World Test Championship final, Lord’s (day four of five)
Australia 212: Webster 72; Rabada 5-51 & 207: Starc 58* ; Rabada 4-59
South Africa 138: Bedingham 45; Cummins 6-28 & 282-5: Markram 136; Starc 3-66
South Africa won by five wickets
In a thrilling showdown, South Africa triumphed over Australia by five wickets in the World Test Championship final, finally clinching a long-awaited major global title.
On day four at Lord’s, the Proteas returned to the crease with a solid 213-2, requiring just 69 runs to clinch the victory.
In a pivotal moment early in the day, Australia’s captain Pat Cummins made his mark by dismissing South Africa’s Temba Bavuma for 66, caught behind, igniting a spark of hope for his team.
With just 41 runs needed, Mitchell Starc delivered a stunning ball that clean-bowled Tristan Stubbs, sending ripples of anxiety through the South African dressing room.
Centurion Aiden Markram picked up right where he left off from the previous day, propelling South Africa to the edge of victory with an outstanding 136.
Markram, the standout performer with the only century in the match, fell just short of sealing the victory as he flicked a delivery from Josh Hazlewood straight into the hands of Travis Head at mid-wicket, leaving the winning runs tantalizingly out of reach.
David Bedingham and Kyle Verreynne stepped up to guide South Africa to victory, with Verreynne elegantly driving a ball through the covers off Starc for a single that clinched the win before he raised his arms in triumphant celebration.
In a thrilling display of batting prowess, South Africa’s run chase stands as the joint second-highest in the history of Test cricket at this venue, surpassed only by the West Indies’ remarkable pursuit of 342 back in 1984.
They join the elite ranks as the third team to claim the title of World Test champions, following in the footsteps of New Zealand in 2021 and Australia in 2023.
