South Africa’s stand-in Test captain Wiaan Mulder etched his name into cricketing folklore on July 7 with a stunning unbeaten 367 against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo — the fifth-highest individual score in Test cricket history.
Leading a depleted Proteas squad in the second Test at Queens Sports Club, the 27-year-old right-hander delivered a commanding performance, hammering 49 fours and 4 sixes in a dazzling 334-ball innings. He declared the innings at lunch on day two with South Africa sitting comfortably at 626-5, despite being just 33 runs short of Brian Lara’s legendary 400*.
Mulder, promoted to No. 3 after an early collapse at 24-2, had ended day one on 264 not out. His innings included a moment of luck — bowled on 247 by Tanaka Chivanga, only to be reprieved by a no-ball.
He reached his triple century early on day two from just 297 balls — the second-fastest in Test history, behind only Virender Sehwag’s 278-ball effort in 2008. From there, Mulder blazed past records, surpassing Hashim Amla’s South African best of 311*, as well as legendary knocks by Len Hutton (364) and Garry Sobers (365*).
With a strike rate of 109.88, Mulder now holds the record for the highest strike rate among triple-centurions in Test cricket. He is also only the second South African to notch a triple-century — and the first to do so while captaining the side.
Only four players have ever scored more in a single Test innings: Matthew Hayden (380), Mahela Jayawardene (374), and Brian Lara twice (375 and 400*).
Zimbabwe now face an uphill task with three days left in the match, trailing 1–0 in the two-Test series.
