South Africa's stand-in captain Wiaan Mulder etched his name in the history books by refusing to break one of the most coveted records in cricket – the highest individual score in a Test innings.
On the second day of the second Test against Zimbabwe at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, Mulder found himself 33 runs shy of West Indies great Brian Lara's record of 400 not out which was set 21 years ago against England in Antigua.
With South Africa well-placed on 626-5 at lunch on the second day, Mulder was expected to go for the record and declare. However, the Proteas declared the innings at lunch, with Mulder passing the opportunity to break Lara's record and remaining not out at 367. His innings came off just 334 balls and included 49 fours and four sixes.
Following the surprise decision, all-rounder Mulder was asked we he did not go after the record.
“First things first. I thought we’d got enough and needed a bowl. And, secondly, Brian Lara is a legend, let’s be real,” Mulder said at the close of play.
“He got 400 against England and for someone of that stature to keep that record is pretty special. I think if I get the chance again, I'd probably do the same thing.”
The 27-year-old said he also got support from coach Shukri Conrad.
“He said to me, ‘Let the legends keep the really big scores’. And you know, you never know what's my fate or what's destined for me, but I think Brian Lara keeping that record is exactly the way it should be.”
Still, Mulder finished with the fifth-highest Test score of all time after being 264 not out overnight.
Mulder then took two wickets as South Africa dismissed Zimbabwe for 170 in their reply and forced the follow-on.
Mulder is leading the side for the first time as a depleted Proteas take on their neighbours in a two-match series.
He had brought up 300 runs in Monday's morning session, scoring them off 297 balls for the second fastest triple century in Tests, and then passed Hashim Amla's record score for a South African of 311 not out against England at the Oval in 2012 and got to 350 in 324 balls.
Mulder was recently promoted up the order and before his triple ton averaged only 26.20 in 33 Test innings.
“To be honest with you, I've never even dreamt of getting a double hundred, never mind a triple hundred,” he said.
“But it’s super special and the most important thing is putting the team in a good position to hopefully win this Test.”
Mulder said playing county cricket for Leicestershire in England as well as batting in domestic cricket on the notoriously tricky Wanderers pitch in Johannesburg had helped him hone his game.
“Going to England gave me a chance to understand what kind of batter I wanted to be and to figure out some technical things.”
He also said current Zimbabwe coach Justin Sammons had played a big role while he was coaching in South Africa, particularly in playing the short ball.
Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Geneva from Dh2,845 return, including taxes. The flight takes 6 hours.
The package
Clinique La Prairie offers a variety of programmes. A six-night Master Detox costs from 14,900 Swiss francs (Dh57,655), including all food, accommodation and a set schedule of medical consultations and spa treatments.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
The National photo project
Chris Whiteoak, a photographer at The National, spent months taking some of Jacqui Allan's props around the UAE, positioning them perfectly in front of some of the country's most recognisable landmarks. He placed a pirate on Kite Beach, in front of the Burj Al Arab, the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland at the Burj Khalifa, and brought one of Allan's snails (Freddie, which represents her grandfather) to the Dubai Frame. In Abu Dhabi, a dinosaur went to Al Ain's Jebel Hafeet. And a flamingo was taken all the way to the Hatta Mountains. This special project suitably brings to life the quirky nature of Allan's prop shop (and Allan herself!).
Mrs%20Chatterjee%20Vs%20Norway
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Ashima%20Chibber%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Rani%20Mukerji%2C%20Anirban%20Bhattacharya%20and%20Jim%20Sarbh%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
RESULT
Arsenal 1 Chelsea 2
Arsenal: Aubameyang (13')
Chelsea: Jorginho (83'), Abraham (87')
Generation Start-up: Awok company profile
Started: 2013
Founder: Ulugbek Yuldashev
Sector: e-commerce
Size: 600 plus
Stage: still in talks with VCs
Principal Investors: self-financed by founder
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Company profile
Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
Employees: Five
Based: Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai
Financing stage: Two seed rounds – the first sourced from angel investors and the founders' personal savings
Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
The specs: 2018 Infiniti QX80
Price: base / as tested: Dh335,000
Engine: 5.6-litre V8
Gearbox: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 400hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 560Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 12.1L / 100km
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Racecard
6pm: The Pointe - Conditions (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m
6.35pm: Palm West Beach - Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (T) 1,800m
7.10pm: The View at the Palm - Handicap (TB) Dh85,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
7.45pm: Nakeel Graduate Stakes - Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (T) 1,600m
8.20pm: Club Vista Mare - Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,900m
8.55pm: The Palm Fountain - Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (D) 1,200m
9.30pm: The Palm Tower - Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,600m
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
