South Africa ended a 27-year wait for a major ICC title by defeating Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s, London, on June 14, 2025. After choosing to bowl first, South African pacers Kagiso Rabada (5 for 51) and Marco Jansen (3 for 49) bowled out the defending champions Australia for 212 runs, despite solid knocks from Steve Smith (66) and Beau Webster (72).
In reply, South Africa struggled against Pat Cummins’ fiery spell (6 for 28) and were dismissed for just 138, giving Australia a lead of 74 runs. In the second innings, Rabada struck again with 4 wickets, supported by Lungi Ngidi’s 3-for, restricting Australia to 207.
Mitchell Starc (58) and Alex Carey (43) added crucial runs, setting South Africa a challenging target of 282. Chasing under pressure, South Africa lost early wickets, but Aiden Markram’s heroic 136 and captain Temba Bavuma’s 66 built a match-defining 144-run partnership.
Despite some tense moments on the final day, the Proteas held their nerve and chased down the target, finishing at 283 for 5. This historic win marks South Africa’s first ICC trophy since 1998, ending decades of heartbreak and establishing them as World Test Champions.
