Magnificent Markram shines as Proteas clinch the World Test Championship title
The only mistake was that he wasn't there at the end flicking a delivery off his toes that was well caught at square leg by Travis Head.
Markram was crestfallen, but he should not have been. The Australians sportingly all came to shake his hand. They, like everyone else at this ground, recognised the magnificence of his efforts.
His partnership with Bavuma, was worth 147 runs, and turned this match decisively in South Africa's favour.
Bavuma was dismissed off the 18th ball of the morning, yet another beauty from his Australian counterpart Pat Cummins, that left the right-hand batter off the surface, with extra bounce catching the edge of Bavuma's bat.
He'd batted for exactly 200 minutes — most of that time spent hobbling singles, twos and on Saturday morning a very long three. Bavuma, so often the butt of jokes, made a serious statement here. It wasn't just the 66 runs in the second innings, but his shift in tempo on the second morning, after the Australian bowlers had dominated on Wednesday, sent a message to the opposition, but mainly his teammates.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
![Proteas fans take over Lord's with 'Temba Bavuma' war cry [video]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thesouthafrican.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2025%2F06%2Flords.jpg.optimal.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
![Proteas fans take over Lord's with 'Temba Bavuma' war cry [video]](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fall-logos-bucket.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fthesouthafrican.com.png&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
The South African
8 hours ago
- The South African
Proteas fans take over Lord's with 'Temba Bavuma' war cry [video]
The Proteas clinched their first major global cricket title on Saturday by defeating Australia in the World Test Championship final at Lord's. With thousands of Saffas calling London home, it was no surprise that the Home of Cricket was teaming with passionate Proteas supporters from the moment the Test match got underway on Wednesday. At stumps on Day 3, the Proteas were in a commanding position. They were set 282 to win this World Test Championship final, which was Australia's to lose. In a match that saw a series of momentum shifts, it was South African who found their steele on the home straight thanks to strong batting partnership by opener Aiden Markram and injured captain Temba Bavuma. The pair contributed 143 runs to the cause, leaving the Proteas needing just 69 runs with eight wickets in hand. Despite the Proteas' awful record in ICC finals, the South African faithful could sense victory. Watch: South African fans outside Lord's at the end of Day 3. Video: South African Things Early on Day 4, Australian skipper Pat Cummins struck in the third over to remove Bavuma, caught behind for 66, to briefly lift Aussie hopes. The pressure intensified when Mitchell Starc bowled Tristan Stubbs, with South Africa still needing 41. It was up to Markram to continue steering the ship. The 30-year-old resumed his overnight score, maintaining his composure to put on a total of 136 and score the only century in the match. He fell just short of finishing the job himself, leaving David Bedingham and Kyle Verreynne to complete the chase. Verreynne sealed the win with a crisp drive through the covers off Starc, earning South Africa the coveted mace and the title of the World's best Test cricket team. It sparked scenes of celebration as South Africa became just the third team to win the World Test Championship, following New Zealand in 2021 and Australia in 2023. The Proteas do a victory lap while SA fans continue to sing the Bavuma war cry. Video: SA Things While Markram was awarded Man of the Match, pace bowler Kagiso Rabada was also acknowledged for his impressive nine-wicket haul. Kagiso Rabada also earned high praise. Video: South African Things. The Proteas' run chase was the joint second-highest in Test cricket at Lord's. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The South African
10 hours ago
- The South African
Cricket legends praise Proteas captain Temba Bavuma after WTC triumph
Cricket legends, including Matthew Hayden and Sachin Tendulkar, praised Proteas captain Temba Bavuma for leading his team to victory in the ICC World Test Championship. On Saturday, South Africa defeated Australia by 5 wickets, claiming their first ICC title in 27 years. Chasing a target of 282 for victory, the Proteas began their run chase positively on Day 3, with conditions favoring the batting side. A strong partnership of 147 runs between Bavuma and Aiden Markram brought South Africa within reach of the target. David Bedingham and Kyle Verreynne then guided the Proteas to a memorable win at Lord's in the WTC final. During the chase, Bavuma played through a hamstring injury on Day 3, hobbling between runs but managing to score 66 runs. Markram was the standout performer, finishing with a memorable century. Australian legend Matthew Hayden was particularly complimentary of Bavuma's leadership during Proteas' chase. 'What a champion effort. You could see early doors he was struggling with his hamstring, but he hung in there,' Hayden, who was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame last week, told Cricinfo . 'He played really good simple cricket.' India's greatest batsman of all-time Sachin Tendulkar praised both Bavuma and Markram for their match winning knocks. 'Test cricket continues to weave its magic,' he said on X. 'In a final where every session had its own story, Proteas found calm in the storm. Markram's composure and Bavuma's grit under pressure stood tall in the fourth innings. A century that will be remembered, a partnership that turned hope into history. Congratulations to South Africa on becoming World Test Champions!' Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
11 hours ago
- The Citizen
Proteas can't be called ‘chokers' anymore, says Aiden Markram
The SA team won their first major trophy since 1998. Members of the Proteas team celebrating a wicket during the World Test Championship final against Australia at Lord's. Picture: Paul Harding/Gallo Images The Proteas were relieved to shake off the 'chokers' tag that had followed the national squad for decades, according to opening batter Aiden Markram, after winning a major global title for the first time in 27 years. Markram hit a century in South Africa's second innings, guiding them to a five-wicket victory over Australia in the World Test Championship final in London on Saturday. While they had reached multiple World Cup playoffs in recent years, in shorter formats, the Proteas had not secured a title since winning the Champions Trophy tournament in 1998. And having played a key role in their success, Markram was delighted that they were finally able to end one of the lengthiest droughts in South African sport. 'It will be great to not have to hear it (the word 'chokers') again, that's for sure… so to have got the job done and to get rid of that is quite a big thing for this team,' said Markram, who joined the Lord's honours board with his eighth Test century. Aiden Markram plays a shot for the Proteas during the World Test Championship final. Picture: Paul Harding/Gallo Images Proteas prove themselves in 'toughest' format Though it was their eight straight Test victory, the Proteas had been criticised for playing fewer games against weaker opposition, with some of the other sides facing more challenging routes to the final. Having defeated Australia with nearly two days to spare, however, Markram felt the SA team had proved their class in the toughest format of the game. He credited his teammates for their efforts, with captain Temba Bavuma hitting a crucial half-century in their second innings and fast bowler Kagiso Rabada taking nine wickets in the match. 'All the questions that have been asked in the past have fortunately now been answered,' Markram said. 'The Test [world title] was always going to be, in my opinion, the toughest one. It's many days of playing good cricket, whereas in T20 or even one-day cricket nowadays, you just need one person to really put their hand up on the day and you can get a win. 'So it was always going to be the toughest, it was always going to be a full team effort to get over the line, and the guys chipped in exactly when they needed to.'
