Wiaan Mulder – 367* vs Zimbabwe, Bulawayo, 2025
Mulder captained South Africa for the first time in only his 21st Test and posted the fifth-highest individual score in Test history, blasting an unbeaten 367 off 334 balls.
His innings included 49 fours and four sixes, with his 350 arriving off just 324 deliveries – the fastest 350 in Test history. Just 33 runs short of Brian Lara’s world record, he chose to declare out of respect for the landmark.
Hashim Amla – 311* vs England, The Oval, 2012
Amla became the first South African to score a triple century in Test cricket at The Oval, helping South Africa post 637-2 and combining with Jacques Kallis for an unbeaten 377-run third-wicket partnership.
South Africa won by an innings and 12 runs and Amla was named Player of the Match.
AB de Villiers – 278* vs Pakistan, Abu Dhabi, 2010
De Villiers batted for ten hours, hitting 23 fours and six sixes in his near triple-century against Pakistan in Abu Dhabi.
Named Player of the Match in a game that ended in a draw, it remains the second highest individual score by a South African batter outside home soil.
Graeme Smith – 277 vs England, Birmingham, 2003
Smith followed his 277 in the first innings with 85 in the second as South Africa dominated England at Edgbaston. The innings announced him as one of Test cricket’s finest openers in only his third match as captain.
Daryll Cullinan – 275* vs New Zealand, Auckland, 1999
Cullinan’s 275 not out at Eden Park stood as a South African record for five years until Graeme Smith surpassed it in 2003. It remains one of the finest innings by a South African on foreign soil.
Gary Kirsten – 275 vs England, Durban, 1999
Kirsten batted for a marathon 878 minutes against an England attack spearheaded by Andy Caddick and Darren Gough to help South Africa draw the Test at Kingsmead. His endurance across nearly three full days of batting remains one of the great defensive innings in the format.
Graeme Pollock – 274 vs Australia, Durban, 1970
Pollock stroked his way to 274 against Australia at Kingsmead on February 6, 1970 in what proved to be South Africa’s last home Test series for 22 years.
His average of 60.97 across 23 Tests stood as a South African record for 29 years and Don Bradman considered him one of the finest left-handed batters the game ever produced.
Graeme Smith – 259 vs England, Lord’s, 2003
Smith led from the front at Lord’s with 259, making him the only South African to score two separate innings of 250 or more in Test cricket.
Both came in the same series against England that announced him as one of the game’s great Test openers.
Jacques Kallis – 224 vs Sri Lanka, Cape Town, 2012
Kallis blasted 224 from 325 balls in his 150th Test match at his home ground Newlands, leading South Africa to a commanding total of 580-4 declared.
He was named Player of the Match after also taking 3-35 and completing a South African record six catches in the same game. South Africa won by ten wickets to seal the series.
AB de Villiers – 217* vs India, Ahmedabad, 2008
De Villiers came to the crease at 117-4 and finished with 217 from 333 balls, hitting 17 fours and two sixes, featuring in a 256-run fifth-wicket stand with Jacques Kallis. South Africa won by an innings and 90 runs.
Photo: REUTERS/Aman Sharma
