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Kuwait Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Kuwait Times
Markram the hero as S Africa win WTC final to end long wait for cricket glory
Markram's magnificent ton cornerstone of S Africa's five-wicket victory LONDON: Aiden Markram's magnificent century was the cornerstone of South Africa's five-wicket victory over Australia in the World Test Championship final at Lord's on Saturday as the Proteas ended decades of cricket heartbreak by at last winning a major global title. South Africa, set 282 to win, finished on 282-5 before lunch on the fourth day, with opening batsman Markram falling for 136 after taking South Africa to within six runs of the title. The Proteas resumed on 213-2, needing just 69 more runs for victory. Markram, dismissed for a duck in the first innings, was 102 not out and South Africa captain Temba Bavuma unbeaten on 65 despite spending most of his innings limping with a hamstring injury. South Africa have such a long history of folding under pressure that could not take anything for granted against serial winners and defending WTC title-holders Australia. In 18 previous attempts in the one-day international and T20 World Cups, South Africa had only reached a solitary final. That was in last year's T20 World Cup in Barbados, when they lost to India despite needing just 30 runs from their last 30 balls, with six wickets standing. But South Africa, so often labelled 'chokers' for their failure to close out knockout games, held their nerve on Saturday as a largely unheralded side succeeded where star players such as Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, AB de Villiers and Jacques Kallis had failed. Setback South Africa did suffer a setback early on Saturday when Bavuma, who had added just one run to his overnight score, was caught behind off Australia captain Pat Cummins to end a partnership of 147 with Markram. Nevertheless, at 217-3, with the sunny blue skies above Lord's creating good batting conditions on an increasingly placid pitch, South Africa were still well-placed. Markram then cut fast bowler Cummins for a resounding four to the delight of what was effectively a 'home' crowd given the large number of South Africa fans who had packed into Lord's on what was always going to be a short day's play. He then got the target down to 50 by pulling Cummins for another four. Cummins then brought on Nathan Lyon in the hope that the off-spinner could find the significant turn that had helped him on Friday. It was left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Starc, however, who raised Australia's hopes by bowling Tristan Stubbs for eight with a superb delivery that cut back sharply. Australia, in one last desperate ploy after using up all three of their review, took the new ball with South Africa just needing 14 more runs to win at 268-4. But Markram drove the first delivery with the new ball, from Josh Hazlewood, for four, and the next one for three. He was unable to finish the job, however, a pull off Hazlewood brilliantly caught by Travis Head at midwicket to end a 207-ball innings featuring 14 fours. A disbelieving Markram walked slowly back to the Pavilion, with several Australia players running to shake his hand as he received a standing ovation. It was left to Kyle Verreynne, who might have been out caught had Australia had any reviews left, to hit the winning run as South Africa completed the second-highest chase to win a Test at Lord's, behind the West Indies' 344-1, requiring 342, against England in 1984. This Test was also a personal triumph for South Africa fast bowler Kagiso Rabada, who finished with match figures of 9-110. — AFP
The Citizen
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Bavuma eyes more South Africa success after Test final win over Australia
"We hope this is the start of something. Hopefully this is the start of trophies for the team." South Africa's captain Temba Bavuma holds his son and the ICC World Test Championship Mace as he celebrates with teammates after victory on day four of the ICC World Test Championship cricket final match between Australia and South Africa, at Lord's cricket ground, in London, on June 14, 2025. South Africa won the Test by 5 wickets. (Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. NO ASSOCIATION WITH DIRECT COMPETITOR OF SPONSOR, PARTNER, OR SUPPLIER OF THE ECB South Africa captain Temba Bavuma wants his team's triumph in the World Test Championship final to be the first of many trophies for the country's cricketers. In 18 previous attempts in the one-day international and T20 World Cups, South Africa had only reached a solitary final. That was in last year's T20 World Cup in Barbados, when they lost to India despite needing just 30 runs from their last 30 balls, with six wickets left. There was no such heartache at Lord's, with Aiden Markram making 136 and Bavuma 66 as South Africa chased down a target of 282 for a five-wicket win over defending champions Australia before lunch on Saturday's fourth morning. Bavuma, the first black African specialist batsman to play Test cricket for the Proteas, said his side had been inspired by South Africa's Springboks, who who have won four Rugby World Cups — including the two most recent tournaments. 'This is special for this group, special for myself, for the country,' Bavuma told reporters. 'I have watched the rugby guys and the biggest thing I admire about them is the way with their success they have embraced what being South African actually means. 