Tag: South Africa

HARARE: Debutant Bevon Jacobs and Tim Robinson’s gutsy knocks, followed by an all-round bowling effort, led New Zealand to a 21-run victory over South Africa here on Wednesday.

The New Zealand vs South Africa match was the second fixture of the tri-series played at the Harare Sports Club.

Chasing a target of 174 runs, South Africa’s innings folded on 152 in 18.2 overs.

In pursuit of the target, the Proteas had a rapid start, scoring 34 in just 3.2 overs. However, the Black Caps laid the first blow, removing dangerous Lhuan-dre Pretorius, who struck 27 off 17 deliveries with the help of six fours.

South Africa’s progress was dented further in the next over as Rubin Hermann (1) was caught by Matt Henry off Jacob Duffy’s bowling, reducing them to 35-2.

The wickets continued to tumble as Mitchell Santner removed Reeza Hendricks ( 16 off 12 balls), which reduced South Africa to 50-3 at the end of the powerplay.

South Africa’s half of the side went back to the pavilion by the ninth over as Rassie van der Dussen and Senuran Muthusamy fell in quick succession.

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The scorecard read 62-5 when Dewald Brevis arrived at the crease, who tried to lift South Africa out of the trouble. He forged a quick-fire 39-run stand of 20 balls with George Linde, bringing the score near 100 at the halfway stage of the innings.

Brewis looked impressive for his 35 off 18 deliveries, laced with three sixes and a four; however, he was caught off Matt Henry’s bowling. George Linde put in a valiant effort with 30 off 20 balls, striking two sixes and a four, bringing down the equation to 38 off the last four overs.

However, New Zealand put on a clinical bowling effort at the death to bundle out the rainbow nation.

For Black Caps, Matt Henry and Jacob Duffy picked up three wickets each, while seasoned bowler Ish Sodhi was clinical with two wickets.

Earlier, after being put in to bat first, New Zealand posted 173-5 in their allocated 20 overs, thanks to a rearguard effort from debutant Bevon Jacobs and Tim Robinson.

The duo put on a mammoth 103-run partnership to lift New Zealand out of trouble after a shambolic batting performance from their top order.

The Black Caps were reduced to 70-5 in only 9.3 overs; however, Robinson (75* off 57) featuring three sixes and six fours and Jacobs (44* off 30) with the aid of three fours and a six powered them to a formidable total.

For South Africa, Kwena Maphaka scalped two wickets. Lungi Ngidi, Senuran Muthusamy and Gerald Coetzee chipped in with two wickets each.

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HARARE: South Africa continued their dominance over Zimbabwe after securing a five-wicket win despite a fighting half-century from Sikandar Raza in the opening match of a Twenty20 international tri-series at Harare Sports Club on Monday.

New Zealand will play its first match of the tournament when it meets South Africa at the same venue on Wednesday.

Zimbabwe were restricted to 141 for six after being sent in, with captain Sikandar Raza top-scoring with 54 not out. Sikandar Raza’s knock was laced with three fours and two sixes.

Both teams showed multiple changes following a two-match Test series in Bulawayo, which South Africa won comfortably.

Opening bowler Lungi Ngidi took a wicket and conceded only seven runs in a three-over opening spell.

Left-arm spinner George Linde took three for 10, including two wickets for four runs in the last over.

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South Africa lost three wickets in the six-over power play against aggressive left-arm fast bowler Richard Ngarava and seamer Trevor Gwandu.

But new cap Rubin Hermann (45) and hard-hitting player of the match Dewald Brevis, who thrashed 41 off 17 balls, put on 72 for the fourth wicket to ensure a comfortable win.

South African captain Rassie van der Dussen praised the two young batters. “There was a little bit of pressure up front,” he said. “Losing three wickets in the power play was not ideal, but their partnership was brilliant.”

Brevis hit five sixes and a four in his innings, including three successive sixes off leg-spinner Ryan Burl.

Sikandar Raza praised Ngarava and Gwandu, who took three for 35 and two for 15, respectively.

“It was the first game of the winter (in Harare) and we weren’t sure of the wicket,” said Raza of his team’s batting performance. At least we know these are going to be high-scoring games,” Sikandar Raza concluded.

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Australia Test captain Pat Cummins has opted out of the upcoming white-ball matches against South Africa in August, choosing instead to focus on conditioning ahead of a busy home summer and the highly anticipated Ashes series later this year.

Cummins, who was already rested from the ongoing T20I series against West Indies, will now extend his break from competitive cricket.

Star players Mitchell Starc and Travis Head have also been rested from the Caribbean white-ball series, while Josh Hazlewood and Spencer Johnson have been withdrawn from the T20I leg as well.

