South Africa end ICC trophy drought with historic win at Lord’s
South Africa have finally ended their long wait for an ICC trophy, winning the Test Championship title at the iconic Lord’s by beating Australia.
Temba Bavuma departed early in the day’s third over, and Tristan Stubbs’ dismissal momentarily brought back some tension. But Australia couldn’t pull off anything dramatic. Aiden Markram’s heroic knock guided South Africa to a memorable five-wicket win, bringing an end to their 27-year ICC trophy drought.
Chasing 282 in the final of the 2023–25 ICC Test Championship cycle, the Proteas reached the target in the first session of Day 4.
Since lifting the trophy at the inaugural ICC KnockOut (now Champions Trophy) in 1998, this is the first time South Africa have won a major global title in men’s cricket.
Markram was the star of the final. After being dismissed for a duck in the first innings, he redeemed himself with a majestic 136 off 207 balls, striking 14 fours before falling just six runs shy of victory.
Captain Temba Bavuma also made a vital contribution. Despite struggling with a hamstring strain and limping while batting, he showed remarkable grit to score 66 off 134 deliveries with five boundaries.
The decisive moment came through a 147-run third-wicket stand between Markram and Bavuma, built over 250 balls. It laid the foundation for the successful chase.
South Africa had done most of the work by the end of Day 3, needing just 69 more runs with eight wickets in hand on Day 4. Although the morning didn’t start well—Bavuma added only one more run before edging to Mitchell Starc—it didn’t derail the chase.
Markram and Stubbs added vital runs, and even after Stubbs was bowled by Starc with 41 runs still needed, Markram held firm. He found support in David Bedingham before eventually departing, leaving the final few runs to Bedingham and Kyle Verreynne.
There was a late drama when Verreynne edged a Starc delivery, but the Australians had no reviews left. Replays later confirmed a faint edge. On the very next ball, Verreynne guided the winning run through cover, sparking wild celebrations from the South African camp.
Australia, the defending champions, were heavy favorites going into the final. But early wickets from Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen put them on the back foot. They stumbled to 67/4 on Day 1 before recovering to 212 thanks to fifties from Steven Smith and Beau Webster.
South Africa, however, collapsed to 138 in reply, losing their last five wickets for just 12 runs. Australia held a 74-run first-innings lead. But Rabada’s brilliance again had Australia in trouble in their second innings at 73/7. A late 58* from Starc pushed their total to 207.
The pitch, difficult for batting in the first two days, eased up later. Still, chasing 282 against Australia in a final wasn’t an easy task. But Markram and Bavuma made it look possible.
Last year, South Africa came heartbreakingly close in the T20 World Cup final against India, only to lose in dramatic fashion. But this time, they completed the job, finally turning years of pain into glory.
This win adds South Africa to the list of teams in 2025 that are breaking long-standing jinxes and fulfilling unfinished stories.
Match Summary
- Australia 1st innings: 212
- South Africa 1st innings: 138
- Australia 2nd innings: 207
- South Africa 2nd innings: 282/5 in 83.4 overs
(Markram 136, Bavuma 66, Starc 3/66) - Result: South Africa won by 5 wickets
- Player of the Match: Aiden Markram