'As South Africans we are unique in a lot of ways. Our present and future is shaped by our past and the way they (the Springboks) have gone about things has really captured the hearts of everyone. It's something we've spoken about and to try do something special.' But, the 35-year-old said he now wanted more. 'We hope this is the start of something. Hopefully this is the start of trophies for the team.' 'Want to play more Test cricket' Bavuma said he hoped winning the mace for best Test nation would lift the profile of Test cricket in South Africa, where no Test matches are scheduled for the upcoming 2025/25 home season. 'We want to play more Test cricket,' he said. 'We want to play against the bigger nations. So I think this will go a long way in making us a lot more attractive, and also the so-called smaller nations.' Bavuma added that his relatively inexperienced team had shown plenty of character but still had room for improvement, saying: 'Even over the past three-and-a-half days we haven't played perfect cricket but we keep finding a way to get the job done.' The captain said his players wanted to achieve the consistent success of earlier South African Test teams, in particular the sides that held the Test mace for three years between 2013 and 2015, as a result of topping the rankings before the introduction of a Test final. 'We've said as a team we would like to judge ourselves after three or four years as a group,' said Bavuma. 'We would like to emulate what (former captain) Graeme (Smith) and his team did.' Referring to South Africa's first opponents in the next WTC cycle later this year, Bavuma said: 'We need to go to Pakistan and India and get those victories there.' Markram, meanwhile, said he had not slept well after finishing Friday's play on 102 not out. 'I even took a sleeping pill but it didn't work, he said. The opener added he had been motivated by memories of last year's T20 World Cup final collapse, which happened under his captaincy. 'I thought a lot about the T20 World Cup and how helpless I felt sitting on the side,' he recalled. 'I didn't want to expose the next player in (to bat at Lord's) to a pressure situation.'
New Straits Times
7 days ago
- Sport
- New Straits Times
Bavuma eyes more South Africa success after Test final win over Australia
LONDON: South Africa captain Temba Bavuma wants his team's triumph in the World Test Championship final to be the first of many trophies for the country's cricketers. In 18 previous attempts in the one-day international and T20 World Cups, South Africa had only reached a solitary final. That was in last year's T20 World Cup in Barbados, when they lost to India despite needing just 30 runs from their last 30 balls, with six wickets left. There was no such heartache at Lord's, with Aiden Markram making 136 and Bavuma 66 as South Africa chased down a target of 282 for a five-wicket win over defending champions Australia before lunch on Saturday's fourth morning. Bavuma, the first black African specialist batsman to play Test cricket for the Proteas, said his side had been inspired by South Africa's Springboks, who who have won four Rugby World Cups – including the two most recent tournaments. "This is special for this group, special for myself, for the country," Bavuma told reporters. "I have watched the rugby guys and the biggest thing I admire about them is the way with their success they have embraced what being South African actually means. "As South Africans we are unique in a lot of ways. Our present and future is shaped by our past and the way they (the Springboks) have gone about things has really captured the hearts of everyone. It's something we've spoken about and to try do something special." But, the 35-year-old said he now wanted more. "We hope this is the start of something. Hopefully this is the start of trophies for the team." Bavuma said he hoped winning the mace for best Test nation would lift the profile of Test cricket in South Africa, where no Test matches are scheduled for the upcoming 2025/25 home season. "We want to play more Test cricket," he said. "We want to play against the bigger nations. So I think this will go a long way in making us a lot more attractive, and also the so-called smaller nations." Bavuma added that his relatively inexperienced team had shown plenty of character but still had room for improvement, saying: "Even over the past three-and-a-half days we haven't played perfect cricket but we keep finding a way to get the job done." The captain said his players wanted to achieve the consistent success of earlier South African Test teams, in particular the sides that held the Test mace for three years between 2013 and 2015, as a result of topping the rankings before the introduction of a Test final. "We've said as a team we would like to judge ourselves after three or four years as a group," said Bavuma. "We would like to emulate what (former captain) Graeme (Smith) and his team did." Referring to South Africa's first opponents in the next WTC cycle later this year, Bavuma said: "We need to go to Pakistan and India and get those victories there." Markram, meanwhile, said he had not slept well after finishing Friday's play on 102 not out. "I even took a sleeping pill but it didn't work, he said. The opener added he had been motivated by memories of last year's T20 World Cup final collapse, which happened under his captaincy.
