All-rounder Wiaan Mulder struck a fine hundred and in the process helped South Africa equal a unique record — three batters scoring their maiden Test hundreds for the first time in the same Test in 75 years — as the visitors tightened their grip on the second Test against Bangladesh in Chattogram on Wednesday. Mulder scored an unbeaten 105 off 150 balls on the second day of the match and joined Tony de Zorzi (177) and Tristan Stubbs (106) as the third South African batter to reach three figures in the match, helping the visitors post a mammoth 573/6 declared in their first innings.
De Zorzi, Stubbs, and Mulder scored their maiden centuries in their fifth, eighth, and sixteenth Tests respectively, marking a rare occurrence as this is only the second time that such a thing has happened.
The first time this happened was in November 1948, when West Indies toured India. In the first match of the series in Delhi, they scored 631 in the first innings thanks to centuries from Clyde Walcott (152), Gerry Gomez (101), Everton Weekes (128) and Robert Christiani (107). Walcott, Gomez and Christiani scored their first centuries in Test cricket, while it was Weekes’ second.
On Wednesday, South Africa reduced Bangladesh to 38/4 in nine overs in their first innings, with Kagiso Rabada bagging 2-8 in the first over. Dane Paterson and Keshav Maharaj picked a wicket apiece for 15 and four runs respectively as the hosts landed in trouble early on.
Earlier, resuming on their overnight score of 307/2, De Zorzi and David Bedingham continued to add runs at a brisk pace to South Africa’s score. De Zorzi went on to reach 150 off 235 balls while Bedingham completed his half-century in 70 balls, as they added 116 runs for the third wicket. Bedingham was castled by Taijul Islam for 59 and De Zorzi too departed soon, trapped leg-before by Taijul for 177, off 269 deliveries, his knock studded with 12 fours and four sixes.
South Africa lost couple of early wickets before Wiaan Mulder and Senuran Muthusamy (68) not out) got together to put on 152 for the unfinished seventh wicket partnership as South AFrica reached a mammoth total.
With their bowlers striking early blows, Aiden Markram‘s side is in a very good position to push for a clean sweep of the two-Test series after winning the first Test at Mirpur by seven wickets.
Brief scores:
South Africa 575/6 decl (Tony de Jorzi 177, Tristan Stubbs 106, David Bedingham 59, Kyle Verreynne 105 not out, Senuran Muthusamy 68 not out; Taijul Islam 5-198) lead Bangladesh 38/4 in 9 overs (Mahmudul Hasan Joy 10; Kagiso Rabada 2-8) by 537 runs.
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