Cricket Australia (CA) confirmed that Hazlewood is expected to return for the ODI series against South Africa, which will be played across Darwin, Cairns, and Mackay. However, he will skip the T20Is.

Fast bowler Xavier Bartlett and explosive batter Jake Fraser-McGurk have been named as replacements for the West Indies T20Is.

As for Cummins, the 31-year-old will now enter a strength and recovery phase.

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The pacer confirmed during a press conference in Jamaica that he plans to return for the short T20I tour of New Zealand in early October.

“I’ll have a good training block over the next six weeks or so,” Cummins said.

“Probably not bowling, but lots of gym work. The body feels pretty good, but there are always little bits and pieces you’re trying to get right before building up for the summer.”

Despite being Australia’s ODI captain, Pat Cummins has only led the side twice in the format since their World Cup triumph in 2023.

He also missed the ICC Champions Trophy earlier this year while managing an ankle injury during the home Test series against India.

Australia’s ongoing T20I series against West Indies begins on July 20, with the first two matches scheduled at Sabina Park in Jamaica, followed by the remaining three in St Kitts.

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South Africa all-rounder Wiaan Mulder has opened up about his conversation with former West Indies captain Brian Lara following a surprise declaration against Zimbabwe in the second Test. 

Mulder, who was Proteas’ captain in place of injured Keshav Maharaj, scored a monumental 367* run knock in the second Test against Zimbabwe. However, the 27-year-old decided to declare the innings 33 runs short of Brian Lara’s 400* runs record despite having ample time in the match.

With this feat, he became Proteas’ highest run scorer in Test cricket. Mulder’s knock was peppered with 49 fours, just shy of John Edrich’s world record of 53 boundaries, along with four maximums.

Highest individual scores in Test cricket:

• 400* – Brian Lara vs England, 2004
• 380 – Matthew Hayden vs Zimbabwe, 2003
• 375 – Brian Lara vs England, 1994
• 374 – Mahela Jayawardene vs South Africa, 2006
• 367* – Wiaan Mulder vs Zimbabwe, 2025

Following his imperious knock, Wiaan Mulder shared his thoughts at the end of the day’s play, where he emphasized that Lara’s record should remain unbroken. “Brian Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be,” he said.

Now, Wiaan Mulder has revealed that he chatted with the legendary batter following his knock.

“I’ve chatted a little bit to Brian Lara. He [Lara] said to me I’m creating my own legacy, and I should have gone for it,” he revealed.

“He said records are there to be broken and he wishes if I’m ever in that position again I go and score more than what he had,” Wiaan Mulder added.

Despite Lara’s approval, Mulder remained adamant about not breaking the world record.

“It’s super special and not something I would have dreamt of,” said the 27-year-old. “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 concluded.

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Former West Indies captain Chris Gayle has launched a scathing attack on South Africa’s Wiaan Mulder for forgoing the chance to break Brian Lara’s world record.

Last week, Proteas stand-in skipper Mulder played a monumental 367* runs knock against Zimbabwe. By doing this, he etched his name in South African history for recording the highest individual score in the longest form of the game.

However, Wiaan Mulder left the cricket fraternity amused when he decided to declare South Africa’s innings just when he was 33 runs shy of Gayle’s teammate Brian Lara, record of 400* runs.

The 27-year-old innings was peppered with 49 fours, just shy of John Edrich’s world record of 53 boundaries, along with four maximums.

At the end of the day’s play, Wiaan Mulder revealed the reason behind not going past the legendary batter’s record.

“We had enough to bowl at. Brian Lara is a legend. He scored 400 or 401 runs against England, and for someone to hold that record, it is special. I spoke to Shuks (Shukri Conrad) and spoke about letting the legends keep that record. Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be,” he said.

Now, Chris Gayle has shed light on Wiaan Mulder’s decision, noting that such opportunities come rarely.

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“If I could get the chance to get 400, I would get 400,” Gayle said.  “That doesn’t happen often. You don’t know when you’re going to get to a triple-century again. Any time you get a chance like that, you try and make the best out of it.”

“Come on, you’re on 367, automatically you have to take a chance at the record. If you want to be a legend… how are you going to become a legend? Records come with being a legend.

Chris Gayle called Mulder’s decision an error on his part, stating it was a once-in-a-blue-moon opportunity.

“I think it was an error from his side, not to try and go to get it,” Gayle said. “We don’t know if he would go on and get it or not. But he declared on 367, and he said what he had to say. But listen, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get 400 runs in a Test match. Come on, youngster, you’ve blown it big time,” Gayle explained.

