South Africa stand-in captain Wiaan Mulder declares on 367*, fifth-highest Test score

Wiaan Mulder, captaining South Africa for the first time in only his 21st Test, posted the fifth-highest individual Test score by blasting an unbeaten 367 off 334 balls in Bulawayo against Zimbabwe.

But Mulder, only 33 runs away from Brian Lara‘s 21-year world-record score of 400*, from St. John’s in 2004, declared at lunch with South Africa on 626-5 on the second day of day two.

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Along the way, Mulder also became the 29th Test cricketer and only the second South African- after Hashim Amla (311*) in 2012- to score a triple-century.

Ending day one at 264*, Mulder brought up his triple century off 297 balls in the first hour of the second day, the second-fastest after Virender Sehwag’s 278-ball effort (vs South Africa in 2008).

From there, Mulder scored his next 67 runs in only 37 balls in No. 7 Kyle Verreynne’s company.

Once Mulder went past Len Hutton‘s 364 and Garfield Sobers‘ 365* before lunch, he was in the top five with only Mahela Jayawardene (374), Lara (375), Matthew Hayden (380) and Lara (400*) ahead of him.

Mulder’s runs came at breakneck speed and comprised 49 fours and four sixes. His innings strike-rate of 109.88 is now the best among all triple-centurions.

He is also the first South African captain to score a Test triple-century as he is standing in for the injured Keshav Maharaj. (ESPNcricinfo)