Redemption at Lord’s: South Africa end 27-year ICC trophy drought with historic WTC final win

London, Jun 14: South Africa finally exorcised decades of heartbreak by clinching their first ICC trophy in 27 years, defeating Australia in a historic World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s on Saturday. The Proteas chased down a formidable 282-run target to seal a five-wicket win, marking their first ICC triumph since the 1998 Champions Trophy.

The victory was anchored by a sublime unbeaten 124 from Aiden Markram and a gritty 66 by captain Temba Bavuma, who batted through a hamstring injury to guide his team home. Bavuma fittingly hit the winning boundary through cover, triggering scenes of jubilation in the South African dressing room.

This WTC triumph not only ended a prolonged title drought but also served as sweet redemption after years of near-misses on cricket’s biggest stages.

From the heartbreak of the 1999 World Cup semi-final against Australia, where a dramatic run-out cost them a place in the final, to the rain-affected exit in 2003 due to a DLS miscalculation against Sri Lanka, South Africa had repeatedly stumbled at crucial moments.

In 2011, they crashed out in the quarter-finals against New Zealand, suffering a middle-order collapse while chasing a modest total. The 2015 semi-final brought another crushing loss to New Zealand, sealed by a last-over six from Grant Elliott.

More recent setbacks included a shock defeat to the Netherlands in the 2022 T20 World Cup and a tense semi-final loss to Australia in the 2023 ODI World Cup. In 2024, their hopes were dashed yet again in the T20 World Cup final, losing to India by seven runs despite being in a commanding position.

Saturday’s WTC win finally broke the cycle. It was not just a title win—it was a moment of catharsis for a team and a nation that had carried the burden of unfulfilled promise for over two decades.