WTC Final: South Africa beat Australia by 5 wickets to win 1st major title in 27 years

Proteas implicit a palmy pursuit of the associated second-highest winning fourth-innings full successful Test past astatine the London venue

South Africa's David Bedingham successful enactment during the ICC World Test Championship Final astatine Lord's Cricket Ground successful London, Britain, connected June 14, 2025. Action Images via Reuters

South Africa won the World Test Championship connected Saturday, completing a singular turnaround to bushed Australia by 5 wickets arsenic they successfully chased down an imposing 282-run people to clinch a large cricket rubric successful 27 years.

But it was an edgy decorativeness arsenic they took 27.4 overs to dilatory people the 69 runs needed to unafraid occurrence connected the 4th time astatine Lord’s aft resuming astatine 213-2 overnight.

In truthful doing, South Africa completed a palmy pursuit of the associated second-highest winning fourth-innings full successful trial past astatine the London venue.

It was a archetypal large cricket triumph for South Africa, who had earned an unwanted estimation for nonaccomplishment erstwhile connected the cusp of triumph implicit the past decades successful constricted overs competitions.

This was their archetypal quality successful the WTC final, with opener Aiden Markram delivering a heroic innings of 136 to guarantee success.

Markram, who reached his period precocious successful the 3rd day, added 34 much runs connected Saturday, accumulating cautiously earlier falling to a crisp drawback by Travis Head with six runs needed to win.

Kyle Verreynne deed the winning tally and was 4 not retired astatine the extremity on with David Bedingham, who scored an unbeaten 21.

NERVES

"It was the astir tense I’ve ever been. I didn’t privation to travel retired and bat but erstwhile Aiden went retired I had to," said Verreynne.

South Africa started the 4th time favourites to triumph but nervy, fixed a litany of past disasters, and would person been further connected borderline erstwhile skipper Temba Bavuma was retired successful the 3rd implicit of the morning.

A rising transportation from Australia skipper Pat Cummins took an borderline and saw Bavuma depart, having added lone 1 tally to his overnight full of 65.

Australia made 2 unsuccessful reviews of not retired decisions arsenic they sought a further breakthrough earlier Mitchell Starc cleanable bowled Tristan Stubbs for 8 with 41 runs inactive needed.

Markram and Bedingham past diligently enactment unneurotic a 35-run concern to spot them to the brink of success, earlier the triumph was secured successful the past implicit earlier lunch.

South Africa, who came into the contention arsenic underdogs, won the flip connected the opening time and gambled by putting Australia into bat. But with Kagiso Rabada returning figures of 5-51, they were vindicated arsenic the defending champions were dismissed for 212.

South Africa’s reply of 138 meant Australia had a 74-run lead, importantly accrued aft scoring 207 successful their 2nd innings, with their process bid recovering aft they had slumped to 73-7.

But South Africa profited from a melodramatic alteration successful the transportation conditions -- aft 24 wickets fell connected the archetypal 2 days -– to patiently bat themselves to a landmark victory.