Bulawayo, July 06 (V7N) — South Africa’s Wiaan Mulder has etched his name into cricket’s record books, delivering a historic innings on his debut as Test captain. On the opening day of the Test match against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, Mulder smashed an unbeaten 264, setting a new world record for the highest score on a captaincy debut.

Mulder came to the crease at No. 3 and began his innings with confidence, reaching his half-century off just 53 balls. His scoring continued at a blistering pace — bringing up his century off 116 balls, 150 off 167 balls, and his double century off 214 deliveries. By the close of play, Mulder had faced 259 balls, striking 34 fours and 3 sixes at an impressive strike rate of 101.93.

The 264* surpassed the previous record of 239 set by New Zealand’s Graham Dowling in 1968, which had stood as the highest individual innings on a captaincy debut for 57 years.

Mulder also shattered a 112-year-old South African record, eclipsing Herbie Taylor’s 109 runs scored on his Test captaincy debut in 1913.

In the 148-year history of Test cricket, Mulder now becomes just the third player to score a double century on debut as captain. His performance adds him to an elite group among the 34 cricketers who have reached a century in their first match as captain.

The Proteas skipper’s remarkable innings not only highlighted his leadership credentials but also provided a dominant start for South Africa in this Test.

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