ZIM vs SA, 2nd Test: South Africa completes easy victory over Zimbabwe to win series 2-0
South Africa completed an innings and 236-run victory over hosts Zimbabwe on the third day of the second test on Tuesday to convincingly sweep the two-match series at Queens Sports Club.
South Africa, which were put into bat and declared its first innings on 626-5, bowled Zimbabwe out for 220, having enforced the follow-on after skittling out the home side for 170 in its first innings.
Zimbabwe was 51-1 in its second innings overnight and, although it added 92 runs in the morning session, it regularly lost wickets and was all out before tea.
FOLLOW – ZIM vs SA highlights
Seamer Corbin Bosch took 4-38 to clean up the tail, with three wickets for spinner Senuran Muthusamy.
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.
With one of cricket’s significant milestones in his sights, and plenty of time left in the five-day contest, Mulder’s decision not to attempt to break the record was met with astonishment.
But the 27-year-old all-rounder, 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.
“Respecting the game is really important and Lara is one of the greatest ever to play the game and deserves to keep that record,” Mulder said at a press conference after play on Monday.
His knock, however, was the fifth-highest score in a test and a South Africa record. He also took three wickets and snagged three catches in the match.
South Africa rested most of the team that won the World Test Championship against Australia at Lord’s last month but still proved far too strong for their neighbours as they also won last week’s first test by 328 runs.
It has 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.
