For years, they carried the label of nearly men, a side repeatedly undone at the decisive moment in major tournaments. At Lord’s, that narrative finally changed. South Africa claimed their first senior ICC title since the 1998 Wills International Cup, defeating Australia in a gripping World Test Championship final.
It was a victory that also carried the weight of history. South Africa had previously risen to the top of the ICC Test rankings and, under Graeme Smith, were awarded the ICC Test Championship mace for finishing as the number one ranked side at the annual cut off. At the time, however, the mace was not decided through a tournament format, but awarded based on a points based ranking system across Test series over a set period.
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Captain Temba Bavuma led from the front in a performance defined by composure and timing. His first innings contribution of 36 helped South Africa stay afloat in a bowler dominated contest, before he anchored the chase with a measured 66 as the target of 282 came into focus under pressure.
Kagiso Rabada was the decisive force with the ball, ripping through Australia with five wickets in the first innings and following it up with four more in the second. His spell ensured Australia never fully capitalised on their advantage, even as Mitchell Starc added late resistance with a counter attacking 58 in the third innings to push the target higher than it might have been at one point.
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In the chase, Aiden Markram delivered the defining innings. Calm, controlled and unshaken by the occasion, he produced one of the greatest South African innings of all time, a century that set up South Africa’s platform to complete the chase.
South Africa reached 282 in the final innings to secure victory at Lord’s, completing a landmark result that ended a long wait for a major ICC title in men’s senior cricket since 1998.
#OnThisDay, South Africa scripted history at Lord’s🏆🇿🇦
Led by Aiden Markram’s magnificent century, the Proteas defeated Australia by five wickets to win their maiden World Test Championship title and their first ICC trophy since 1998. pic.twitter.com/S2BRV96uZ9
— CricTracker (@Cricketracker) June 14, 2026
Photo: Paul Harding/Gallo Images