The left-handed explosive batter said Mulder crumbled under pressure and made a big mistake.

“Like I said, he panicked and he blundered, straight up,” he concluded.

For the unversed, Chris Gayle, popularly known as the T20 giant, has two triple centuries to his name in Test cricket. He recorded his best score, 333, against Sri Lanka in Galle back in 2010.

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New Zealand opener Finn Allen has been ruled out of the upcoming T20I tri-series in Zimbabwe, starting July 14, after sustaining a foot injury during the ongoing Major League Cricket (MLC) 2025 season.

Allen, who was representing the San Francisco Unicorns, picked up the injury during the league stage and will not be available for the MLC playoffs either.

The Unicorns are scheduled to face MI New York in the Eliminator on Wednesday, but have opted not to name a replacement for Finn Allen.

According to a statement issued by New Zealand Cricket (NZC), Allen’s recovery timeline will be determined once he returns to New Zealand and undergoes further specialist consultations.

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“Allen’s recovery timeline will be determined once he has returned to New Zealand and received further specialist consultations,” the statement read. “A replacement player will be named in due course.”

It’s worth noting that during Unicorns’ final league game against Los Angeles Knight Riders on July 6, Finn Allen was dismissed for 4 in the first over during a steep chase of 244.

Despite that, Allen finished the league stage as the Unicorns’ second-highest run-scorer with 333 runs in nine matches.

His tally includes a record-breaking 151 against Washington Freedom in the tournament opener in Oakland, the highest individual score in MLC history.

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BULAWAYO: South Africa captain Wiaan Mulder has revealed the reason behind selflessly forgoing Brian Lara monumental batting record in the second Test against Zimbabwe.

Wiaan Mulder delivered a record-breaking performance in the ongoing South Africa vs Zimbabwe Test, smashing his maiden triple century and surpassing a long-standing record held by legendary Hashim Amla.

The right-handed batter scored 367* off 334 deliveries, peppered with 49 fours and four maximums. However, the all-rounder decided to declare the Proteas innings just when he was 33 runs short of Brian Lara’s 400* run world record.

While speaking at the end of the day’s play, the Proteas’ stand-in skipper, Wiaan Mulder, shared his thoughts after scoring a record-breaking knock for South Africa.

“To be honest, I have never even dreamt of getting a double hundred, let alone a triple hundred. Most importantly, it has put the team in a good position to win this Test,” he said.

Highest individual scores in Test cricket

400* – Brian Lara for West Indies v England, Antigua 2004

380 – Matthew Hayden for Australia v Zimbabwe, Perth 2003

375 – Brian Lara for West Indies v England, Antigua 1994

374 – Mahela Jayawardene for Sri Lanka v South Africa, Colombo 2006

367* – Wiaan Mulder for South Africa v Zimbabwe, Bulawayo 2025

“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 (Shukri Conrad) – and spoke about letting the legends keep (that record). Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be,” he added.

He also shed light on the learnings from some of the great players, noting that he was not good enough when he started playing cricket.

“When I started playing for South Africa, I was nowhere near good enough. Have had the opportunity to learn from some great players (past and present).”

“Going to England really gave me a chance to understand what kind of batter (I want to be) and figure out (my weaknesses). Lots of lessons (from my time in England). There were so many thoughts like you have got enough.”

Wiaan highlighted the moment he got bowled out on a no-ball while playing at 247 runs during the second South Africa vs Zimbabwe Test.

“When I got bowled on 247, a lapse of concentration, there was so much negative happening. But there was a lot of positive thinking happening as well. Just singing my song between balls, trying to keep myself natural and present, tried feeling my shoes to stay in the moment and not think too far ahead,” Wiaan concluded.

READ: Wiaan Mulder breaks Hashim Amla’s record with historic triple century

BULAWAYO: South Africa captain Wiaan Mulder delivered a record-breaking performance on Monday during the second Test against Zimbabwe, smashing his maiden triple century and breaking a long-standing record of legendary Hashim Amla.

Resuming Day 2 on his overnight score of 264, the all-rounder didn’t take long to bring up the milestone, reaching his triple hundred in just 297 balls.

In doing so, Mulder registered the second-fastest triple century in the history of Test cricket, only behind Virender Sehwag’s 278-ball effort against South Africa in 2008.