NDTV
7 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Rishabh Pant's Post For Aiden Markram, South Africa On Winning WTC Title Wins Internet
Aiden Markram's magnificent century was the cornerstone of South Africa's five-wicket victory over Australia in the World Test Championship final at Lord's on Saturday as the Proteas ended decades of cricket heartbreak by at last winning a major global title. South Africa, set 282 to win, finished on 282-5 before lunch on the fourth day, with opening batsman Markram falling for 136 after taking South Africa to within six runs of the title. As South Africa brought an end to the excruciating wait to win an ICC title, Markram's Indian Premier League (IPL) captain Rishabh Pant, shared a glorious post on social media. Pant, who shared the dressing room with Markram in IPL 2025 season, lauded the Proteas batter's knock under pressure that played key role in South Africa's triumph. 'Well played, Aiden brother. I am so happy for you - what a great knock under pressure. You have made us all proud and congratulations to South Africa on lifting the WTC mace,' he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). Well played, Aiden brother . I am so happy for you - what a great knock under pressure. You have made us all proud and congratulations to South Africa on lifting the WTC mace. — Rishabh Pant (@RishabhPant17) June 14, 2025 The Proteas resumed the game on Day 4, batting on 213-2, needing just 69 more runs for victory. Markram, dismissed for a duck in the first innings, was 102 not out and South Africa captain Temba Bavuma was unbeaten on 65 despite spending most of his innings limping with a hamstring injury. South Africa have such a long history of folding under pressure that could not take anything for granted against serial winners and defending WTC title-holders Australia. In 18 previous attempts in the one-day international and T20 World Cups, South Africa had only reached a solitary final. That was in last year's T20 World Cup in Barbados, when they lost to India despite needing just 30 runs from their last 30 balls, with six wickets standing. But South Africa, so often labelled "chokers" for their failure to close out knockout games, held their nerve on Saturday as a largely unheralded side succeeded where star players such as Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock, AB de Villiers and Jacques Kallis had failed.
eNCA
7 days ago
- Sport
- eNCA
Three things we learned from the World Test Championship final
UK - South Africa shed their unwanted tag as nearly men with a decisive five-wicket win over Australia in the World Test Championship final on Saturday. Victory, secured by Aiden Markram's superb hundred, with South Africa captain Temba Bavuma making a valuable fifty, ended years of tournament heartache for the Proteas following multiple failures at the One-Day International and T20 World Cups. Below AFP Sport looks at three key points that emerged from a fascinating final at Lord's. Two of the three WTC finals have now been won by teams outside cricket's 'Big Three' powerhouse nations of England, Australia and India after New Zealand's inaugural 2021 triumph. At a time when there are widespread fears that red-ball cricket could become the preserve of the Big Three alone, this is perhaps a sign of Test cricket's enduring competitiveness. South Africa, however, will not be playing a home Test during the upcoming 2025/26 season. And several South African observers reckoned there were more fans supporting Bavuma's men at Lord's than had seen at a home Test in years. There has long been talk of setting up a Test match fund to help cricket's financially poorer nations defray some of the costs of staging five-day games. Such a move could improve the WTC, with the current format under fire because teams do not all have to play each other or the same number of matches. "We want to play more Test cricket," said Bavuma after the final. "We want to play against the bigger nations. So I think this will go a long way in making us a lot more attractive." AFP | Glyn KIRK With 28 wickets falling on the first two days, there was inevitably talk about whether the pitch was too much in favour of the fast bowlers on both sides. But research by analysts at CricViz found there was in fact less movement in some areas than is typical for Lord's. Not for the first time, minimal preparation was more likely the cause of the batsmen's troubles adapting to English conditions. Australia didn't have a solitary practice match in England. The experienced Steve Smith was responsible for the lone fifty by a specialist Australia batsman in the final. The title-holders still led by 74 runs after the first innings, after making 212, but Australia captain Pat Cummins said: "We could have batted the opposition out of the game by putting on well over 300 plus. We didn't give ourselves a big enough buffer and we let them back into the game." Catches still win matches AFP | Glyn KIRK The worth of the saying "catches win matches" was underlined by a sensational South Africa fielding display on the first day. After Bavuma won the toss and elected to bowl first in overcast fielding conditions, he needed his pacemen to be on their game. Kagiso Rabada, who went on to take an impressive nine wickets in the match, was on target from ball one. But Rabada and the rest of the pace attack were backed up superbly as the South Africa slip cordon and wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne held several stunning catches. By contrast advanced slip Smith's drop of Bavuma, when the Proteas skipper had made just two, during the run chase helped turn the game South Africa's way.
