South Africa Clinches Historic WTC Final 2025 Victory Over Australia by 5 Wickets
Lord’s, London, June 14 (Sports Desk)
South Africa secured a historic 5-wicket victory over Australia in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2025 at Lord’s, ending a 27-year ICC trophy drought and claiming their first-ever WTC title. Chasing a target of 282, South Africa finished at 283/5 in 67.2 overs, led by a match-defining 102 from Aiden Markram and a gritty 65 from captain Temba Bavuma. This triumph marked South Africa as the first team to defeat Australia in an ICC final, a milestone celebrated widely after years of near-misses in global tournaments.
Match Scoreboard
Australia 1st Innings: 212 all out (61.4 overs)
- Beau Webster: 72
- Steve Smith: 66
- South Africa Bowling: Kagiso Rabada (5/51), Lungi Ngidi (3/42), Marco Jansen (3/49)
South Africa 1st Innings: 138 all out (47.3 overs)
- David Bedingham: 45
- Temba Bavuma: 36
- Australia Bowling: Pat Cummins (6/28), Mitchell Starc (2/34), Josh Hazlewood (1/24)
Australia 2nd Innings: 207 all out (62.2 overs)
- Mitchell Starc: 58*
- Alex Carey: 43
- South Africa Bowling: Kagiso Rabada (4/59), Lungi Ngidi (3/38), Marco Jansen (1/29)
South Africa 2nd Innings (Target: 282): 283/5 (67.2 overs)
- Aiden Markram: 102
- Temba Bavuma: 65
- Kyle Verreynne: 27*
- Ryan Rickelton: 18
- Wiaan Mulder: 16
- Australia Bowling: Mitchell Starc (2/53), Pat Cummins (1/45), Nathan Lyon (1/32)
- Run Rate: 4.20
- Last 10 Overs: 41/1 (4.10 run rate)
Match Summary
Day 1: South Africa won the toss and opted to bowl under overcast conditions at Lord’s. Kagiso Rabada (5/51) and Marco Jansen (3/49) exploited the conditions, reducing Australia to 67/4 by lunch. Steve Smith (66) and Beau Webster (72) steadied the innings with a 79-run stand, but South Africa bowled Australia out for 212. In response, South Africa struggled against Australia’s pace attack, ending the day at 43/4, trailing by 169 runs.
Day 2: South Africa’s first innings collapsed to 138, with Pat Cummins delivering a fiery 6/28, including his 300th Test wicket. Australia gained a 74-run lead but faltered in their second innings, slumping to 73/7 as Rabada (4/59) and Lungi Ngidi (3/38) struck. A 61-run stand between Alex Carey (43) and Mitchell Starc (58*) lifted Australia to 207, setting South Africa a target of 282. South Africa began their chase cautiously, reaching 47/1 after 10 overs.
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Day 3: South Africa’s chase gained momentum with a 143-run partnership between Aiden Markram (102) and Temba Bavuma (65), despite Bavuma battling a hamstring injury. Markram’s century, his eighth in Tests, came off 156 balls, while Bavuma’s resilience kept Australia at bay. By stumps, South Africa were 213/2, needing 69 runs with 8 wickets in hand.
Day 4: South Africa resumed with determination. Markram fell early for 102, caught by Steve Smith off Nathan Lyon, followed by Bavuma’s departure at 65, trapped lbw by Pat Cummins. Wiaan Mulder (16) and Tristan Stubbs (8) also fell, leaving South Africa at 237/5, still needing 45 runs. However, Kyle Verreynne (27*) and David Bedingham (15*) steered the team to victory, with Verreynne hitting the winning runs through the covers off Josh Hazlewood. The match concluded at 12:45 PM local time (05:15 PM IST), with South Africa finishing at 283/5.
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Key Moments
- Markram-Bavuma Partnership: Their 143-run stand on Day 3 turned the game in South Africa’s favor, defying a strong Australian bowling attack on a pitch that eased for batting.
- Cummins’ 300th Wicket: Pat Cummins became the eighth Australian to reach 300 Test wickets, earning a spot on the Lord’s Honours Board with his 6/28.
- Rabada’s Dominance: Kagiso Rabada’s 9 wickets in the match (5/51 and 4/59) made him the first South African to take a five-wicket haul in a WTC final.
- Starc’s Resilience: Mitchell Starc’s unbeaten 58 in the second innings, alongside a record of surpassing Mohammed Shami for the most wickets in major men’s ICC tournament finals, kept Australia competitive.
- Smith’s Record: Steve Smith overtook Sachin Tendulkar for the most 50+ scores in ICC knockouts and set a new record for the most Test runs at Lord’s by a visiting batter (591*).
Emotional Impact
The victory ended South Africa’s long-standing “chokers” tag, a label that had haunted them since their last ICC title in 1998. Captain Temba Bavuma, who led the team through injury, and players like Keshav Maharaj and Kyle Verreynne were visibly emotional, with Maharaj seen crying during his post-match interview. The win, achieved against the defending champions Australia, was celebrated as a defining moment for South African cricket, with the team wearing black armbands in memory of the 241 lives lost in the Ahmedabad plane crash on June 12.
South Africa’s journey to the title included eight consecutive Test wins, overcoming earlier criticism of their WTC cycle opponents. For Australia, the loss marked their first defeat in an ICC final against South Africa, despite a valiant effort from their bowling unit.
