COMMENT: After 27 years of unfulfilled hopes and near misses, the Proteas are crowned WTC winners
As the thrilling spectacle played itself out on Saturday, South Africa's national cricket team, the Proteas, celebrated a monumental victory at the iconic home of cricket, Lord's, where they captured the prestigious International Cricket Council's (ICC) World Test Championship mace.
It was a long-awaited celebration, marking the end of a 27-year wait for South Africa, which last tasted ICC success in 1998 with their Champions Trophy victory in Bangladesh.
South Africa triumphed over arch-rivals Australia by five wickets on the fourth morning at Lord's, finally shedding the long-standing ICC monkey that had dogged their cricketing legacy.
Leading the charge was Aiden Markram, whose unbeaten match-winning 136 runs off 207 balls, only earned him the 'Player of the Match' award but also highlighted his role as the lynchpin of the innings.
As the only centurion in a tense final, Markram's ice-cool composure was pivotal, especially during a time when the pressure was palpable.
The Proteas captain, Temba Bavuma, showcased exceptional leadership qualities during this high-stakes encounter.
Despite grappling with a hamstring injury sustained the previous day, Bavuma produced a gritty captain's innings, scoring 66 runs off 134 balls.
His steadfastness was crucial as he and Markram shared a pivotal 147-run partnership for the third wicket, which proved to be the turning point of the match.
Bavuma's earlier contribution of 36 runs in the first innings was equally important. Coming off a dismal 138 all-out in response to Australia's 212, Bavuma's performance helped set a solid foundation for the chase that would follow.
His gritty endeavours allowed South Africa to regroup and maintain their focus as they countered the formidable Australian bowling attack.
The significance of this victory resonates deeply with Bavuma and his teammates. In a post-match reflection, he revealed how the Aussies had used the word "choke" around the pitch areas during their second innings.
On this occasion, South Africa silenced past critics and proved they are no longer the 'chokers' they were once dubbed.
The Proteas are now World Test champions, a title they will carry with pride as they look towards the future of South African cricket.
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"We hope this is the start of something. Hopefully this is the start of trophies for the team." South Africa's captain Temba Bavuma holds his son and the ICC World Test Championship Mace as he celebrates with teammates after victory on day four of the ICC World Test Championship cricket final match between Australia and South Africa, at Lord's cricket ground, in London, on June 14, 2025. South Africa won the Test by 5 wickets. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. NO ASSOCIATION WITH DIRECT COMPETITOR OF SPONSOR, PARTNER, OR SUPPLIER OF THE ECB South Africa captain Temba Bavuma wants his team's triumph in the World Test Championship final to be the first of many trophies for the country's cricketers. In 18 previous attempts in the one-day international and T20 World Cups, South Africa had only reached a solitary final. That was in last year's T20 World Cup in Barbados, when they lost to India despite needing just 30 runs from their last 30 balls, with six wickets left. There was no such heartache at Lord's, with Aiden Markram making 136 and Bavuma 66 as South Africa chased down a target of 282 for a five-wicket win over defending champions Australia before lunch on Saturday's fourth morning. Bavuma, the first black African specialist batsman to play Test cricket for the Proteas, said his side had been inspired by South Africa's Springboks, who who have won four Rugby World Cups — including the two most recent tournaments. 'This is special for this group, special for myself, for the country,' Bavuma told reporters. 'I have watched the rugby guys and the biggest thing I admire about them is the way with their success they have embraced what being South African actually means. 'As South Africans we are unique in a lot of ways. Our present and future is shaped by our past and the way they (the Springboks) have gone about things has really captured the hearts of everyone. It's something we've spoken about and to try do something special.' But, the 35-year-old said he now wanted more. 'We hope this is the start of something. Hopefully this is the start of trophies for the team.' 'Want to play more Test cricket' Bavuma said he hoped winning the mace for best Test nation would lift the profile of Test cricket in South Africa, where no Test matches are scheduled for the upcoming 2025/25 home season. 'We want to play more Test cricket,' he said. 'We want to play against the bigger nations. So I think this will go a long way in making us a lot more attractive, and also the so-called smaller nations.' Bavuma added that his relatively inexperienced team had shown plenty of character but still had room for improvement, saying: 'Even over the past three-and-a-half days we haven't played perfect cricket but we keep finding a way to get the job done.' The captain said his players wanted to achieve the consistent success of earlier South African Test teams, in particular the sides that held the Test mace for three years between 2013 and 2015, as a result of topping the rankings before the introduction of a Test final. 'We've said as a team we would like to judge ourselves after three or four years as a group,' said Bavuma. 'We would like to emulate what (former captain) Graeme (Smith) and his team did.' Referring to South Africa's first opponents in the next WTC cycle later this year, Bavuma said: 'We need to go to Pakistan and India and get those victories there.' Markram, meanwhile, said he had not slept well after finishing Friday's play on 102 not out. 'I even took a sleeping pill but it didn't work, he said. The opener added he had been motivated by memories of last year's T20 World Cup final collapse, which happened under his captaincy. 'I thought a lot about the T20 World Cup and how helpless I felt sitting on the side,' he recalled. 'I didn't want to expose the next player in (to bat at Lord's) to a pressure situation.'
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7 hours ago
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COMMENT: After 27 years of unfulfilled hopes and near misses, the Proteas are crowned WTC winners
As the thrilling spectacle played itself out on Saturday, South Africa's national cricket team, the Proteas, celebrated a monumental victory at the iconic home of cricket, Lord's, where they captured the prestigious International Cricket Council's (ICC) World Test Championship mace. It was a long-awaited celebration, marking the end of a 27-year wait for South Africa, which last tasted ICC success in 1998 with their Champions Trophy victory in Bangladesh. South Africa triumphed over arch-rivals Australia by five wickets on the fourth morning at Lord's, finally shedding the long-standing ICC monkey that had dogged their cricketing legacy. Leading the charge was Aiden Markram, whose unbeaten match-winning 136 runs off 207 balls, only earned him the 'Player of the Match' award but also highlighted his role as the lynchpin of the innings. As the only centurion in a tense final, Markram's ice-cool composure was pivotal, especially during a time when the pressure was palpable. The Proteas captain, Temba Bavuma, showcased exceptional leadership qualities during this high-stakes encounter. Despite grappling with a hamstring injury sustained the previous day, Bavuma produced a gritty captain's innings, scoring 66 runs off 134 balls. His steadfastness was crucial as he and Markram shared a pivotal 147-run partnership for the third wicket, which proved to be the turning point of the match. Bavuma's earlier contribution of 36 runs in the first innings was equally important. Coming off a dismal 138 all-out in response to Australia's 212, Bavuma's performance helped set a solid foundation for the chase that would follow. His gritty endeavours allowed South Africa to regroup and maintain their focus as they countered the formidable Australian bowling attack. The significance of this victory resonates deeply with Bavuma and his teammates. In a post-match reflection, he revealed how the Aussies had used the word "choke" around the pitch areas during their second innings. On this occasion, South Africa silenced past critics and proved they are no longer the 'chokers' they were once dubbed. The Proteas are now World Test champions, a title they will carry with pride as they look towards the future of South African cricket.
