Wiaan Mulder made headlines in the cricketing world by scoring an astonishing 367 not out during the second Test match against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. This extraordinary achievement upstaged the record of the fifth-highest personal score in Test history and the greatest of all time by a South African. Apart from that, it holds the record for his top score by any batter in an away Test.
At only 27 years of age, Mulder brought up his maiden triple ton of 297 deliveries, a remarkable display of skill and perseverance. It’s a truly monumental success as he reached his milestone! His score is just the second triple hundred of a South African cricketer, after Hashim Amla’s famous 311 not out against England at The Oval in 2012. Mulder’s miraculous work sent South Africa into terrifying shape at 626-5 at the break on day two of the Test.
Mulder was handed the captaincy of South Africa for the first time as regular skippers Temba Bavuma and Keshav Maharaj were injured. Before declaring the innings, he had a discussion with coach Shukri Conrad to make the right call. After making the declaration, he took to Twitter to unpack his discussion with cricketing legend Brian Lara.
“I’ve chatted a little bit to Brian Lara. He said to me I’m creating my own legacy and I should have gone for it,” Mulder stated.
Mulder made headlines when she came within 33 runs of Lara’s legendary record of 400 not out. His tribute to the all rounder revealed the admiration for the legendary cricketer’s illustrious record. He said, “Brian Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be.”
Coach Shukri Conrad quickly took Mulder under his wing during this important time in his career. He pushed him to step into his greatness and to value the great gift of archival documentation.
“Let the legends keep the really big scores,” Conrad remarked.
Mulder nearly had the opportunity to eclipse Lara’s record, but he was modest in accepting his achievement. Instead, he touted his team’s accomplishments and focused on the legacy he aims to create.
Leave a Reply