Wiaan Mulder was just 34 runs short of breaking the all-time Test record of 400\* before he chose to declare the innings at lunch, missing a rare chance to etch his name in cricket history.

Wiaan Mulder sacrificed a shot at one of cricket's most hallowed records to start mopping up Zimbabwe in the second test at Queens Sports Club on Monday. The first-time captain of South Africa was on 367 — just 33 runs shy of Brian Lara's world record 400 not out set 21 years ago — when he stopped his epic innings and declared with South Africa on 626-5.