Mulder's 367 top stories highlight South Africa's day of triumph
Mulder's 367 top stories highlight South Africa's day of triumph
South Africa’s Wiaan Mulder scored an unbeaten 367 against Zimbabwe before declaring 33 runs away from Brian Lara’s Test record(400*).
Wiaan Mulder’s performance on July 7, 2025, was not just impressive it was the kind of day that turns cricketers into legends. Just weeks after celebrating South Africa’s triumph in the World Test Championship, Mulder once again stepped into the spotlight, this time as the team’s stand-in captain. When he walked off the field at lunch unbeaten on 367, it looked unavoidable that he was headed towards breaking Brian Lara’s iconic record of 400 not out, a milestone that had stood tall for 21 years. But cricket, like life, loves its surprises. From the dressing room came the unexpected decision to declare the innings. Mulder had chosen the team’s needs over personal glory.
Naturally, this decision led to a lot of discussion. With Zimbabwe in trouble and almost two full days of play left, many questioned why Mulder didn’t take the chance to make history in Test cricket. After all, moments like this when everything comes together just right don’t happen very often. However, Mulder’s choice showed that cricket is a team game. By declaring, he chose to focus on putting pressure on Zimbabwe and aiming for a win instead of pursuing personal achievements.
His innings, however, was nothing short of phenomenal. Throughout his marathon knock, Mulder broke several national records. He surpassed the scores of South African greats like Gary Kirsten, Daryl Cullinan, Graeme Smith, and AB de Villiers. Then, with a flick off his pads, he cruised past Hashim Amla’s 311 to claim the highest Test score ever made by a South African. It was a proud moment, made even more meaningful by the presence of his father in the stands, who had flown in after hearing about Mulder’s promotion to captain.
From the first session itself, Mulder batted with a mix of control and dominance. The Zimbabwean bowlers offered little resistance, serving up short balls that he dispatched square of the wicket with ease. Even the second new ball did little to trouble him. His strokeplay was elegant but powerful, racking up 49 boundaries and four towering sixes, one of which sailed out of the ground. His triple century arrived with a calm clip off a low full toss, sparking jubilant celebrations among his teammates. It had come off just 297 balls, making it the second-fastest triple century in Test history, only behind Virender Sehwag’s 278-ball blitz against South Africa in 2008.
While Mulder dominated with the bat, he wasn’t done. With the ball in hand, he struck early to remove Wesley Madhevere and Craig Ervine. His delivery to Madhevere nipped back in and flattened the stumps, while the one to Ervine reared off the surface and was caught at backward point. However, the real bowling heroics came from spinner Prenelan Subrayen, who picked up 4 wickets with well-disguised flight and loop. Zimbabwe, suffering from a weak attack and even weaker resistance, crumbled to just 170 runs, with Sean Williams putting up a solo fight by smashing the fastest fifty by a Zimbabwean in just 32 balls. Unfortunately, he was left stranded on 83 when the last wicket fell.
South Africa enforced the follow-on, and though Zimbabwe batted cautiously in the final moments of the day to reach 51 for 1, they still had a long road ahead, needing 146 more just to pass Mulder’s score.
In the end, Mulder’s decision to declare may keep the statisticians wondering what could have been, but his selflessness, leadership, and all-around brilliance made it a day South African cricket will remember for a long, long time.