• Aiden Markram’s magnificent century guided South Africa to a five-wicket win over Australia in the World Test Championship final at Lord’s as they successfully chased down an imposing 282-run target on June 14.

• The Proteas achieved their first major ICC title in 27 years.

• South Africa’s only previous global trophy was the Champions Trophy’s precursor in 1998. 

• The last time South Africa won a major ICC trophy at any level was back in 2014 when the U19 side won the World Cup. The captain then was Aiden Markram. 

• London 2025 will go down as one of the greatest days in South Africa sports.

• This was their first appearance in the WTC final, with opener Aiden Markram delivering a heroic innings of 136 to ensure success.

• South Africa moved from 213-2 overnight to a winning 285-5. The Proteas made reasonably light work of the 69 runs they needed to win the mace on the fourth morning in London.

• South Africa has eliminated its cricketing pandemic, known widely as the ‘chokers’ tag. 

• Since the infamous semifinal loss to Australia in the 1999 ODI World Cup, the nation’s cricketing legacy has been marred by the ‘chokers’ tag. This label has escalated with every passing ICC tournament since.

• After a 27-year wait, the senior men’s side has won an ICC title, and it is only fitting that they have managed to do so under Temba Bavuma, the country’s first black African captain.

• The win means the extended run unbeaten goes to 10 Tests for Temba Bavuma in his start as South Africa’s captain. Bavuma remains unbeaten as a captain in Test cricket, with nine wins and a draw. 

• The nine wins in Test matches is a record in the game as well, with Bavuma sharing the honour with England’s Percy Chapman, who led his side in the late 1920s and 1930s.

• The World Test Championship (WTC) is a biennial tournament organised by the International Cricket Council (ICC). 

• The inaugural WTC final was held in Southampton in June 2021. New Zealand won the championship in 2021 and Australia won the title in 2023.

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