South Africa cricket captain sacrifices chance to break Brian Lara's world record as he DECLARES just 33 short of 400 - and explains why he did it
Mulder opted to bring an end to his innings 33 runs shy of Lara's landmark as his side posted 626 for five against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.
His surprising decision not to continue was immediately vindicated as Codi Yusuf had Takudzwanashe Kaitano caught behind off the first ball of the innings. Zimbabwe were all out for 170, with Mulder taking two for 20 in his six-over spell.
Mulder's declaration left West Indies great Lara as the only quadruple centurion in a Test innings, against England in Antigua in 2004, but he insisted he had no regrets.
He said in his post-match interview: 'First things first - we had enough to bowl (at).
'Brian Lara is a legend. He got 400 or 401 or something against England and for someone to keep that record, it is special.
'I spoke to Shuks (head coach Shukri Conrad) - and spoke about letting the legends keep (that record). Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be.'
He added: 'To be honest, I have never even dreamt of getting a double hundred, let alone a triple hundred, (but) most importantly, it has put the team in a good position to win this Test.'
Lara also made 375 against England in Antigua a decade before his 2004 feat. That mark was beaten by Matthew Hayden's 380 for Australia against Zimbabwe in 2003, only for Lara to reclaim top spot six months later.
Mahela Jayawardene made 374 for Sri Lanka against the Proteas in 2006, with Mulder passing Sir Garry Sobers' 365 not out for the West Indies against Pakistan in 1958 for fifth place on the all-time list.
His innings was a South African record, comfortably surpassing Hashim Amla's unbeaten 311 against England in 2012 which was their only previous triple century.
Conrad described his skipper's knock as 'nothing short of extraordinary'.
He said: 'Being the captain, then batting at number three where had to absorb early pressure and face the new ball, which he did with immense composure and control - it was unbelievable.
'The way he constructed his innings, session by session, was a masterclass in temperament and shot selection.
'It's the kind of performance that anchors a team and sets the tone for the entire match. We're incredibly proud of what he's achieved today.'
Cricket South Africa director of national teams and high performance Enoch Nkwe added: 'It was a truly world-class performance that will be remembered for generations.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
Pressure mounts on Australia openers as lean run continues in third West Indies Test
The questions around Australia's openers are set to linger ahead of the Ashes, after Sam Konstas and Usman Khawaja's difficulties against West Indies continued. After winning the toss and batting in the third and final Test in Jamaica, Australia went to dinner on the first evening at 138 for three with Konstas out for 17 and Khawaja 23. Cameron Green was also bowled for 46 before the second break, with Steve Smith 36 not out and Travis Head unbeaten on three on a day where selectors made the shock call to leave out Nathan Lyon. Still, all eyes remain on Australia's top order, with Khawaja's 47 in the first Test in Barbados the only score from either opener above 25 in this Frank Worrell Trophy series. The 38-year-old Khawaja fought through a torrid opening session on Saturday (Sunday AEST), as the pink Dukes ball was moving and regularly beat the bat. But the left-hander was superbly caught behind by Shai Hope on 23, edging a ball that was angled back in at him from around the wicket by Shamar Joseph. Konstas had also shown signs of digging in, before being lbw for 17 after moving to an off-stump guard for this Test. He at one stage faced 18 straight dot balls early, while surviving a run-out scare and edge to third slip on consecutive deliveries while on one. Konstas threatened to find some rhythm when he hooked Alzarri Joseph's first ball for four and later punched the quick to the point boundary off the back foot. But the 19-year-old fell lbw to Justin Greaves' first ball and his series average sits at just 10. Khawaja's is 20.6, with one innings remaining in Australia's last Test before this summer's home Ashes. Australia have battled with the opening spot since David Warner's retirement, after Smith's aborted move up the order last year and Nathan McSweeney's three Tests last summer. Marnus Labuschagne also opened in the World Test Championship final loss to South Africa, for scores of 17 and 22 before being dropped. The other chief talking point of Saturday was the omission of Lyon, with Scott Boland coming in for the day-night Test. Sign up to The Spin Subscribe to our cricket newsletter for our writers' thoughts on the biggest stories and a review of the week's action after newsletter promotion Lyon has played every Test he has been fit for since the second Test of the 2013 Ashes, racking up 100 consecutive matches after that. The spinner then suffered a calf tear at Lord's in 2023 and missed the final three Tests of that Ashes, before returning to the side for the start of the next summer. While the day-night Tests are generally thought to suit the quicks under lights, Lyon has a better record with pink balls than red. This Test is being played with a Dukes ball rather than a Kookaburra, with the Windies' two tweakers finding some turn. Lyon has had strong returns of nine wickets at 18.33 in a series dominated by quicks, but bowled only 32.3 overs across two Tests. West Indies also made a big call, dropping out-of-form ex-captain Kraigg Brathwaite, ending his run of 90 straight Tests.
