He finished with figures of 4/50.
South Africa all-rounder Wiaan Mulder registered excellent figures of 4/50 to rattle hosts Zimbabwe for 251 on Day two of the first Test at Bulawayo’s Queens Sports Club on Sunday. Zimbabwe were replying to South Africa’s first-innings total of 418/9 declared, meaning that Zimbabwe conceded a 167-run lead.
Zimbabwe were off to a shaky start in their first innings after they lost Kaitano and Nick Wetch in the first five overs as they were restricted to 23/2. Brian Bennett, the other Zimbabwe opener, retired hurt in the eighth over to worsen the hosts’ worries. However, there was still some hope for Zimbabwe as Sean Williams (137) and skipper Craig Ervine (36) forged a 96-run stand before the latter was dismissed in the 34th over.
The turnaround for South Africa came from the 43rd over, when Wiaan Mulder struck to dismiss Wesley Madhevere. Wesley Madhevere was struck plumb LBW after going for a flick shot but eventually missing it.
In the 47th over, the 27-year-old struck once again to see off Prince Masvaure, who was edged and caught by Kyle Verreynne. In the 49th over, Wiaan Mulder got rid of Tafadzwa Tsiga, who was caught by Codi Yusuf at deep backward point. By now, Zimbabwe were in trouble at 201/6 and once Sean Williams was dismissed by Keshav Maharaj in the 66th over, the hosts’ hopes of a comeback in the first innings perished.
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Wiaan Mulder then struck for the fourth and final time in the innings after he cleaned up Blessing Muzarabani in the 67th over. That was the fall of Zimbabwe’s penultimate wicket before the wicket of Tanaka Chivanga in the very next over.
At stumps on Sunday, South Africa were 49/1 in the second innings with Tony de Zorzi (22) and Wiaan Mulder (25) at the crease. The visitors lost Matthew Breetzke (1) with Tanaka Chivanga striking in the second over.
Wiaan Mulder was part of South Africa’s World Test Championship (WTC) winning squad, as they defeated the then defending champions Australia by five wickets in the summit clash.
Prior to the WTC final, Mulder was also part of the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) team in IPL 2025. He was named as a replacement for the injured Brydon Carse before the start of the season. e played the only IPL 2025 game of the season against Delhi Capitals (DC) in Visakhapatnam on March 30. He scored nine runs from 11 balls, hitting a boundary, but finished with figures of 0/16 from one over with the ball.
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