Follow Us9722 days, 27 years and a million heartbreaks later, South Africa have done it. The wait is FINALLY over as the Proteas have won their first ICC Trophy of this century and their second overall (after the 1998 ICC Knockout Trophy), after being crowned the winners of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC). And they’ve ended the drought in style, thrashing defending champions Australia by five wickets.
It was one year ago that South Africa endured their most brutal heartbreak, falling short at the T20 World Cup Final against India by seven runs after having the trophy firmly in the bag with five overs left, needing just 30 off the final 30 balls with six wickets still intact.
But redemption has come South Africa’s way in June 2025, a year on, as they’ve become the third team to win the WTC mace after New Zealand and Australia.
Temba Bavuma, as a result, becomes only the second ever South African captain to lift an ICC Trophy (after Hansie Cronje) and the first to win a World Championship. Bavuma has also become the first ever skipper to win the WTC unbeaten. Bavuma is still unbeaten as a captain in Tests, with South Africa now winning nine matches while drawing one.
South Africa began the day needing 69 runs to lift the title with eight wickets in hand. However, they suffered a very early scare as skipper Bavuma perished to Pat Cummins on the third over of the day, nicking one to the keeper. Bavuma was only able to add one run to his overnight tally of 65.
Tristan Stubbs walked in at No.5 but he played an extremely tentative innings very similar to his first innings knock, amassing 8 off 43 balls before being knocked over by Mitchell Starc.
At 241/4, Australia still believed but a truly outstanding effort from the ever-so-composed Aiden Markram ended up taking the Proteas home. Markram eventually perished for 136 when the Proteas were a hit away, but David Bedingham and Kyle Verreynne ended up taking the Proteas home, with the wicketkeeper batter hitting the winning runs off Starc.