Fastest triple hundreds in Test cricket (by balls faced):

• 278 – Virender Sehwag vs South Africa, 2008

• 297 – Wiaan Mulder vs Zimbabwe, 2025

• 310 – Harry Brook vs Pakistan, 2024

• 355 – Wally Hammond vs New Zealand, 1933

• 362 – Matthew Hayden vs Zimbabwe, 2003

• 364 – Virender Sehwag vs Pakistan, 2004

Mulder didn’t stop at 300. He went on to surpass Hashim Amla’s long-standing record of 311 not out, the previous highest individual Test score by a South African, set at The Oval in 2012 against England.

Highest individual scores by South Africans in Tests:

• 367* – Wiaan Mulder vs Zimbabwe, 2025

• 311* – Hashim Amla vs England, 2012

• 278* – AB de Villiers vs Pakistan, 2010

The 27-year-old also etched his name in the record books as the first player to score a triple century in his debut innings as Test captain.

In the process, he also overtook Graeme Smith (277) for the highest score by a South African captain in Test cricket.

Highest scores by South African captains in Tests:

• 367* – Wiaan Mulder vs Zimbabwe, 2025

• 277 – Graeme Smith vs England, 2003

• 259 – Graeme Smith vs England, 2023

As of this writing, Mulder is playing on 367, which is the joint-sixth highest individual score in Test cricket.

With this innings, he went past legends like Gary Sobers, Sanath Jayasuriya, Hanif Mohammad, and Don Bradman in the list of highest individual scores.

Highest individual scores in Test cricket:

• 400* – Brian Lara vs England, 2004
• 380 – Matthew Hayden vs Zimbabwe, 2003
• 375 – Brian Lara vs England, 1994
• 374 – Mahela Jayawardene vs South Africa, 2006
• 367* – Wiaan Mulder vs Zimbabwe, 2025

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BULAWAYO: South African all-rounder Wiaan Mulder etched his name into the record books after becoming the highest individual scorer ever on Test captaincy debut.

The right-handed batter, who replaced injured Keshav Maharaj as skipper, came in at No. 03 with South Africa in a precarious position of 24-2.

Wiaan Mulder reached the milestone on the last ball of the 80th over, smashing Wellington Masakadza for a four over the backward square leg boundary.

Highest Individual Test Score on Captaincy Debut

Wiaan Mulder 240* vs Zimbabwe, Bulawayo 2025

Graham Dowling 239 vs India, Christchurch 1968

Shivnarine Chanderpaul 203* South Africa Georgetown 2005

Earlier, Wiaan Mulder reached his maiden double century on the fourth ball of the 74th over, smashing Wellington Masakadza for a four over midwicket.

With this feat, he became the first player from South Africa and the overall third to score a double century while playing his first match as captain. Previously, New Zealand’s Graham Dowling and West Indies’ Shivnarine Chanderpaul have achieved this feat.

Earlier, the 27-year-old also broke the record for the highest individual score on captaincy debut for the Rainbow Nation.

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He took a single off the fifth ball of Blessing Muzarabani’s 43rd over to reach the three-figure milestone. With his century, he became the third South African player to score a century on his captaincy debut.

South African Captains With Century on Test Debut

Herbie Taylor vs England, 1913
Jackie McGlew vs England, 1955
Wiaan Mulder vs Zimbabwe, 2025

At the time of filing this story, the Proteas were in a dominant position of 425-4 with still 9 overs left in the day’s play of the second South Africa vs Zimbabwe Test.

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Cricket South Africa (CSA) has appointed all-rounder Wiaan Mulder as the captain for the second Test against Zimbabwe, following the exclusion of stand-in skipper Keshav Maharaj due to a groin injury.

Maharaj suffered the aforementioned injury during his batting stint on day three of the series opener in Bulawayo.

The veteran left-arm spinner will return home for further medical assessments, with the extent of the injury yet to be confirmed.

In Maharaj’s absence, Mulder has been handed the captaincy for the second and final Test, set to begin on Saturday.

Meanwhile, left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy has been called up as a replacement for Maharaj.

South Africa head into the second Test with a 1-0 lead after a dominant 328-run win in the opening match at Queens Sports Club.

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The Proteas’ new-look side made a bold statement, with debutant Lhuan-dre Pretorius stealing the spotlight through a remarkable 153-run knock in the first innings.

Wiaan Mulder was equally impressive, making his presence felt in both departments.

After grabbing a crucial four-for in Zimbabwe’s first innings, he followed it up with a gritty century batting at number three, setting the tone for South Africa’s second-innings declaration.

The visitors posted 418/9 in the first innings and 369/6 in the second, setting Zimbabwe a daunting 537-run target.

The hosts’ chase faltered early, and despite some resistance from Wellington Masakadza (57) and a spirited cameo by Blessing Muzarabani (32* off 29), they folded for 208.

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