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South African all-rounder Wiaan Mulder signs with Essex: Details here
23 Jan 2026

Essex County Cricket Club have announced the signing of South African all-rounder Wiaan Mulder for the first 10 weeks of the 2026 county season.

The 27-year-old player will be available for both the County Championship Division One and the early part of Vitality T20 Blast.

Mulder's presence will be a lift for Essex, who open their County season against Hampshire on April 3.

Mulder's near record-breaking Test innings and past county experience
Record pursuit

Mulder came close to breaking Brian Lara's world record Test score of 400 not out against Zimbabwe last summer, scoring an impressive 367 before declaring South Africa's first innings.

He has previously played for Kent and Leicestershire in the county circuit.

Essex director of cricket Chris Silverwood praised Mulder as "a proven international performer and one of the most complete all-rounders in the game today."

Silverwood emphasizes Mulder's balanced contribution to the squad
Squad balance

Silverwood stressed on Mulder's ability to contribute consistently with both bat and ball, saying it will "add real balance" to their squad.

He also noted that Mulder's experience at the highest level would be invaluable for their group.

The all-rounder is set to make his debut in the Championship opener against Hampshire at Ageas Bowl on April 3, and play his last game in T20 Blast at Chelmsford on June 9.

Mulder expresses excitement about joining Essex
New challenge

Expressing his excitement about joining Essex, Mulder said, "I am really excited about joining Essex and coming back to the UK for a new challenge."

He added that he has always had great experiences playing in the UK and is looking forward to seeing what they can achieve together as a team.

At Chelmsford, Mulder will join fellow South Africans Simon Harmer and Dean Elgar.

A look at Mulder's First-Class stats
Stats

In 92 First-Class matches, Mulder owns 5,039 runs from 155 innings at 38.46.

He has smashed three tons and 14 fifties with the best score of 367*.

As many as 1,254 of his FC runs have come for South Africa in Tests from 24 matches at 35.80 (100s: 3, 50s: 1).

With the ball, he has 209 FC scalps at 27.64 (4w: 13, 5w: 3).

38 of his wickets have come for the Proteas in Test cricket at 26.