South Africa Faces Tough Challenge in WTC Final Against Australia

Chasing a Record Target at Lord's

In the World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2025, South Africa requires 282 runs to secure victory against Australia at Lord's. Achieving this target would mark their highest successful run chase at this historic venue.

Australia set the challenging target thanks to a strong performance from their lower-order batsmen. Mitchell Starc notched his 11th Test half-century, marking his ninth score of fifty or more while batting at number nine or lower, contributing significantly alongside Josh Hazlewood with a partnership that added 59 vital runs. After a dramatic first two days that saw 28 wickets fall, Australia has established a solid lead.

A Daunting Task at Lord's

Chasing over 250 runs in the fourth innings at Lord's is a rare feat, accomplished only three times in the venue's history.

Here are the largest successful run chases recorded at Lord's:

If the South African team, led by Temba Bavuma, manages to chase down this target, it will rank as the joint second-highest successful run chase at Lord's.

South Africa's Historical Chases

Historically, South Africa's highest successful chase at Lord's stands at just 15 runs, achieved in a 10-wicket victory many years ago. Their top Test chase in England was 283/5 at Edgbaston in 2008. However, they have shown resilience in chasing large totals against Australia previously:

To end their ICC title drought, South Africa will need an extraordinary performance. Their batsmen must display aggressive intent to successfully chase this formidable target against a strong Australian side, who will be eager to dismiss them quickly and claim the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) trophy.