South Africa wins ICC World Test Championship, ending 27-year trophy drought
South Africa defeated defending champions Australia by five wickets at Lord's on Saturday to win the 2023–25 ICC World Test Championship (WTC), securing their first major ICC title since 1998.
Aiden Markram led the chase with a composed 136 as the Proteas reached the 282-run target on the fourth morning, ending a 27-year wait since their last global triumph at the 1998 ICC Knockout Trophy.
Resuming the day on 213/2, South Africa needed just 69 more runs to seal the win.
However, they suffered an early setback when Temba Bavuma fell in the third over, edging behind after adding only four runs to the overnight total. Bavuma's 66 from 134 deliveries had anchored the innings alongside Markram.
Tristan Stubbs and David Bedingham followed, with Stubbs contributing eight runs before being dismissed by Mitchell Starc.
Bedingham then shared a 35-run stand with Markram, pushing South Africa within six runs of victory when the centurion was finally dismissed by Josh Hazlewood.
Markram's 207-ball knock, which featured 14 boundaries, proved decisive in breaking South Africa's long-standing title drought.
Bedingham (20*) and wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne (6*) saw the team home without further loss.
Australia had been bowled out for 207 in their second innings on day three, setting South Africa a fourth-innings target of 282.
Starc top-scored with an unbeaten 58 from number nine, following a 72-run first innings by Beau Webster and 62 from Steve Smith.
Kagiso Rabada starred with the ball, claiming 5-47 in Australia's first innings, where they managed 212.
South Africa replied with just 138 in their first outing. Pat Cummins led Australia's bowling with 6-41, supported by Starc's two wickets, giving the Aussies a 74-run lead that ultimately proved insufficient.
The result marked South Africa's first win in an ICC tournament final since their 1998 triumph, underlining their resurgence in red-ball cricket.
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