The all-rounder has been in fine form off late
South Africa have been trying to find the right No.3 for their Test set-up for a while now. Over the last two years, the Proteas have tried five different batters for the most crucial batting position in red-ball cricket which includes the likes of Tristan Stubbs, Tony de Zorzi, Ryan Rickleton and Raynard van Tonder for a couple of games.
Stubbs has batted in that role in the five matches and averaged 58 with a hundred and a fifty but the team management have preferred the youngster at No.5 for the all-important World Test Championship (WTC) final which paid dividends as they went on to end their 27-year wait for an ICC trophy earlier this month at Lord’s.
AUSA-W
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INDA-W
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SVL
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ROR
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Match Abandoned due to rain
BVB
78/6
TBW
151/6
AMR
–
SVL
–
TBW
–
KNK
–
SIN-W
–
CAM-W
–
SIN-W
–
CAM-W
–
SKA
–
GAW
–
ABF
–
BR
–
ODW
139/8
SDS
23/2
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WDL
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NDT
–
CDK
–
NDS
–
NOR
180/5
HUN
118/8
Norway beat Hungary by 62 runs
NOR
195/3
SWE
93/10
Norway beat Sweden by 102 runs
SWE
123/4
HUN
122/7
Sweden beat Hungary by 6 wickets
HUN
95/5
NOR
165/6
Norway beat Hungary by 70 runs
SWE
177/6
NOR
183/4
SWE
–
HUN
–
HUN
–
NOR
–
NOR
–
SWE
–
HUN
–
SWE
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ZAS
134/6
SOS
135/4
Sir Oliver Split beat Zagreb Sokol by 6 wickets
RJM
86/9
ZGA
92/1
Zagreb Assassins beat Rijeka Markhors by 9 wickets
RJM
106/7
SOS
112/3
Sir Oliver Split beat Rijeka Markhors by 7 wickets
ZGA
101/9
SOS
103/1
Sir Oliver Split beat Zagreb Assassins by 9 wickets
JZ-W
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LL-W
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JZ-W
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LL-W
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JZ-W
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LL-W
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JZ-W
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LL-W
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DURH
171/10
NOR
321/8
Northamptonshire beat Durham by 150 runs
BB
189/10
MID
217/10
Middlesex beat Birmingham Bears by 28 runs
ESS
417/6
SURR
173/10
Essex beat Surrey by 244 runs
DER
315/10
WOR
316/6
Worcestershire beat Derbyshire by 4 wickets
HAM
253/3
LEI
252/10
Hampshire beat Leicestershire by 7 wickets
SUSS
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LAN
338/7
GLO
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GLAM
288/9
TCC
104/5
KGC
25/2
BNC
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NCMI
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JJ
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CEC-A
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SBSCC
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RTZ
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KZK
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PCR
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SML
62/6
BNB
63/2
Bengaluru Blasters won by 8 wickets
Toss delayed due to wet outfield
HBT
95/3
MGD
195/5
SML
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GBM
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MYW
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HBT
–
ROS
82/10
MAT
151/5
Majees Titans beat Royal Oman Stallions by 69 runs
MUT
124/6
RNC
112/10
Muscat Thunderers beat Renaissance Challengers by 12 runs
YSG
112/2
IAI
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MAT
–
MUT
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IAI
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ROS
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RNC
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YSG
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SLGR
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SLGY
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AUS
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SA
–
NOS
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BIP
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TRR
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SOB
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OVI
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WEF
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NOS-W
117/2
BIP-W
116/6
Northern Superchargers Women beat Birmingham Phoenix Women by 8 wickets
TRW-W
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SBW-W
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OIW-W
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WFW-W
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ACOM
161/5
HHA
162/3
Hobart Hurricanes Academy beat Australian Capital Territory by 7 wickets
MS-A
185/6
MR-A
189/5
Melbourne Renegades Academy beat Melbourne Stars Academy by 4 runs
CHK
143/8
PSA
141/7
Chicago Kingsmen beat Perth Scorchers Academy by 2 wickets
NTS
177/8
NEP
135/8
Northern Territory Strike beat Nepal by 42 runs
MR-A
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ACOM
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MS-A
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HHA
–
PS
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PSA
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BANA
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NEP
–
In fact, their search for a viable No.3 has been going ever since legendary all-rounder Jacques Kallis retired in 2014. Kallis, who was rock of the South African Test side for over two decades, ended his career as the third-highest runscorer in history with 13,289 runs and the second-most hundreds with 45 Test tons.
To match that legacy is no mean feat, but South Africa seemed to have found another fast-bowling all-rounder to be a fixture for the No.3 spot in Wiaan Mulder.
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Mulder was promoted to the critical role at the beginning of the year after much experimentation and are seeing the results.
In the ongoing first Test against Zimbabwe at Bulwayo, the 27-year-old has added more weight to his case for the spot with a brilliant 147 on the third day to put the World Test champions in a strong position to win the Test.
Mulder, who claimed 4-50 with the ball on second day, started the third day on a score of 25 and added 63 with De Zorzi and then 72 for the fourth wicket with David Bedingham. He stood firm when the Proteas kept losing wickets at the other end and reached his 100 in 149 balls.
He also added 104 runs for the sixth wicket with wicket-keeper Kyle Verreynne which took South Africa’s second innings lead past 400 runs.
He finally perished as the seventh wicket in Wessly Madhevere’s bowling.
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