Follow UsHistory was scripted at the Lord’s Cricket Ground today as South Africa lifted their first ever ICC Trophy of this century after triumphing over defending champions Australia by five wickets.
After winning the ICC Knockout Trophy in 1998, South Africa went 27 straight years without a major trophy, suffering over a dozen defeats in knockout competitions. They came agonizingly close to breaking the curse at the 2024 T20WC but fell gut-wrenchingly short against India after having the game in the bag.
But the wait is over. And it’s none other than Temba Bavuma who has helped South Africa break the jinx, becoming the first South African captain ever to lift a world title.
Not just that, Bavuma has scripted further history as he’s become the first ever captain to lift the World Test Championship (WTC) mace unbeaten.
Bavuma led South Africa in 8 matches in this WTC cycle and the Proteas won seven of those matches while drawing one. Not just that, Bavuma is still unbeaten as a captain in Test cricket, with his record reading 9 wins and a draw.
In the final, Bavuma scored 36 in the first innings and a match-defining 66 in the second. He blew his hamstring early in the second innings but in what was a heroic effort, Bavuma batted on despite the injury and strung together a match-winning 147-run third wicket stand with Aiden Markram.
Bavuma now has 9 consecutive 30-plus scores in Test cricket. In the history of Test cricket, only one captain has gone on to score more consecutive 30+ scores, and that’s former England captain Ted Dexter.
11 - Ted Dexter (1962-63)
9 - Temba Bavuma (2024- )
9 - Inzamam-ul-Haq (2005)
8 - Babar Azam (2021-22)
8 - Steven Smith (2016)
8 - Andrew Strauss (2006-07)
8 - Peter May (1955-56)
South Africa have now won 8 Tests in a row. It's their second-longest winning streak in Tests
9 - 2002-03
8* - 2024-present
6 - 2012-13