LONDON: Led by a heroic unbeaten century from Aiden Markram and a gutsy stand from captain Temba Bavuma, the Proteas chased down a daunting 282 to etch their name into cricketing history.

South Africa reached the target with eight wickets in hand, finishing at 284-2 on Day 4 and sealing their first ICC trophy since the 1998 Champions Trophy. The final-day performance capped a dramatic turnaround after their dismal 138 all out in the first innings.

Markram, who fell for a duck in the first innings, delivered when it mattered most. His 102* was a masterclass in composure and flair, highlighted by precise strokes and effortless boundaries—including a pinpoint back-cut off Starc and a crisp straight drive to reach 97. He brought up his hundred with a graceful whip through the leg side as the South African dressing room erupted in joy.

Temba Bavuma, battling a hamstring injury, anchored the chase alongside Markram with a determined 65*, as the duo stitched together an unbroken 143-run stand—the second-highest successful Test chase at Lord’s. Their partnership now ranks among the finest in South African cricket history.
Batting coach Ashwell Prince described the dressing room scenes as euphoric but stressed that the focus never wavered.

Australia, the defending WTC champions, found no answers on a flattening pitch. Pat Cummins tried every option, including spin from Nathan Lyon and part-timers like Travis Head, but to no avail. Markram was simply immovable.

Earlier, Kagiso Rabada’s nine-wicket haul across both innings kept South Africa in the hunt, despite Alex Carey and the Australian tail stretching the lead beyond 200. A gritty 131-ball half-century by Mitchell Starc and a 46-run final-wicket stand with Josh Hazlewood delayed the inevitable, but the Proteas remained undeterred.

In the end, it was Markram himself who broke the Australian resistance with the ball, dismissing Hazlewood to end the innings and then returning with the bat to lead the charge.