LONDON, United Kingdom – History was made at Lord’s on Saturday as Aiden Markram’s superb century propelled South Africa to a thrilling five-wicket victory over Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final. The Proteas successfully chased down an imposing target of 282 runs before lunch on the fourth day, culminating in an emotional triumph that ended decades of cricketing heartbreak and secured their first major global title. This monumental win not only delivers a coveted championship but also aims to unite the nation through the power of sport.
South Africa commenced the fourth day with 213-2 on the scoreboard, needing a further 69 runs for victory. Markram, who had been dismissed for a duck in the first innings, resumed confidently on 102 not out, while captain Temba Bavuma was unbeaten on 65 despite visibly limping with a hamstring injury throughout his innings. Despite their strong position, the weight of South Africa’s history of faltering under pressure loomed large against the formidable and defending WTC champions, Australia. The final moments were indeed edgy, as the Proteas took 27.4 overs to painstakingly accumulate the remaining runs, with Australia fighting relentlessly to the inevitable end.
Ultimately, South Africa’s successful pursuit marked the joint second-highest winning fourth-innings total in Test history at the iconic London venue, trailing only the West Indies’ 344-1 against England in 1984. Addressing the elated, predominantly South African crowd at Lord’s, Proteas captain Temba Bavuma expressed the profound significance of the victory. “It’s special in a lot of ways,” he stated, emphasizing its power to unite the nation. “It’s a chance for South Africa to be united. We’ve got a cause where we can put aside our differences and enjoy. We just have to embrace it. It’s a special moment for us and people back home, probably it will sink in in a couple of days. We’ve been etched in history, we’re part of something that has never been done.” Bavuma’s leadership now places him alongside Springboks Rugby World Cup-winning captain Siya Kolisi as a Black African skipper to lead a South African side to a major global title.
The long-standing narrative of South Africa being “chokers” due to their consistent failures in crucial knockout games was definitively laid to rest on Saturday. In 18 previous attempts across One-day International and T20 World Cups, the Proteas had reached only a solitary final, which was last year’s T20 World Cup in Barbados, where they agonizingly lost to India despite needing just 30 runs from their last 30 balls with six wickets in hand. However, this largely unheralded South African side held their nerve and succeeded where decorated players such as Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, AB de Villiers, and Jacques Kallis had regrettably fallen short.
This triumphant victory serves as a powerful exorcism of the ghosts of heartbreaking losses on major ICC stages that have haunted South Africa for decades. The venues and dates etched in infamy within South African cricket memory – Birmingham 1999, Dhaka 2011, Auckland 2015, Kolkata 2023, and Bridgetown 2024 – can now begin to fade, overshadowed by the glory of London 2025. This date will forever be remembered as one of the greatest days in South African sports, a moment when its cricket underdogs seized the advantage and held firm against a formidable Australian outfit. The stunning result also bodes incredibly well for South Africa’s preparations for their home ODI World Cup in 2027. While it’s a different format, the Proteas’ mindset will now be unburdened by the pressure of not having won a global trophy since the Champions Trophy’s precursor in 1998.
South Africa faced criticism from some quarters before the final for their supposedly easier path in the 2023-25 WTC cycle, notably not facing Australia or England in a series. However, their remarkable streak of eight straight Test wins, their second longest in history, speaks volumes about their form and determination. “I hope our performance gives credit as to why we were in the final,” Bavuma asserted. “We prepared hard, we came in with a lot of belief but with a lot of doubters. Whilst we were batting, we could hear the Aussies using that dreaded word ‘choke’. The energy was there, I think us as a team have been wanting this. We’ve been relentless, getting to the doorstep consistently and experienced heartache, the sun’s been with us. Hopefully, this win is one of many.”
The joyous celebrations unfurled across the hallowed turf of Lord’s as each victorious player took their turn lifting the coveted silver and gold mace, basking in the culmination of their efforts. Aiden Markram, rightfully named player-of-the-match, expressed his immense pride. “Growing up, Lord’s was the one venue I wanted to play at,” he shared. “To do it at a final and win is something really special. It is emotional, it’s been a very long time coming, We’ve got close in the past couple of years and not got over the line. The first one is always going to be the toughest.”
Earlier in the match, Australia had secured a 74-run lead on first innings but could never truly pull away from South Africa, largely due to Proteas fast bowler Kagiso Rabada’s superb match figures of 9-110. Australia captain Pat Cummins, who led his side to the 2023 WTC title, conceded defeat gracefully. “Unfortunately, it was a bridge too far,” he stated. “We didn’t bat out the opposition after a decent first-innings lead. They [South Africa] were fantastic in that fourth innings. There wasn’t a lot in the wicket but they didn’t give us a chance.”
South Africa had begun the fourth day as favourites, albeit with lingering nerves given their past misfortunes. Their apprehension would have heightened when Bavuma was dismissed in the third over of the morning, adding only one run to his overnight score, caught off a rising delivery from Cummins. However, Markram steadied the ship, pulling Cummins for four to bring the target down to 50. Left-arm quick Mitchell Starc then bowled Tristan Stubbs for eight, with 41 runs still needed. Markram and David Bedingham, who scored an unbeaten 21, then diligently forged a 35-run partnership, bringing them to the brink of success. Australia took the new ball with South Africa needing just 14 more runs to win, and Markram subsequently drove Josh Hazlewood for a four and then three to calm any lingering nerves. He couldn’t quite finish the job himself, though, as his pull off Hazlewood was brilliantly caught by Travis Head at midwicket, ending his 207-ball innings featuring 14 fours. As Markram received a deserved standing ovation on his way back to the pavilion, several Australian players extended their hand in sportsmanship. Approximately 15 minutes later, Kyle Verreynne hit the winning run, a composed drive into the covers, sealing a historic victory for South Africa.
