South Africa Clinches Historic WTC Title, Ending 27-Year ICC Trophy Drought

South Africa's Historic Victory at Lord's

In a remarkable achievement, South Africa triumphed over Australia at Lord's Cricket Ground in London, securing the World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2025 and ending a 27-year wait for an ICC trophy. Their previous significant win was the 1998 ICC Knockout Trophy, and after numerous near misses, they finally lifted the WTC mace.

Captain Temba Bavuma played a pivotal role in this victory, maintaining his unbeaten record as a Test captain. The Proteas had come close to breaking their title drought in the 2024 T20 World Cup Final but fell short against India. Throughout the WTC cycle, Bavuma led the team with remarkable consistency, achieving seven wins out of eight matches and one draw. His captaincy record now stands at nine wins and one draw in Test cricket.

Despite suffering a hamstring injury during the second innings, Bavuma contributed significantly with scores of 36 in the first innings and a crucial 66 in the second. His partnership of 147 runs for the third wicket with Aiden Markram was instrumental in securing the match.

Bavuma also set a record with nine consecutive scores of over 30 in Test cricket, trailing only behind former England player Ted Dexter, who achieved 11 such scores. This victory also marked South Africa's eighth consecutive Test win, their second-longest winning streak in history.

In the first innings, Australia posted 212 runs, with Steve Smith scoring 66 and Beau Webster contributing 72, while Kagiso Rabada claimed five wickets. South Africa struggled initially, bowled out for just 138 runs, thanks to a stellar six-wicket performance from Pat Cummins.

In their second innings, Australia managed 207 runs, with Mitchell Starc scoring 58. Rabada continued his impressive form, taking four more wickets. South Africa needed to chase down 282 runs, and Aiden Markram's outstanding 136 led the team to their first ICC title in 27 years, marking a historic win.