Proteas seamers rip through Zimbabwe's middle-order to close out record-breaking Test win

Corbin Bosch bowled the Proteas to victory for the second time within a week after the visitors completed a 2-0 clean sweep of their northern neighbours Zimbabwe at the Queens Sports Club on Tuesday.

Bosch, who bagged his maiden five-for in the first Test, followed it up with 4/38 to dismiss the hosts for 220, earning the Proteas a comprehensive innings and 236-run victory. It was the Proteas' 10th successive Test win, thereby surpassing the previous record of nine achieved between 2002 and 2003.

The current victory run by the World Test Champions started against the West Indies in August 2024.

Zimbabwe’s top-order showed greater resilience than their paltry first-innings effort with Takudzwanashe Kaitano (40, 76 balls, 5x4) and Nick Welch (55, 126 balls, 3x4, 2x6) delaying the Proteas’ inevitable charge towards victory. 

The duo unfortunately both fell to the left-arm spin of Senuran Muthasamy (3/77) after being well-set, although Welch should have been dismissed earlier already after being dropped on 25 by David Bedingham off Muthasamy.

Zimbabwe’s most experienced batter Sean Ervine (11) could not follow up his first innings heroics and saw his off-stump uprooted by Player of the Match Wiaan Mulder.

Captain Craig Williams fought a lone battle from thereon as the Zimbabwe middle-order succumbed to the Proteas pacers Codi Yusuf (2/38) and Bosch.

Yusuf has been highly impressive across the two matches, finishing as the leading wicket-taker after picking up Wessly Madhevere and Tafadzwa Tsiga to finish with 10 scalps in his debut Test series. 

The Lions seamer has certainly put his name into the frame for further Test caps, depending on the conditions, when the Proteas frontline seamers return.

But it was Bosch’s return to the attack that saw to the end of Williams’ vigil (49, 95 balls, 6x4) before Muthasamy picked up his third to finish off the Zimbabwe innings.

The Test will, though, always be remembered for Mulder's sensational 367 not out in the Proteas' first innings with the stand-in skipper becoming the holder of South Africa's highest individual Test score.

Second Test, Queens Park Oval

Proteas: 626/5 (Mulder 367*, Bedingham 82, Pretorius 78)

Zimbabwe: 170 (Williams 83 *, Subrayen 4/42, Mulder 2/20, Yusuf 2/20) & 220 (Welch 55, Ervine 49, Bosch 4/38, Muthusamy 3/77, Yusuf 2/38)

Proteas won by an innings and 236 runs