South Africa wins the World Test Championship final after Markram, Bavuma, heroics with the bat
South Africa has cracked cricket’s greatest hoodoo and left Australia to face searing questions about its Ashes planning after a World Test Championship boilover at Lord’s.
South Africa has cracked cricket’s greatest hoodoo and left Australia to face searing questions about its Ashes planning after a World Cup boilover at Lord’s.
Australia finds itself in a sudden state of disarray having had their pants pulled down by the brilliance of South African history-makers Aiden Markram (136 off 207) and Temba Bavuma (66 off 134) in a World Test Championship Final they had been overwhelming favourites to win.
Adding insult to injury for Australia was having to watch smiling Ashes villain Stuart Broad presenting the Test Championship mace to the South African side he helped coach to their moment of glory.
“They bowled very well … they followed my plans,” Broad said with a grin.
Of course South Africa were never going to cruise home without a healthy slice of drama, and Pat Cummins and Mitchell Starc struck blows which momentarily induced haunting flashbacks for long-suffering fans and sent former captains Graeme Smith and Shaun Pollock nervously pacing the corridors of the media centre.
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Resuming the final morning with 69 to win and eight wickets in hand, Cummins nicked off Bavuma early with 64 still needed and then Starc skittled Tristan Stubbs’ stumps when there was 41 to get as Australia hunted hard, fought tenaciously and reviewed every half chance in a desperate last-ditch, no-holds-barred attempt to clinch a miracle.
But Markram was never going to be denied in pursuit of the imposing 282 target and lasted an epic 394 minutes at the crease to ice a famous five-wicket victory, with David Bedingham (21 not out) doing his job and Kyle Verreynne (4 not out) hitting the runs to spark unprecedented jubiliation.
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Cruelly, Markram finally fell caught to a delivery from Josh Hazlewood with only six left to get in an anti-climax, and although shattered he couldn’t be there to the very end for history to be made, he received an almighty standing ovation from the pro-South African crowd.
Verreynne nicked his first attempt at hitting the winning the runs trying a crazy ramp, but Australia had no reviews and it was missed by the umpires.
Markram’s innings for the ages – undoubtedly one of the greatest hundreds ever scored in a World Cup Final of any format – has atoned for the 1999 semi-final choke against Australia and the countless other heartbreaks along the way.
Markram was captain last year when South Africa capitulated in the T20 World Cup Final when the finish line was in sight, and it is fitting he is the man to deliver the ultimate redemption for a proud cricket team, until now the subject of ridicule, and forced to live in the shadows of the Springboks.
READ MORE: When Smith can return to play after sickening finger injury
Steve Smith arrived at Lord’s with the little finger on his right hand in a splint after avoiding surgery overnight following a compound dislocation, but his availability for the first Test in the West Indies later this month is only one uncertainty confronting Australia after the future of the top order came under the microscope.
The axe is hovering over Marnus Labuschagne with Sam Konstas all but certain to open the batting in the West Indies.
However, Labuschagne is not the only player feeling the heat with Usman Khawaja exposed by the pace of Kagiso Rabada (nine wickets) at Lord’s and the jury still out on whether Cameron Green is a Test No.3.
Australia have been perennial World Cup winners over the decades and the Proteas the game’s most hapless chokers, but the tables of history turned in the WTC Final sparking emotional scenes both on the field and in the stands as South Africa finally felt the unbridled joy that can only come from conquering Everest for the first time.
South Africa’s 162cm mighty mouse captain Bavuma was immense as he stood up to Australia’s towering two-metre quicks in an inspiring David versus Goliath triumph.
Bavuma tore his hamstring early in his innings on day three yet kept hobbling through between the wickets in a magnificent 147-run partnership off 250 balls with century-maker Markram that will never be forgotten.
Born in a township outside Cape Town, Bavuma was identified early as a cricketing talent and given a scholarship to an exclusive private school, barely able to speak English.
Bavuma endured a withering seven year drought between his first Test century and his second, and was subjected to constant abuse – in some cases racial – questioning his place in the team.
But offered the South African captaincy, Bavuma has grown in stature and has averaged 60 throughout this World Test Championship cycle to etch his name alongside the great Proteas captains led by Graeme Smith.
Markram – who was bowled for a duck in the sixth ball of the first innings – strode to the crease a man possessed as South Africa stared down 282 to win – the second biggest fourth innings victory target ever achieved at Lord’s – and did it.
Australia’s quicks struggled to bowl maidens and restrict South Africa, and got little help from a pitch which suddenly went flat on day three following the 28 wickets that had fallen over days’ one and two.
But Australia only had themselves to blame, unable to muster the top order runs – albeit on a tricky surface against a world class attack – which could have had them still batting long enough to benefit from the run-scoring conditions laid out for South Africa on day three.
After leading by 74 on the first innings, this was a game butchered by Australia against a weaker opponent their better credentialed line-up should have beaten.
Relive the action from day four of the World Test Championship final in our live blog below.
Originally published as South Africa wins the World Test Championship final after Markram, Bavuma, heroics with the bat
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