NU
Sun, 15 June 2025
London – South Africa have secured their first major title by beating defending champions Australia by five wickets in the final of the World Test Championship at Lord’s Cricket Ground.
The Proteas knocked off the remaining 29 runs they needed before lunch on Saturday – sealing the win with more than a day and a half to spare, and sparking emotional celebrations in front of a packed crowd.
They moved from a portentous 213-2 overnight to 282-5, the second-highest successful run chase in the 141-year Rest history at the self-proclaimed home of cricket.
Australia did not give up the WTC mace easily, relentlessly attacking the stumps and pressuring a South Africa side with an infamous history of blowing winning positions on big ICC stages.
But South Africa was staunch and composed, only three boundaries in more than two hours, and lost only three wickets on Saturday in an air of inevitability.
“We’ve come a long way as a team, as a country,” an emotional Keshav Maharaj told reporters. “We always say we want to be good people and play good. We’re moving in the right direction as a cricketing nation.
Player of the Match Aiden Markram fell late in proceedings with just six runs required, with his innings of 136 proving the difference between two sides in a Test where ball dominated bat for the majority of the contest.
There were only two other hiccups for South Africa on the fourth morning, with skipper Temba Bavuma (66) removed by Australian counterpart Pat Cummins (1/59) in the third over of the day as the Aussies sniffed a potential lifeline and then Mitchell Starc (3/66) pierced the defences of Tristan Stubbs (8) when 41 runs were still required.
But just like he had done on a crucial third day, Markram stayed composed and waited for the bad ball to dispatch and made batting look relatively easy as South Africa inched towards the victory target.
His demeanour didn't change when Bavuma and Stubbs departed and his dismissal to Josh Hazlewood (1/58) with the finish line in sight only allowed the opener to soak up the atmosphere and receive a standing ovation from the appreciative Lord's crowd.
South Africa were criticised before the final for its supposedly easier road, but it has won eight straight tests - half of them away from home
