South Africa duly claimed a comprehensive innings and 236-run victory in the second match against Zimbabwe on Tuesday and in so doing stretched their current winning streak to 10 Tests.
Corbin Bosch ripped out Zimbabwe’s lower order taking 4/38 in day three at Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo as the hosts, who were bowled out for 170 in their first innings, capitulated for 220 the second time around. The South Africans wrapped up a 2-0 series win.
Codi Yusuf picked up two wickets, left-arm spinner Senuran Muthusamy three, while Wiaan Mulder ended an extraordinary match for him by knocking out the off stump of Zimbabwe’s best batter, Sean Williams.
Besides his record-setting 367 not out in South Africa's 626/5 declared, stand-in captain Mulder also picked up three wickets in the match along with four catches and any sense he should be concerned about his place has now been extinguished.
“I don’t actually care where they want me to play, I just want to play. Whatever plans they have for me, I’m happy to try and execute,” Mulder said.
He finished the series with 531 runs, seven wickets and five catches.
Zimbabwe resumed on 51/1 on Tuesday and lost opener Takudzwa Kaitano to the second ball from Muthusamy when he chipped a drive to Dewald Brevis in the covers. Williams, who scored a century in the first Test and 83 not out in the first innings of the second match, missed a straight ball from Mulder and lost his off stump after making 11.
Nick Welch and skipper Craig Ervine shared a partnership of 50 for the fourth wicket, with Welch registering his third Test half-century. Muthusamy produced a perfect delivery from around the wicket that pitched on the line of middle stump and spun, finding the edge of the right-hander’s bat to give Mulder, who dropped Welch earlier, an easy catch at slip.
Yusuf picked up two quick wickets and then Bosch dismissed Ervine for 49, and added two more wickets. Unfortunately for him he missed out on another five-wicket haul, leaving debutant Prenelan Subrayen to claim the final wicket of Tanaka Chivanga to seal victory.
For a young Proteas team, missing several starters who won the World Test Championship (WTC) at Lord’s last month, the series has given the management food for thought ahead of more important assignments in the subcontinent later this year.
Lhuan-dre Pretorius, one of five debutants for South Africa in the series, made an impressive century in his first Test innings, which he followed with 82 in the mammoth innings in the second Test. He may come into consideration for the series in Pakistan and India, which will be the start of the 2027 WTC cycle for the Proteas.
Yusuf is another who impressed with his disciplined lines that earned him 10 wickets in the series.
“To see the way Codi bowled, he took what he’s done so well domestically and brought it to the international arena, which is so pleasing,” Mulder said.
Bosch, who became the fourth South African player to take a five-for and score a hundred in the same Test last week, also finished the series with 10 wickets. While bigger names like Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen will reclaim their spots, Bosch’s all-rounder skills can’t completely be ignored.
Perhaps the only disappointment for the Proteas was their opening batters, who across a combined total of six innings scored 58 runs, with Tony de Zorzi’s 31 in the second innings of the first Test the highest score.
The surface in the first Test was tricky and Zimbabwean new ball bowlers Blessing Muzarabani and Chivanga — who had a good series with the ball — showed some threat, but the South Africans failed to put any pressure on the absent Aiden Markram and Ryan Rickelton.
The Proteas' next assignment is the triangular T20 series that starts in Harare next week and will feature the hosts and New Zealand.
South Africa, led by Rassie van der Dussen, face Zimbabwe in the first match of that competition on Monday.
