I still believe I did the right thing and respecting the game is the most important part for me,' he added.


Express Tribune
3 days ago
- Express Tribune
'Williamson still wants to play for New Zealand'
New Black Caps coach Rob Walter says Kane Williamson still wants to represent New Zealand in international cricket despite opting out of the upcoming tour of Zimbabwe. The 34-year-old master batsman turned down a central contract with New Zealand Cricket for this season, enabling him to pick and choose his availability and take up lucrative contracts in franchise cricket. So instead of playing two tests in Bulawayo in late July and August, Williamson will be captaining London Spirit in The Hundred in England. "Myself and Kane have had a nice conversation, a long conversation," South African Walter told the New Zealand Herald. "It was really great to catch up with him and discuss cricket. It was great to get his lens on New Zealand cricket and the Black Caps. He's been so influential in their success over the years. "But then also to discuss what the future might look like. I've said it repeatedly, he's still very committed to the Black Caps, and wants to play international cricket. I don't think it'll be too long until we see that." After Zimbabwe, New Zealand play a Twenty20 series against Australia and two limited overs series against England in October before hosting West Indies in all formats at the end of the year. Williamson stood down as New Zealand's white-ball captain after the Black Caps exited the T20 World Cup last June but played in the Champions Trophy this year. Exactly what his involvement would be in the short-format game going forward would be a decision for Williamson and he would be welcomed with open arms, Walter said. "Quality players stay quality players, and they just work at finding a method to be successful in all formats," he added. "He's a generational talent, I've got no doubt he'd find a way. He's probably jostling with what that actually looks like for him personally. But as I said, quality players find a way." It is pertinent to mention that New Zealand Cricket (NZC) on Monday announced a 15-member squad for the two-match away Test series against Zimbabwe, scheduled to run from 30 July to 11 August in Bulawayo. The squad does not include key players such as Kane Williamson and Michael Bracewell. The series is not part of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC). Williamson has signed with Middlesex for the County Championship and will also represent London Spirit in The Hundred. For the unversed, Bulawayo's Queens Sports Club will host both Tests - the first from 30 July to 3 August, and the second from 7 to 11 August. New Zealand Test squad: Tom Latham (capt), Tom Blundell (wk), Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Matt Fisher, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Will O'Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Nathan Smith, and Will Young.