Latest news with #TestMace
TimesLIVE
2 days ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
World champ Proteas meet, greet and sign at Mandela Square
The world Test champion Proteas greeted crowds of fans, did Q and As, showed off of the Test Mace and signed autographs for thrilled supporters at Nelson Mandela Square at Sandton City on Thursday. The Proteas returned from winning the World Test Championship final at Lord's in London on Wednesday. They won their first major international trophy. Their dramatic, thrilling five-wicket win against Australia in a Test for the ages that concluded on Saturday brought to an end a 27-year period of pain and devastating near-misses for the national cricket team since readmission to international sport in 1991. Autograph Proteas The Proteas players signing autographs at Nelson Mndela Square. Image: Kabelo Mokoena The World Test Champions @ProteasMenCSA get some exercise to their wrists signing thousands of autographs and meeting and greeting fans at Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton on Thursday — Marc Strydom (@marc_strydom) June 19, 2025 The World Test Champions @ProteasMenCSA get some exercise to their wrists signing thousands of autographs and meeting and greeting fans at Nelson Mandela Square in Sandton on Thursday — Marc Strydom (@marc_strydom) June 19, 2025
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
Geoffrey Boycott tells England to use ‘common sense' against India, hammers ‘embarrassing' Bazball for WTC failures
England are gearing up for a massive year of Test cricket, one which will see them host India before travelling down under for the Ashes. Despite their relative indifference to the World Test Championship under the tenure of Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum, there has been greater fervour from home to see the team gun for a spot in the finals, after three extremely successful cycles seeing their finals played in England, but with the host team never featuring. With that in mind, former England player Sir Geoffrey Boycott didn't mince words in saying that England's 'reckless' nature has cost them in that aspect, and that players need to start standing up and taking responsibility. Writing in his column on The Telegraph, Boycott went in on 'Bazball' as a style of play, and demanded that the team ensure that the priority is to win Test matches and reach the WTC final in 2027. 'England should beat India if they temper Bazball and use some common sense. At times their cricket has been thrilling and super enjoyable, but also reckless batting has lost them Test matches,' said Boycott. 'Their only thought should be winning because it is no use telling us how good you are when the last three World Test Championship finals have been played in our country but England have not qualified for any of them. They should be embarrassed. Their aim should be to make the next WTC final,' said Boycott emphatically. While India and Australia have both reached the finals twice, and New Zealand, Australia, and now South Africa winning the Test Mace once each, England remain the highest-profile team never to make the WTC final. While Bazball has the buy-in of many, there is a frustration that it doesn't hold winning Test matches as a high enough objective. 'The new cycle starts now and somebody needs to get through to the England players that being a winner is better than being known as an entertainer. If you can win and entertain, that is a bonus. At the moment England are like a one-trick-pony. It's Bazball or Bazball and that is the way we play; take it or leave it. They don't want to change or learn from their losses,' said Boycott, not holding back from letting his low opinion of England's single-minded approach to Test cricket be heard.
The Herald
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Herald
Bavuma's World champ Proteas bring Test Mace back to OR Tambo
The world champion Proteas brought the Test Mace back on their arrival, greeted by enthusiastic supporters, at OR Tambo International Airport on Wednesday morning. Coach Shukri Conrad's South Africa lifted their first major trophy winning the World Test Championship final, which ended on Saturday, by five wickets over Australia at Lord's. Temba Bavuma led the team out first, carrying the Test Mace.
TimesLIVE
3 days ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
The Proteas come home as world champs
The world champion Proteas brought the Test Mace back on their arrival, greeted by enthusiastic supporters, at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg on Wednesday morning. Coach Shukri Conrad's South Africa lifted their first major trophy by winning the World Test Championship final, which ended on Saturday, by five wickets over Australia at Lord's. Captain Temba Bavuma led the team out first, carrying the mace. Here are some pictures of the arrival. Image: Kabelo Mokoena
TimesLIVE
3 days ago
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Did the Proteas shed the dreaded 'chokers' tag winning the WTC final?
The Proteas finally won a major trophy when they lifted the Test Mace after their five-wicket victory against Australia at Lord's in the World Test Championship (WTC) final that ended on Saturday. This brought to an end a 27-year period of pain and devastating near-misses for the national cricket team since readmission to international sport in 1991. They lost in the semifinals of the ODI World Cup a staggering five times (1992, 1999, 2007, 2015 and 2023) and in the T20 version twice (2009 and 2014), plus once in the final last year. This led to the undesired title of 'chokers'. Those who have supported the Proteas and the players over various generations have wanted to move away from the label, preferring to see the team as unfortunate and those defeats as mishaps. Their stirring WTC final win came against cricket powerhouse Australia, rebounding from a first innings 138 in a match characterised by Temba Bavuma's captaincy, batting and brave decision to bowl from the toss, Kagiso Rabada and Lungi Ngidi's bowling and Aiden Markram's epic 136. Their performance on such a stage against such opposition should go a long way to putting the Proteas' demons to bed and erasing past hurt. In sport, you're only as good as your last game, even if it was a classic for the ages like last week's Test final. Another semifinal defeat and the dreaded chokers tag will be taken out of storage, dusted off and in the headlines again. For now, the Proteas are walking on air.
