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Keshav Maharaj has become the first Protean spinner to reach 200 Test wickets, achieving this milestone by dismissing Craig Ervine.
Keshav Maharaj now has 200 Test wickets to his name (Picture credit: AFP)
Stand-in South Africa captain Keshav Maharaj on Sunday, June 29, became the first spinner from the country to bag 200 Test wickets, a massive feat for the 35-year-old, who is plying his trade for the Proteas in whites for the last nine years and is their main weapon in spin-friendly conditions.
Maharaj reached the feat when he dismissed his counterpart Craig Ervine in the 34th over, stumped by Kyle Verreynne.
Maharaj has been South Africa’s highest wicket-taking spinner for a while now, having gone past former offspinner Hugh Tayfield’s tally of 170 wickets long back.
Next on Maharaj’s list is former medium-pacer Vernon Philander, who picked 224 wickets from 64 Tests in his career.
Maharaj had earlier scored a 30-ball 21 at No. 9 for South Africa, helping them post a whopping 418/9 in the first Test against Zimbabwe. Watch the video of his 200th Test wicket here:
Earlier on Day 1 of the Test, teenager Lhuan-dre Pretorius smacked a dazzling 153 on debut and transformed South Africa’s fortunes on the first day of the first Test against Zimbabwe at Queens Sports Club on Saturday, June 28.
South Africa scored 418/9, a total which seemed unlikely when Pretorius arrived at the crease with his team in trouble at 23/3.
Pace bowling all-rounder Corbin Bosch, batting at number eight, made 100 not out, reaching his hundred in the last over of the day.
Pretorius, a southpaw aged 19 years and 93 days, became the youngest Protean to smack a Test hundred and the seventh from his nation to make a century on Test debut. He smacked a six off the fourth delivery he faced, from Wellington Masakadza, then smiled at batting partner Wiaan Mulder.
Pretorius smacked another six and seven boundaries in reaching his hundred off 112 deliveries. He smacked a total of four sixes and 11 boundaries off 160 balls before he was caught at mid-on off a top-edged pull against pacer Tanaka Chivanga.
Pretorius gave no opportunities, but the Zimbabwean cricketers seemed convinced that he had edged a ball from Chivanga to wicketkeeper Tafadzwa Tsiga when he was on 30.
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