Temba Bavuma's Proteas are in touching distance of realising the African dream at Lord's

The Star

14 hours ago

Zaahier Adams | Published 7 hours ago
'Cause in my African dream
There's a new tomorrow
My African dream
Is dream that we can follow
These are the lyrics that will be ringing in the heads of the Proteas as they went to bed on Friday evening.
For Temba Bavuma's team require just 69 more runs on Saturday morning to realise their dream of winning the World Test Championship final here at rousing Lord's.
Bavuma is still at the crease too, fighting on bravely with a hamstring strain, undefeated on 65. His partner is none other than his able deputy Aiden Markram, who struck a career-defining 102 not out to edge the Proteas ever closer to their crowning moment.
The pair have already shared an unbroken 143-run stand for the third wicket with the Proteas in pursuit of 282 runs for victory - if achieved it would also be the second highest ever target achieved in the fourth innings here at Lord's.
The sceptics out there will no doubt remind everyone that the Proteas needed just 79 runs with the exact same numbers of wickets still intact in their very first Test after returning from isolation when they faced the West Indies in Barbados all the way back in 1992.
But that was on a crumbling final day surface at the Kensington Oval.
Lord's in 2025 bears no resemblance though, particularly after only four wickets fell for the entire third day after 28 had been snared on the opening two days.
Markram - the only South African Men's captain to lead a team to an ICC World Cup title when he did so with the U19s in Dubai all those years ago - played with great authority as he stemmed the much-vaunted Australian attack.
'We certainly know that he's someone for the big occasion, of that there's no doubt,' said Proteas batting coach Ashwell Prince.
The Proteas' would have had their hearts in their mouths though when Bavuma started hobbling after setting off a single early on in the partnership,, but the skipper was adamant that he wanted to continue in the middle with Markram despite being in obvious pain.
'At tea time, we had to make a big call whether he continues to bat (and how it will affect his stroke play, how that might affect Aiden's rhythm if twos are being turned into one, that they can't sort of run the twos or the threes.
'both of them were adamant that Temba was going to continue. He wanted to continue. Aiden was adamant that the partnership is the key.
'And obviously had Stubbs gone in, we would have still had Temba's wicket intact, but you start in a new partnership, they were feeling pretty good and they wanted to continue.
'Aiden was well aware that he'll have to curb his intensity just in terms of running between the wickets to allow Temba to ease his way through it.'
With the Proteas on the verge one of the greatest moments in South African cricket history, but having seen it all implode before, how will the team cope with the expected nerves for the remainder of the Test?
'I think (Proteas head coach) Shukri (Conrad) must get a lot of credit for that because that's one of his strengths, making sure that everybody stays calm within the dressing room,' Prince said.
'As soon as Aiden and Temba came up the stairs, the first thing he said was, guys, you do the same as you do every night, don't change a thing.
'Tomorrow morning, come and do the same warm-ups that you do every day. Just the same processes. We obviously understand the magnitude of the situation and what's at stake, but just to stay calm and take it in your sight.'