SOUTH AFRICA TOUR OF ZIMBABWE, 2025
Mulder hit a mammoth 264* on Day 1 of the second Test. © Zimbabwe Cricket
Key stats from the first day of the second Test between Zimbabwe and South Africa in Bulawayo:
1 Wiaan Mulder (264*) became the first captain to score 250-plus runs in their first innings as a Test captain, surpassing 239 runs by New Zealand’s Graham Dowling against India in Christchurch in 1968. He is only the third Test captain to score a double century in their debut innings. Mulder also became only second South African Captain after Graeme Smith (277 runs & 259 against ENG) to score 250-plus runs in a Test innings.
Most runs in 1st Test innings as a captain
Player Runs Team Opponent Venue Year Wiaan Mulder 264* SA ZIM Bulawayo 2025* Graham Dowling 239 NZ IND Christchirch 1968 S Chanderpaul 203* WI SA Georgetown 2005 Clem Hill 191 AUS SA Sydney 1910 Joe Root 190 ENG SA Lord’s 2017
3 Wiaan Mulder became the third ever South African, and the first in 70 years, to hit a century on captaincy debut in a Test. Jackie McGlew was the last to achieve this feat in 1955 against England in Manchester. Overall, he is the 34th Test captain to score a hundred in his debut match.
Century on captaincy debut for South Africa in Tests
109 – Herbie Taylor vs ENG, Durban, 1913
104* – Jackie McGlew vs ENG, Manchester, 1955
264* – Wiaan Mulder vs ZIM, Bulawayo, 2025*
7 Mulder is the seventh batter to score 250-plus runs in a single day’s play of a Test, and he is only the third batter to do so on Day 1. Currently, he is unbeaten on 264 runs, which is the sixth most runs in a single day. 264* runs by Mulder is the second-highest score on the first day of a Test match, only behind Don Bradman’s 309 runs against England in Leeds in 1930.
Most runs scored by a batter in a single day of a Test
Player Runs Team Opponent Venue Year Don Bradman 309 AUS ENG Leeds 1930 Wally Hammond 295 ENG NZ Auckland 1933 Virender Sehwag 284 IND SL Brabourne 2009 Denis Compton 273 ENG PAK Nottingham 1954 Don Bradman 271 AUS ENG Leeds 1934 Wiaan Mulder 264 SA ZIM Bulawayo 2025* Virender Sehwag 257 IND SA Chennai 2008
2 Mulder completed his double-century in 214 balls – this is the second fastest double century for South Africa in Tests behind Herschelle Gibbs’ 211 balls against Pakistan in Cape Town in 2003. He also became the fourth South African captain and first Proteas skipper in 9 years to score a Test double century since Hashim Amla’s 201 runs against England in Cape Town in 2016.
4 Mulder also now holds the record for South Africa to score fastest 250s in terms of balls (243). Overall, he is the fourth fastest (where known) to score 250-plus runs in terms of balls faced in Test after Ben Stokes (196 balls), Virender Sehwag (207 balls) and (225 balls), who have done it in fewer.
7.03 was the run rate of Mulder and Lhuan-dre Pretorius’s 217-run partnership in 185 balls – this is the highest run-rate in a 200-plus runs stand in Test Cricket where data is available. The previous highest being 6.94 when Zak Crawley and Joe Root added 206 runs in just 178 balls against Australia in Manchester in the 2023 Ashes.
465 is the most runs scored by any team in a day’s play of a Test match on Zimbabwe soil. This is also the seventh most runs scored by a team and the most by South Africa on the first day of a Test match. Proteas’ previous highest in a day’s play was 445 runs in Cape Town against Pakistan in 2003. England topped the list with 506 runs against Pakistan in the Rawalpindi Test in 2022.
Most runs on Day 1 of a Test match
506 – England vs Pakistan, Rawalpindi, 2022
498 – England vs Zimbabwe, Nottingham, 2025
494 – Australia vs South Africa, Sydney, 1910
482 – Australia vs South Africa, Adelaide, 2012
475 – Australia vs England, The Oval, 1934
471 – England vs India, The Oval, 1936
465 – South Africa vs Zimbabwe, Bulawayo, 2025*
© Cricbuzz
