Bosch Becomes Just the Fourth South African to Achieve Rare Double
South Africa’s Corbin Bosch has continued his dream start to Test cricket. After making a strong impression against Pakistan on debut in December 2024—where he scored an unbeaten 81 and took four wickets in the first innings—Bosch has delivered yet another standout performance, this time against Zimbabwe.
Playing in just his second Test, the 30-year-old all-rounder created history in Bulawayo by scoring his maiden Test century and also claiming his first five-wicket haul in the format. Coming in at No. 8, Bosch smashed an unbeaten 100 off 124 balls in the first innings. Although he went wicketless with the ball in that innings, he bounced back with a 5/43 performance in Zimbabwe’s second innings. He also added a quick 36 off 41 balls with the bat in the second innings to wrap up a memorable all-round show.
This rare feat places Bosch among elite company. Only three other South Africans have scored a century and taken a five-wicket haul in the same Test match: Jimmy Sinclair (1899), Aubrey Faulkner (1910), and Jacques Kallis (1999 and 2002). In fact, Bosch is the first South African to achieve this milestone since Kallis did it 23 years ago.
Dream Start to Test Career for Bosch and Pretorius
Bosch’s early numbers in Test cricket are staggering. In just two matches, he has racked up 217 runs at a remarkable average of 108.50 and taken 10 wickets at 19.10. His dual role as a dependable lower-order batter and effective seam bowler has brought balance to South Africa’s Test XI.
Adding to South Africa’s dominance in the match, 19-year-old debutant Lhuan-dre Pretorius made headlines of his own. The teenager hammered a fluent 153 off just 160 deliveries in the first innings and was awarded the Player of the Match. By doing so, Pretorius became the sixth teenager in Test history—and the first South African—to win the prestigious award on debut.
He joins a select list of teenagers to win Player of the Match on Test debut, which includes:
- Hamilton Masakadza vs West Indies (2001)
- Mohammad Ashraful vs Sri Lanka (2001)
- Pat Cummins vs South Africa (2011)
- Mustafizur Rahman vs South Africa (2015)
- Prithvi Shaw vs West Indies (2018)
- Lhuan-dre Pretorius vs Zimbabwe (2025)
South Africa’s all-round brilliance resulted in a massive 328-run victory, giving them a 1-0 lead in the two-match Test series. The second and final Test will also be played in Bulawayo, starting July 6.
