Article
Markram’s Masterclass Seals South Africa’s Historic WTC Triumph
Summary
South Africa chased down 282 to beat Australia by five wickets in the first WTC final at Lord’s, backed by Markram’s 136 and vital lower-order stands.
South Africa achieved their first top Test trophy in a five-wicket victory against Australia in the inaugural World Test Championship title at Lord's on 14 June 2025.
Chasing a daunting 282-run target, the Proteas resumed on the fourth day at 213 for 2 and needed 69 more, which they achieved in 27.4 overs to seal the pursuit. Their winning chase was the second highest fourth-innings run pursuit in 141 years of Lord's Test history.
Aiden Markram was the glue of the pursuit with a recorded 136, making his ton late on the third day and then adding 34 on the final morning before being caught by Travis Head with six runs remaining.
Captain Temba Bavuma, suffering from a hamstring injury, contributed 66 to the score but was edged out early on the fourth morning by Pat Cummins. David Bedingham's 21 not out and Kyle Verreynne's maturity finish he hit the winning run and finished four not out—guided the historic triumph to completion.
Reflecting on his team's win, Bavuma said, "We worked hard, we came here with a lot of faith… it's a special moment for us and people at home.".