Mulder Has the Final Hand as South Africa Trounces Zimbabwe in Heaviest Innings Defeat in 20 Years

Al Arabiya

08-07-2025

Wiaan Mulder had a fitting end to a fabulous debut as captain, taking the last catch for South Africa to hand Zimbabwe its heaviest innings defeat in 20 years and sweep the two-test cricket series.
Mulder scored 367 not out – 33 shy of the world record held by West Indies great Brian Lara – before declaring South Africa's innings, and he also took three wickets and three catches to help his team win the second test by an innings and 236 runs. Zimbabwe's match total of 390 runs was just 23 more than Mulder made on his own. The World Test Championship winners have now won a South African record 10 consecutive tests.
Zimbabwe was dismissed for 170 in 43 overs in its first innings and, forced to follow-on, succumbed on 220 in 78 overs by Tuesday afternoon. In the absence of the injured Temba Bavuma and Keshav Maharaj, Mulder was a star as captain. His 367 not out was the fifth-highest individual test score of all time and propelled South Africa to 626-5 declared.
'It was super special (to be captain). It's something I had dreamt of as a kid,' Mulder told broadcaster SuperSport. 'To captain your country is one of the biggest honors you can get as a cricketer. So it was a super proud moment for me and my family, and I am glad I could make the guys proud.'
Zimbabwe started Day 3 at 51-1 and lost two wickets in the morning, including Sean Williams, who tried to block Mulder and lost his off stump on 11. Before lunch, Nick Welch achieved his third half-century in his fifth test but was out soon after the break for 55 to a slip catch by Mulder off slow left-armer Senuran Muthusamy.
Welch's wicket began a slow collapse of seven wickets for 67 runs in 28 overs, highlighted by captain Craig Ervine's 95-ball resistance for 49. Corbin Bosch returned figures of 4-38, fellow pacer Codi Yusuf took 2-38 and Muthusamy had 3-77.
Zimbabwe's winless streak in Bulawayo was stretched to 22 tests – 17 of them losses – since 2001. The series marked South Africa's first test tour in 11 years to its neighbor, but the games were not counted in the World Test Championship as Zimbabwe was not in the WTC. The South Africa squad is remaining in Zimbabwe for a Twenty20 tri-series also involving New Zealand.