WTC Final: When Australia and South Africa last played a Test at Lord's, 113 years ago
Australia and South Africa will lock horns for the first time in a Test in two years during the ICC World Test Championship 2025 final at the iconic Lord's Cricket Ground in London, starting Wednesday.
While the two teams finished with the best record in the two-year cycle, both teams have had a contrasting set of games to contend with to book their place in the final. Having played a fair share of their matches at home, the Proteas won 8 of their 12 Tests, finishing with a points percentage of 69.44 to Australia's 67.54 in 19 matches.
The Australia vs South Africa Test rivalry has seen many famous/infamous moments this century, including the Sandpaper Gate controversy in 2018.
When the two teams set out for the clash at Lord's, cricketing folklore from another century will also be redrawn at the 'Home of Cricket' as the neutral setting isn't entirely new to this rivalry. Of the 101 Tests played between Australia and South Africa, two matches have been played in neutral capacity in England, 113 years ago, back in 1912.
In a tournament that had a concept similar to the WTC at the time, the Triangular Tournament 1912 was held between the early Test-playing nations of the 20th century — England, Australia and South Africa. It was the first Test tournament that comprised more than two teams and remained the only such event until the Asian Test Championship in 1998.
Played between May and August, 1912, the nine-match tournament had the teams play each other thrice. In their penultimate round of the tournament, Australia and South Africa met at Lord's in a three-day match. South Africa were bundled out for 263 on the first day after winning the toss, following which Australia posted 390 in their first innings. Frank Mitchell's Proteas could only muster 173 in their second essay, paving the way for a comfortable 10-wicket win for Australia.
The teams would meet again at Trent Bridge in a drawn Test. However, hosts England would trump both South Africa and Australia to finish on top of the leaderboard of the tournament that was never reprised again.
When Temba Bavuma's South African unit takes on Pat Cummins' reigning world champions, the teams will prompt a revist to this old chapter from their storied rivalry, one with a Lord's setting in the early 20th century.
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