Lord’s, London – South Africa ended 27 years of ICC trophy heartbreak in dramatic fashion, defeating Australia by five wickets in a tense finale to win the ICC World Test Championship 2025 at Lord’s.
Aiden Markram’s heroic 136 guided the Proteas to glory, as they chased down a target of 282 on the fourth day to claim their first-ever World Test Championship title. The victory also ended a long drought in ICC tournaments, with South Africa’s last major trophy coming in the 1998 Champions Trophy.
A Nerve-Wracking Chase
Resuming the day at 213/2, needing just 69 more runs, South Africa suffered early setbacks as Pat Cummins removed captain Temba Bavuma (66) in the third over. Tristan Stubbs then fell to a brilliant delivery from Mitchell Starc, leaving the Proteas at 241/4 and giving Australia a glimmer of hope.
But Markram, playing the innings of his life, anchored the chase alongside David Bedingham. The pair batted with composure, weathering Australia’s relentless attack. With just six runs needed, Markram’s magnificent knock ended when he was caught at mid-wicket off Josh Hazlewood, leaving the finish to Bedingham and Kyle Verreynne.
The wicketkeeper-batter fittingly struck the winning runs, driving Starc through the off-side to spark wild celebrations among the South African fans at the Home of Cricket.
Rabada’s Heroics Set Up Victory
Earlier in the match, Kagiso Rabada had been the destroyer-in-chief, taking 5/51 in Australia’s first innings and 4/59 in the second to keep the target within reach. His efforts, along with crucial contributions from Marco Jansen and Lungi Ngidi, restricted Australia to 212 and 207 across both innings.
Despite a fighting 58* from Mitchell Starc in the second innings, South Africa’s disciplined bowling ensured they needed 282 to win—a challenging total but one that Markram and Bavuma made look achievable with a 138-run partnership on Day 3.
A Historic Triumph
This victory marks a new chapter for South African cricket, erasing years of near-misses in ICC events. For Australia, the defeat was a rare stumble in a major final, but they fought valiantly until the very end.
Scores in Brief:
Australia – 212 (Webster 72, Smith 66; Rabada 5/51) & 207 (Starc 58*, Carey 43; Rabada 4/59)
South Africa – 138 (Bedingham 45, Bavuma 36; Cummins 6/28) & 282/5 (Markram 136, Bavuma 66; Starc 3/66)
Result: South Africa win by 5 wickets
With this triumph, South Africa’s class of 2025 has etched their names into cricketing history, finally lifting an ICC trophy after decades of waiting. The scenes at Lord’s will live long in the memory, as the Proteas celebrated a victory that was as emotional as it was hard-fought.
