Mulder seals South Africa crushing Zimbabwe in heaviest innings defeat in 20 years
BULAWAYO, Zimbabwe (AP) — Wiaan Mulder suitably took the last catch for South Africa to hand Zimbabwe its heaviest innings defeat in 20 years and clean sweep their two-test series on Tuesday.
The recently crowned world test champion Proteas won the second test by an innings and 236 runs inside three days at Queens Sports Club.
South Africa’s winning streak was extended to a new record of 10 tests.
Zimbabwe was dismissed for 170 in 43 overs on Monday and, forced to follow on, succumbed on 220 in 78 overs on Tuesday afternoon.
Zimbabwe’s match total of 390 runs was just 23 more than Mulder made on his own in his first test as captain in the absence of the injured Temba Bavuma and Keshav Maharaj.
His record-setting 367 not out, the all-time fifth highest individual score, propelled South Africa to 626-5 declared. In a dream game for the allrounder, he also took three wickets and three catches. Mulder was named the player of the match and series.
“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 the day on 51-1 and lost two wickets in the morning, including the dangerous Sean Williams, who tried to block Mulder and lost his off stump on 11.
Before lunch, Nick Welch achieved his third 50 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 took 4-38, fellow pacer Codi Yusuf 2-38 and Muthusamy 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.
South Africa is hanging around to play Zimbabwe and New Zealand in a Twenty20 tri-series from Monday.
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