South Africa Breaks 27-Year ICC Drought with WTC Victory Over Australia at Lord’s

June 15, 2025 – South Africa has finally ended a 27-year ICC trophy drought, winning the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 title on a heart-stopping five-wicket victory over Australia at Lord’s on June 14, 2025. The Proteas, chasing 282, were led by Aiden Markram’s stunning 136 and skipper Temba Bavuma’s gritty 66, ending a protracted heritage of sorrow and delivering their first major ICC win since the 1998 Champions Trophy. European cricket fans, especially from England, celebrated this historic moment in the “Home of Cricket,” in which South Africa rewrote their history.

South Africa started day four needing 69 runs, with Markram and Bavuma in the mix. In spite of early failures—Bavuma was out to Pat Cummins and Tristan Stubbs to Mitchell Starc—Markram’s composure remained unshaken. His 207-ball 136, the foundation of the chase, earned him the Player of the Match honor. Kyle Verreynne hit the winning boundary, triggering maniacal celebrations by the South African squad at Lord’s. This 282-run chase is the equal second highest in Lord’s Test history, joining the record England set in 2004 against New Zealand.

South Africa bore the “chokers” moniker for years, having lost 11 semifinals and a 2024 T20 World Cup final to India. Their previous ICC title was won in 1998, but all this changed with Bavuma’s captaincy. Bavuma played with an injury to his hamstring and ensured a 147-run partnership with Markram, showing grit. It’s a chance for South Africa to unite,” Bavuma commented in the aftermath of the match, reflecting the cultural significance of the victory. X fans such as @ICC shared emotional highlights, referring to it as a “fairytale finish” for the Proteas.

The win reverberated strongly across Europe, where Lord’s had a sizeable South African following. Keshav Maharaj’s tears and Marco Jansen’s joy among fans highlighted the emotional stake, per @cricketcomau on X. Cricket legends across the globe including AB de Villiers and Sachin Tendulkar celebrated the grit of the team, per Times of India. The South African win over invincible Australia, who were 15 years unbeaten in ICC finals, signals a new dawn, opening the gate to dominance in the future.

South Africa joins the list of New Zealand and Australia as WTC champions, and Bavuma’s captaincy record which was previously unbeaten is now at 10 Tests. Returning home to a hero’s welcome, their thoughts are on sustaining this momentum

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