Bulawayo (Zimbabwe): South Africa equalled its longest winning streak in men’s test cricket when it finished off Zimbabwe by 328 runs on Tuesday.
The ninth straight win for the world test champion tied the record of the 2002-03 Proteas.
Medium-pacer Corbin Bosch claimed a maiden five-for as Zimbabwe, set a target of 537, was bowled out for 208 in its second innings after lunch on day four.
Zimbabwe suffered its heaviest test defeat on runs.
Bosch struck on the day’s first ball, removing Nick Welch after he did the same with the last ball on Monday when opener Takudzwanashe Kaitano was caught at third slip.
Sean Williams prevented the hat trick, but Zimbabwe’s first-innings century-maker was among the five wickets to fall in the first hour.
Zimbabwe went from 32-1 overnight to 82-6, effectively the end of its unlikely chase.
The main resistance came from captain Craig Ervine with 49 and tailender Wellington Masakadza with 57, his maiden test half-century.
Bosch took 5-43 in his second test, and along with his unbeaten 100 in the first innings, became the first South African to do the hundred and five-for double in the same test since Jacques Kallis in 2002. He is only the fifth South African to achieve the feat.
South Africa, with only four of the 11 who won the World Test Championship at Lord’s last month, scored 418-9 declared and 369. Zimbabwe replied with 251 and 208.
The 19-year-old Lhuan-dre Pretorius was man of the match for his 153 on debut, and the other two debutants also starred; Dewald Brevis made 51 and took a wicket, and medium-pacer Codi Yusuf had figures of 3-42 and 3-22.
“I’ve had my eye on Lhuan-dre since the SA20, and he hasn’t looked back since in any format,”” Proteas stand-in captain Keshav Maharaj said. “He’s a mature young lad. To see how goes about his business in pressure situations was very heart-warming.
“And then there’s Dewald Brevis. Not many youngsters come into our system and express themselves the way he does. Bosch is new to the international scene, but he’s really fit in like a glove. To see him conquer both facets in this test match was really special.”
The teams stay at Queens Sports Club for the second and last test of the series starting on Sunday.
