Mulder threatens Lara Test record before declaring
Wiaan Mulder set an individual South Africa Test batting best and came close to the world record before calling a halt to his team's innings on the second day of the second Test against Zimbabwe at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo on Monday.
Mulder was unbeaten on 367 when he declared during the lunch interval with South Africa on 626 for five.
Mulder, 27, went past the previous highest South African individual score of 311 not out set by Hashim Amla against England at The Oval in London in 2012.
He went on to make the fifth-highest score in Test history and was only 33 runs short of Brian Lara's record 400 not out for the West Indies against England in St John's, Antigua, in 2003/04.
Resuming on 264 not out, Mulder became the second South African triple centurion, reaching the mark off 297 balls – the second-fastest behind India's Virender Sehwag, who took 278 deliveries against South Africa in Chennai in 2007/08.
Mulder, captaining South Africa for the first time, equalled Amla's record then went past it with successive boundaries off fast bowler Blessing Muzarabani.
Mulder faced 334 balls and hit 49 fours and four sixes off an increasingly dispirited and largely toothless Zimbabwe bowling attack.
Brief scores:
South Africa 626-5 declared in 114 overs (W. Mulder 367 not out, D. Bedingham 82, L. Pretorius 78; T. Chivanga 2-112, K. Matigimu 2-120).
Match situation: South Africa have declared on 626 for five in the first innings.
Toss: Zimbabwe.
