Bulawayo, July 8, 2025 — South Africa showcased sheer dominance in red-ball cricket, defeating Zimbabwe by an innings and 236 runs in the second and final Test at Queens Sports Club to complete a clean sweep of the two-match series.
The match ended inside three days, underlining South Africa’s growing strength in the longer format of the game.
South Africa declared their first innings at a mammoth 626/5, built around a historic, unbeaten 367 from captain Wiaan Mulder. Zimbabwe, in response, crumbled to 170 all out in their first innings and could only muster 220 in the second. The result is South Africa’s most emphatic Test victory in recent years, wrapping up the series 2-0.
From the outset, South Africa controlled the tempo. After early setbacks on Day 1, Mulder combined with David Bedingham and then Lhuan-dre Pretorius for game-changing partnerships. Mulder’s 367 not out was the highest individual score in a Test innings by a South African in over a decade, reflecting both patience and power.
Mulder, who was named both Player of the Match and Player of the Series, expressed immense pride in leading South Africa to such a dominant result. “It’s something I dreamt of as a young boy — captaining my country in a Test and contributing like this. We’re building something special,” he said. He credited players like Codi Yusuf and Prenelan Subrayen for stepping up, noting the importance of collective effort.
Zimbabwe, meanwhile, were outclassed across all departments. In their first innings, only Sean Williams offered resistance with a blistering 83*. In the second innings, Nick Welch (55) and Craig Ervine tried to mount a fightback, but it wasn’t enough. The disciplined South African bowling attack, featuring Bosch, Muthusamy, Subrayen, and Yusuf, struck at regular intervals, preventing any substantial partnerships.
Zimbabwe captain Craig Ervine admitted his side fell short in the second Test, despite some positives in the first. “We lost key players like Bennett and Masvaure, but we still should’ve done better. South Africa were just too good,” he said.
The win marks South Africa’s eighth consecutive bilateral Test series victory and extends their unbeaten home streak to twelve. Their consistent performances with both bat and ball underscore why they remain a force in world cricket.
As South Africa now look ahead to future challenges, Zimbabwe are left to regroup. Their young squad showed glimpses of promise, but the gap in quality was evident. The white-ball series may offer a better opportunity to bounce back, but for now, South Africa reign supreme in the Test arena.