South Africa have completed their tenth Test victory in succession, thrashing Zimbabwe to win the two-Test series against their neighbours 2-0
South Africa have completed an innings and 236-run victory over hosts Zimbabwe on the third day of the second Test to convincingly sweep the two-match series at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo.
South Africa, who were put in to bat and declared their first innings on 5-626, bowled Zimbabwe out for 220, having enforced the follow-on after skittling out the home side for 170 in their first innings.
Zimbabwe were 1-51 in their second innings overnight and, although they added 92 runs in the morning session on Tuesday, they regularly lost wickets and were all out before tea.
Seamer Corbin Bosch took 4-38, Senuran Muthusamy 3-77 and Codi Yusuf 2-38.
Takudzwanashe Kaitano (40), Nick Welch (55) and skipper Craig Ervine (49) offered resistance in a clash best remembered for the decision by South Africa stand-in captain Wiaan Mulder not to chase down the highest score in a Test innings.
Mulder was 367 not out, 34 runs away from breaking Brian Lara’s 21-year-old landmark of 400 for West Indies against England, when he decided to declare the innings at lunch on the second day.
The 27-year-old allrounder, whose Test batting average before the match was 26.2, felt it would be inappropriate to dislodge one of the game’s greats from the record books.
It was, appropriately, Mulder who sealed victory catching Tanaka Chivanga off Muthusamy.
South Africa, who fielded an understrength side in both Tests, won last week’s first Test by 328 runs.
They have now won 10 successive Test matches and next take on Pakistan away in October. Zimbabwe’s next Test outing is a two-match series against New Zealand in Bulawayo that starts at the end of the month.
with AP