Daily Mail
3 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Veteran Aussie bowler Nathan Lyon axed for final Test against West Indies in 12-year first
The questions around Sam Konstas ahead of the Ashes are set to linger, with the teenage opener out for 17 on the first day of the third Test against West Indies. After winning the toss and making the bold call to overlook a fit Nathan Lyon for the first time in 12 years on Saturday, Australia went to the first break at 1-50 in Jamaica. Usman Khawaja fought through 71 balls at Kingston's Sabina Park to remain unbeaten on 16, after a tough session for Australia's top order where the pink ball regularly went past the edge. Cameron Green was alongside Khawaja at the break on six, having overturned an lbw decision on review. Konstas fought hard for his 17, but it ultimately leaves the 19-year-old with a return of 50 runs at an average of 10 for the first five innings of the three-Test series. Taking up more of an off-stump guard, Konstas survived an edge to third slip on one after narrowly avoiding being run out the previous ball. Konstas threatened to find a rhythm when he hooked Alzarri Joseph's first ball for four, and later punched the first-change quick to the point boundary off the back foot. But the right-hander's reconfigured guard ultimately left him trapped lbw, hit on the pad from the first ball of Justin Greaves' spell. Australia are desperately searching for answers at the top ahead of this summer's Ashes, with neither Konstas nor Khawaja firing in the first two Tests in the Caribbean. The other chief talking point of the morning session was the omission of Lyon, with Scott Boland coming in for the third and final Test. Lyon has played every Test he has been fit for since the second Test of the 2013 Ashes, racking up 100 consecutive matches after that. The spinner then suffered a calf tear at Lord's in 2023 and missed the final three Tests of that Ashes, before returning to the side for the start of the next summer. While the day-night Tests are generally thought to suit the quicks under lights, Lyon has a better record with pink balls than red. But pace has dominated this series, with seamers accounting for 67 of 78 wickets across the first two Tests. Lyon has played every Test he has been fit for since the second Test of the 2013 Ashes Lyon has had strong returns of nine wickets at 18.33, but has bowled only 32.3 overs. Australia can also use Travis Head and Beau Webster's spin if needed. West Indies also made a big call, dropping out-of-form ex-captain Kraigg Brathwaite among three changes.
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Why players need to stop worrying about the state of the ball and my advice for players when it comes to stump-mic: BUMBLE ON THE TEST
England ended day three of the third Test at Lord's on parity with India in what is developing into an enthralling contest at the Home of Cricket. KL Rahul's sublime century looked to have put India on top, only for England to surge back with the ball and end the day two runs ahead after facing a solitary over of their second innings. After a fascinating day at Lord's, Mail Sport delivers its latest edition of BUMBLE ON THE TEST. Why the ball should stop being changed I agree with Nasser Hussain that the players are far too precious regarding the cricket ball. Of course it gets old, soft and out of shape. I've played since 1965 and it always has. So I suggest the ICC issue a directive and say the ball can only be changed at 80 overs unless the stitching has burst. And the umpire should leave the ball ring in the pavilion! All ready for blast-off in the Blast Let me turn your attention to the T20 Blast. We're not losing any overs there. Yorkshire took bragging rights for Act One of the Roses clash courtesy of an exhilarating Jonny Bairstow century and a blistering 90* from Will Luxton. Four teams are locked at the top of the North with 28 points and Lancashire head over the M62 on Thursday for Act Two at Headingley. Umpires complicit with slow play Surely it is abundantly clear now that the pace of the game is a major problem. There's so many interruptions to the flow of the game. The players are primarily to blame and the umpires are complicit. Drinks, gloves, pills, towels and now back massages on the field of play. Whatever next? Probably a barber to deliver a quick trim. It's all nonsense. Breaking down Stokes' brilliance What an absolute worldie from Ben Stokes to get rid of Rishabh Pant and it was a dream for the fielding coaches too. I'll break it down in stages - the instinct to anticipate, quick to the ball, a clean pick up, turning the body, an instant release and an accurate throw. Technically spot on. Stokes was excellent with the ball too. The man makes things happen. It always makes me chuckle when few verbals are overheard on the stump mic. Mohammed Siraj and Shubman Gill were goading England's batters about playing boring cricket and England were no angels either. It's all part of the game but just be careful when you pick your enemy, particularly if you're batting. My advice is to keep schtum. Jadeja is my kind of cricketer Just when England thought they had a sniff, up pops Ravindra Jadeja. 36 years of age and possibly an unsung hero. Three half-centuries on the trot. He gets it done. A lovely batsman, a fabulous fielder and give him a spinning pitch and he'll deliver. He likes a bit of mischief too and is never afraid to get under the skin of the opposition. My type of cricketer. Atkinson appears in club game Word got out that Gus Atkinson was playing for Spencer CC in the Surrey Championship at Sunbury CC yesterday. I think that is terrific. Anyways, Atkinson didn't get a wicket across eight overs, which tells you how high the standards are. He then batted at three, getting a quickfire 32. If you're a cricketer, then don't sit and watch cricket. Go and play. Temper, temper Tempers flared at the back end of an enthralling day, that was largely played at pedestrian pace. It was another instance of time-wasting that summed this Test up perfectly. The verbals from India were sheer frustration. Zak Crawley was hell-bent and got his way. The umpires are powerless. They should have said that we're getting these two overs in, come what May.
