Aiden Markram's Historic Century Propels South Africa in WTC Final
Markram's Milestone at Lord's
South African cricketer Aiden Markram made history with a remarkable century during the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia at Lord's on Friday. In a challenging match for batters, Markram formed an unbeaten partnership with captain Temba Bavuma, finishing the day with an impressive score of 102 not out off 159 deliveries, including 11 boundaries. Their efforts have brought the Proteas closer to securing their first ICC world title.
Markram Joins Elite Company
This century marks the first by a South African player in an ICC tournament final. With this achievement, Markram, now with eight centuries in Test cricket, joins the ranks of legends such as Gordon Greenidge, Roy Fredericks, Michael Clarke, Ajit Agarkar, and Don Bradman, all of whom have scored fourth-innings centuries at Lord's.
Markram's third fourth-inning century ties him with notable players like Geoff Boycott, Greenidge, and Graham Gooch for the most fourth-innings tons in Test history. Only Sunil Gavaskar and Graeme Smith have more, with four each.
Additionally, he has joined the likes of Bruce Mitchell, Graeme Pollock, and Jacques Kallis as players who have achieved both a wicket and a century in the same Test match in England, having taken two wickets in this title clash.
Proteas' Resilient Performance
South Africa reached 213 runs in 56 overs, driven by a century partnership between Markram and Bavuma. Despite dealing with a hamstring injury, Bavuma contributed significantly with a half-century.
Earlier in the day, a solid partnership between Markram and Wiaan Mulder set South Africa up well, ending the second session at 94/2, with Bavuma and Markram both unbeaten.
Mitchell Starc played a crucial role for Australia, scoring 58 not out and helping his team recover from a precarious position of 152/9 to finish at 207 all out, setting a target of 282 runs for South Africa.
Match Summary
Brief Scores: Australia: 212 and 207 (Mitchell Starc 58*, Alex Carey 43, Kagiso Rabada 4/59) vs. South Africa: 138 and 213/2 (Aiden Markram 102*, Temba Bavuma 65*, Mitchell Starc 2/37).