Corbin Bosch claimed the wicket of Zimbabwe opener Takudzwanashe Kaitano in the final over to leave the home team on 32 for one in 18.2 overs in their second innings, still 505 runs shy of the unlikeliest of victories on the third day of the first test at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo on Monday.
Earlier, Wiaan Mulder’s superb 147, his second and biggest test ton after his first against Bangladesh last year, had guided South Africa to 369 all out in their second innings, setting Zimbabwe a world record target of 537 for victory in more than two days.
On a pitch that appeared slightly more docile than on the previous two days, Kaitano and Prince Masvaure batted with great diligence to deny the South African seamers and spinner Keshav Maharaj almost until the close, but in the end they were unable to keep a clean sheet as Bosch found the edge of Kaitano’s defensive push.
The ball flew low to Lhuan-dre Pretorius at third slip who made no mistake with the catch.
Maharaj’s five overs indicated that he will be a danger to the Zimbabwean batters on the fourth day with the left-arm spinner getting turn and bounce on a drying surface.
Indeed, Masvaure was dropped by Tony de Zorzi at short leg – a very tough chance – when the left-hander got an inside edge to a defensive push six overs before the close.
For most of the day, it was South Africa’s batters, and particularly Mulder, who dictated play as they clinically built on their first-innings lead of 167.
Mulder batted fluently and securely through the morning session, reaching his hundred in the final over as his team reached lunch on 185 for five – already a handsome lead of 352.
Mulder, an excellent allrounder, is often underestimated as a cricketer in the SA squad, but he has certainly come out of the shadows in this test, claiming four wickets in the Zimbabwe first innings and then a century with the bat.
ZIM A BOWLER SHORT
Zimbabwe’s problems were not entirely of their own making.
Strike bowler Blessing Muzarabani – excellent in his late spell on Sunday evening – was unable to bowl for most of the South African innings because he was feeling “unwell”.
Even when he had recovered sufficiently to take his place on the field, he still had to wait until well into the afternoon session before he was allowed to bowl.
In his absence Zimbabwe had to rely on spinners Wellington Masakadza, part-timer Wessly Madhevere and leggie Vincent Masekesa to support their sole paceman, Tanaka Chivanga.
Chivanga did claim the first wicket of the day, after South Africa resumed on 49-1, when he had De Zorzi caught at second slip by Sean Williams for 31.
De Zorzi’s departure ended a stand of 63 in 101 balls with Mulder.
David Bedingham and Mulder played positively against some loose bowling, adding a further 72 in 64 balls, before Bedingham, who had treated an errant Masakadza harshly, picked out the only fielder on the onside when he attempted to pull a short delivery from the left-arm spinner.
Bedingham departed for 35 in 39 balls, including four fours and a six.
Zimbabwe then built up a further head of steam thanks to legspinner Masekesa who bowled at a brisker pace and with more accuracy than in the SA first innings, achieving some significant turn at times.
He accounted for two of the South African debutants cheaply, Pretorius and Dewald Brevis, both bowled.
Pretorius left himself room to cut but was undone by sharp turn out of the footmarks while Brevis was beaten through the air as he attempted a big on-drive.
COMPOSED AND CLINICAL
Mulder, however, remained composed and clinical, playing fine strokes all around the wicket and going to his hundred in the last over of the session, driving Chivanga through the covers off the back foot.
Thereafter, South Africa scored easy runs in the afternoon session against a tired and depleted attack and a spread-eagled field.
Mulder and Kyle Verreynne took their sixth-wicket partnership to 104 in 131 balls before Mulder, just three short of the 150 mark, was caught on the midwicket boundary off part-time offspinner Wessly Madhevere.
His superb innings came in 206 balls and included 17 fours and two sixes.
Verreynne’s wicket fell at the same score, 259, when he pushed forward to Masakadza and was nicely taken at slip by Ervine to depart for 36.
The fall of wickets didn’t disturb South Africa’s momentum and Maharaj and first innings century-maker Bosch comfortably added 77 in 88 balls for the eighth wicket with Maharaj going into tea on 40 and Bosch 32.
There was little real tension in the action with Zimbabwe resigned to conceding runs.
Zimbabwe did miss one chance when Bosch was caught at slip by Ervine off the bowling of Muzarabani after he returned to action after his long break.
Unfortunately for the lanky pace bowler, he had overstepped and Bosch was spared.
Bosch did not survive much longer, however, being bowled by Masakadza for 36, and Maharaj followed soon after, also to Masakadza, after completing his sixth test 50.
Muzarabani did not go empty-handed, cleaning up Maphaka to end the innings.
Zimbabwe’s legspinner, Vincent Masekesa, was given the opportunity for an extended bowl and did well to claim the wickets of two of South Africa’s debutants, Pretorius and Brevis.
He also showed much greater control than in the visitors’ first innings.
The main wicket-taker, however, was Masakadza who took 4-98 off 22 overs.
Chivanga’s two-for enabled the paceman to claim a match haul of six wickets, a record for a Zimbabwean bowler against South Africa.
ZIMBABWE: Brian Bennett, Takudzawanashe Kaitano, Nick Welch, Sean Williams, Craig Ervine (capt), Wessly Madhevere, Tafadzwa Tsiga (wk), Wellington Masakadza, Vincent Masekesa, Tanaka Chivanga, Blessing Muzarabani
SOUTH AFRICA: Matthew Breetzke, Tony de Zorzi, Wiaan Mulder, David Bedingham, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Dewald Brevis, Kyle Verreynne (wk), Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Codi Yusuf, Kwena Maphaka
