WTC Final 2025, South Africa vs Australia, Day 4: South Africa clinch first ICC title in 27 Years with historic win over Australia.
Brief Scores: South Africa 282/5 (Markram 136, Bavuma 66, Starc 3/66) & 138 (Bedingham 45, Bavuma 36, Cummins 6/28) beat Australia 212 (Beau Webster 72, Smith 66, Rabada 5/51) & 207 (Starc 58*, Carey 43, Rabada 4/59) by five wickets
South Africa became the third team to lift the World Test Championship (WTC) after completing a resounding five-wicket win over former champions Australia at Lord’s. The Proteas’ trophy drought gets over as they won an ICC trophy after 27 long years.
The Proteas overcame a spirited all-round show by Mitchell Starc, Cummins’ six-wicket haul and their own poor batting performance in the first innings to win a high-pressure final on Day 4.
Earlier in the game, Kagiso Rabada kept the Aussie run-scoring in check, finishing with impressive figures of 9/110. Come the final inning, it was Aiden Markram who played a special Test knock to take South Africa past the finish line.
Read More: WTC 25 Final, SA vs AUS, Day 3: Markram-Bavuma stand takes SA within shouting distance of the target
Aiden Markram’s authoritative 136 give SA their maiden WTC title
Starting what eventually was the final day at 213/2 with further 69 more required to win, the set overnight batters Aiden Markram and skipper Temba Bavuma started the proceedings for South Africa. Bavuma, battling with a hamstring issue departed to his counterpart after adding just one run to the tally.
Australia kept things tight conceding just 25 runs in the first hour of play. Despite their good bowling, Markram was at his fluent best and found some good support first from Tristan Stubbs and then David Bedingham in negating Australia’s threat.
Starc did get the scalp of Stubbs and Hazelwood ended Markram’s vigil but it was too late in the piece as the Proteas stormed through the chase in convincing fashion.
What’s Next
South Africa, the new WTC title holders will travel to Zimbabwe for their next Test assignment later this month.
On the other hand, Australia will begin it’s 2025-27 WTC cycle against the West Indies from 25 June at Barbados.
Read More: WTC 25 Final, AUS vs SA, Day 2: Cummins’ 6-28 dismantles SA;Australia 218 ahead at stumps
Statistical highlights from SA vs AUS, WTC 2023-25 final, Day 4:
- This is South Africa’s first ICC Trophy win since clinching the Champions Trophy back in 1998
- This is the joint second-highest target chased by a team at Lord’s. The highest was a target of 342 overhauled by West Indies against England in 1984
- The 147-run stand for the third wicket between Markram & Bavuma is the highest for this wicket for SA at Lord’s.
- Pat Cummins ended WTC 25 cycle with the most wickets (80).
- Aiden Markram’s 136 is the second highest individual score in 4th innings of a successful chase at Lord’s.
Top Twitter/X Reactions from Australia vs South Africa, Day 4 WTC Final 2025
HOME!!!!! 🏆
— Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) June 14, 2025
Temba Bavuma-led South Africa has created history. Rabada was brilliant. Aiden Markram has not only engraved his name on the Lord’s Honours Board but also in the history of South African cricket.
— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) June 14, 2025
Aiden Markram plays the most important inning of his career and the most significant knock for his nation. Markram and South Africa get a new image. After today, they wouldn't be taken lightly in crunch games. Not the chokers anymore.
— Mohammad Kaif (@MohammadKaif) June 14, 2025
Read More: ICC WTC 25 Final, AUS vs SA: Rabada fifer stunts Australia to 212, but SA slide to 43-4 at stumps
