South Africa maintained a significant advantage despite Sean Williams’ sixth century in the opening Test against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo on Sunday. 

The Proteas will start day three on 49/1, a lead of 216 runs, after they bowled out Zimbabwe for 251, halfway through the final session. 

Williams, 38, scored 137, to hold the Zimbabwean innings together, while the rest of his teammates struggled against a South African attack for whom debutant Codi Yusuf and all-rounder Wiaan Mulder were the stand out performers. 

Mulder finished with 4/50 while Yusuf, who took his maiden Test wicket with his fifth ball, ended with figures of 3/42 in 14 overs. 

The Proteas declared their first innings overnight on 418/9, a total that didn’t seem likely when they slumped to 23/3 in the first hour of day one. But centuries from Lhuan-dre Pretorius, also making his debut, and Corbin Bosch, who finished with 100 not out, gave stand-in skipper Keshav Maharaj the chance to allow his bowlers to make use of the pitch in chilly conditions on Sunday morning. 

Yusuf did superbly, inducing a false shot from Takudzwa Kaitano, to pick up his first wicket in the first over. His second followed shortly afterwards, when Nick Welch swung wildly at a wide delivery that was edged to wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne.

Kwena Maphaka who struggled with his rhythm through three different spells, inflicted further damage, when a bouncer struck Brian Bennett flush on the front of the helmet. The aggressive opener had hit four fours and was on 19, but was forced to retire and was later withdrawn from the Test match because of concussion. He was replaced by Prince Masvaure. 

Williams led Zimbabwe’s best period of the match thereafter, punishing the short ball and also using his feet to upset Maharaj’s lengths. 

While Yusuf was able to find the same kind of disconcerting bounce the Zimbabwean seamers were able to achieve on the first day and Mulder was typically accurate, both Bosch — perhaps still stiff from his batting exploits on Saturday — and Maphaka failed to build any pressure. 

Williams and home skipper Craig Ervine added 91 runs for the third wicket, with Ervine playing more sedately than his senior partner. Williams is playing in just his 21st Test, and while his average of 44.94 suggests he should have played more, Zimbabwe’s limited Test schedule but also Williams’ run-ins with the cricket authorities in his home country, have also minimised his opportunities in the five-day format. 

Against the current World Test champions however, he was determined to make a point, and found the right balance between attack and defence to reach a hundred, which he celebrated with plenty of enthusiasm.

Before that milestone, Ervine became Maharaj’s 200th Test wicket, with Verreynne easily stumping him after the left-arm spinner had bemused the left-hand batter with a lovely flighted delivery. Maharaj is the first South African spinner to reach that landmark and the ninth South African bowler to pick up 200 wickets. 

It is a great reward for a cricketer who has been one of the most important Proteas players in the last decade. He made his debut as part of the side that won a series in Australia in 2016, and has been through the lows of 2019 and the highs of Lord’s two weeks ago. 

Mulder ended a 58-run fourth-wicket partnership between Williams and Wessly Madhevere, when he trapped the latter lbw for 15. Williams, who was also hit on the head by a Maphaka bouncer, was eventually dismissed by Maharaj, with Verreynne delivering a second stumping, for a superb 137 off 164 balls that included 16 fours. 

Facing a first innings deficit of 167 runs Zimbabwe claimed early reward when Tanaka Chivanga had Matthew Breetzke caught in the gully for one. However Mulder on 25 and Tony de Zorzi on 22 looked secure in the last hour and the home team face an uphill battle if they are to keep South Africa in their sights.