Proteas Make History in Bulawayo with 10th Straight Test Victory

South Africa has rewritten Test cricket history with a commanding innings and 236 run victory over Zimbabwe at the Queens Sports Club in Bulawayo, marking their tenth consecutive win in the format.

A Historic Victory in Bulawayo

This Test wasn’t just another match. It was South Africa’s 10th straight win in Test cricket, a format known for its difficulty and unpredictability. Their opponent, Zimbabwe, was playing at home in Bulawayo but couldn’t match South Africa’s intensity or skill.

South Africa batted first and declared at 626 for 5. The star of the show was Wiaan Mulder, who scored an unbeaten 367 runs. 

“It was super special... something I had dreamt of as a kid,” Mulder said after the game.

“To captain your country is one of the biggest honors you can get as a cricketer,” he added.

Mulder, who was leading the team in the absence of injured captains Temba Bavuma and Keshav Maharaj, also contributed with three wickets and three catches, proving he could lead from the front.

Zimbabwe’s Struggles

For Zimbabwe, the match exposed the gap between them and the world’s top teams. In two innings, they scored 170 and 220, just 390 runs in total, slightly more than what Mulder scored on his own.

Though players like Nick Welch (50) and Craig Ervine (49) showed some fight, the team never looked close to challenging South Africa.

This defeat also continued a long and painful trend for Zimbabwe: they haven’t won a Test match in Bulawayo since 2001. That’s now 22 straight Tests at this venue without a single win.

“We’re not in the World Test Championship,” a Zimbabwean journalist pointed out, “but this exposed the gap.”

South Africa’s streak began in August 2024 and includes wins over a variety of teams in very different conditions:

• A close 40 run win over the West Indies
• A 2-0 series sweep in Bangladesh, known for tricky spin pitches
• A home sweep against Sri Lanka
• A hard fought series against Pakistan
• And a World Test Championship final win over Australia at Lord’s in England

Six of these ten wins came outside South Africa , a big deal in cricket, where teams usually play better on their home pitches.

 An expert noted , “It’s about adapting. Bangladesh’s spinning dustbowls, England’s swing, Zimbabwe’s pace , they’ve conquered them all.”

Their success isn’t driven by one or two superstars but by teamwork. Mulder has led with the bat and ball, Corbin Bosch has delivered with the ball, and Senuran Muthusamy has handled spin duties. It’s this shared responsibility that’s helping the team thrive.

South Africa now ranks fourth on the list of most consecutive Test wins in cricket history. Only Australia (with two 16-win streaks) and the West Indies (11) are ahead.

While the team now turns its attention to a T20 tri-series with New Zealand and Zimbabwe, the big question is whether they can keep this form going.