South Africa captain Wiaan Mulder declared on himself this morning, 33 runs shy of Brian Lara’s record for the highest individual score in a Test innings.
Captaining South Africa for the first time as they faced Zimbabwe, he was 367 not out at lunch in the second day of the second Test.
Windies legend Lara set the bar at 400 not out in 2004, facing England in Antigua, but Mulder opted against challenging that record. He broke his own record of 380 in doing so.
He explained his decision after the fact, saying 367 runs was enough for South Africa.
“I thought we had enough and we need to bowl,” he shrugged. “Secondly, Brian Lara is a legend, let’s be real. He got 401, or whatever it was, against England.
“For someone of that stature to keep that record is pretty special. I think if I get the chance again, I would probably do the same thing.
“Let the legends keep the really big scores. You never know what’s my fate, or what is destined for me, but I think Brian Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be.”
With plenty of time still left in the test, it was expected he would bat into the second session to chase down Lara’s record but Mulder turned down the chance and declared at lunch, to put Zimbabwe into bat.
The 27-year-old all-rounder had come in at No. 3 with South Africa on 24-2 after being put into bat on the opening day on Sunday and was 264 not out at the close as he rallied his side to finish the day on 465-4.
He had a fortunate break when on 247 he was bowled, only for a no ball to be called as Tanaka Chivanga had overstepped.
But the rest of Mulder's impressive innings was chanceless as he brought up his 300 in Monday's morning session, off 297 balls for the second fastest triple century in test cricket.
He then passed Hashim Amla's record test score for a South African of 311 not out against England at the Oval in 2012 and got to 350 in 324 balls before going to lunch 367 not out.
It put him fifth in the all-time list, ahead of the likes of fellow triple centurions Gary Sobers and Donald Bradman, and behind Lara (400 not out and 375), Australian Matthew Hayden (380) and Sri Lanka's Mahela Jayawardene, who hit 374 against South Africa in Colombo in 2006.
Additional reporting: Reuters
