All-rounders Mulder and Bosch help Proteas crush Zimbabwe in first Test

South Africa crushed Zimbabwe by 328 runs to take a one-nil series lead in their two-match Test series against their neighbours in Bulawayo.

All-rounders Wiaan Mulder and Corbin Bosch did a large part of the damage for the Proteas, each scoring a century, with Mulder taking a four-wicket haul in the first innings and Bosch collecting five scalps in the second.

The last time a South African achieved the feat of a century and a five-wicket haul in the same match was 23 years ago, Jacques Kallis in 2002. Bosch joins a list of only 40 cricketers in the history of Test cricket to achieve that accomplishment.

Despite the historic triumph, it was South Africa’s third centurion in the match that walked away with the player of the match award. Lhuan-dre Pretorius’ first innings 163 off 160 set the tone for the Proteas to springboard their victory off.

Coming in at number five with the team on 23 for three on the first morning of his debut Test, the nerves were understandably rumbling in his stomach. But those were evidently set quickly after he skipped down the wicket and whacked left-arm orthodox spinner Willington Masakadza back over his head for six on only the fourth ball he faced in international cricket.

Pretorius and other Test debutant Dewald Brevis (51 off 41) put on 95 off 88 deliveries, after coming together on 55 for four, to help South Africa rebuild to a substantial first innings score.

Pretorius and Bosch (100 not out off 124 deliveries) later came together for a partnership of 108 to push South Africa close to 300. After Pretorius fell, Bosch led the tail to beyond 400 on his way to a maiden career century in professional cricket.

Mulder masterclass

Codi Yusuf, the third debutant in the side, led the bowling attack with a whole-hearted showing, steaming in relentlessly. He collected three first innings wickets, for his efforts in what was a pitch that offered support for the new ball.

Zimbabwe’s leading batter, Sean Williams (137 off 164 balls) racked up his sixth career Test ton as the ball became softer and conditions became easier to bat but he had very little support from the other end with no one else in the lineup passing 40.

Mulder displayed supreme control and just enough movement to undo the batters around Williams with Zimbabwe bowled out for 251. South Africa will be pleased with the effort especially given the control struggle Kwena Maphaka and Bosch had in the first innings.

With a lead of 167, South Africa just needed to see out the new ball to set as high a score as they wanted. But opener Matthew Breetzke (13 and one) failed to do that for the second time in the match while his partner Tony de Zorzi (zero and 31) didn’t fare much better, fighting for every run in the second innings.

Mulder though, fresh off bowling 16 overs – more than any other fast bowler – creamed his first boundary to the point boundary and looked set for a long stay from the outset.

Just more than 200 balls, 147 runs and a day later, Mulder was dismissed after nailing a drag down off Wessly Madhevere straight to the deep midwicket fielder. It was an innings of class from South Africa’s new number three that may have cemented his spot, although it hasn't been set yet.

Wrapping up

The pitch, expectedly, gripped and turned as the match went on as leg spinner Vincent Masekesa ripped one from wide outside off stump into first-innings hero, Pretorius’ (four off six) stumps. Brevis (three off nine) tried to hoick Masekesa a few overs later and saw his furniture disturbed as well — both youngsters unable to add to their impressive first innings showings.

South Africa’s tail wagged again, Bosch dismissed this time, dropping his average to an incredible 108.5 after four innings. As he and a Keshav Maharaj half century took the team to 369 all out.

South Africa had it all their way for more than half of Zimbabwe’s innings as the neighbours chased an improbable 536 to win.

Yusuf again troubled the top order, with three wickets, and Bosch ran through the middle order on his way to five wickets for 43 runs in an outstanding Test match for the all-rounder.

Brevis picked up the last wicket of Tanaka Chivanga, stumped by Kyle Verreynne for his maiden Test wicket, after the Zimbabwean bowlers exhibited some mettle with the willow.

The 328 run loss is Zimbabwe’s greatest by runs in Test cricket.

Stand-in skipper Maharaj, while happy with the team’s performance, mentioned a few aspects the side need to work on for the second Test starting on 6 July.

“Starting up front, in trying conditions, we can be a little bit more cautious in certain aspects,” he said.

“But also with the ball we can be a little bit more tidy in terms of not bowling too many bad balls.

“And in the second innings of our batting, we could have been a little bit more ruthless and not give too many soft dismissals away because it would have been a lovely opportunity for someone to really kick on past the 150 mark and go on for bigger high honours.” DM