How South Africa Won the 2025 WTC Final: Markram's Century and the Chase of 282
South Africa beat Australia by 5 wickets at Lord's in June 2025 to win the ICC World Test Championship — their first ICC title since 1998. How did they do it, and what does the win mean?
On 14 June 2025, South Africa completed one of Test cricket's most celebrated chases: 282 runs at Lord's Cricket Ground to beat Australia by 5 wickets and win the ICC World Test Championship. Aiden Markram's century was the match-winning innings. It was South Africa's first ICC title in any format since the 1998 ICC Champions Trophy — ending 27 years of near-misses in global cricket.
The WTC Final: How the Match Unfolded
The WTC Final was played at Lord's Cricket Ground from 11-14 June 2025 — a 4-day match with no reserve day needed. Australia batted first and were dismissed for 212. South Africa replied with 138, conceding a first-innings deficit of 74. Australia then posted 207 in their second innings — setting South Africa a target of 282 to win the World Test Championship. Chasing 282 at Lord's on a wearing fourth-innings pitch is among the most demanding tasks in Test cricket. South Africa met it.
Aiden Markram: The Century That Won the WTC
Aiden Markram's century in the fourth innings was the defining individual performance of the WTC Final. Opening the batting with South Africa needing 282 and facing a rested Australian attack led by Pat Cummins, Markram controlled the chase from the top of the order — rotating strike, attacking the loose delivery, and anchoring partnerships when wickets fell around him. His hundred was the first scored by a South African in a WTC Final and only the third time a batter had reached three figures in a WTC Final innings. South Africa reached 282/5, winning by 5 wickets.
Pat Cummins: 6/28 in a Losing Cause
Pat Cummins' bowling figures of 6/28 in South Africa's successful chase were extraordinary — among the best bowling figures in any WTC Final. Cummins consistently found the right areas, generating movement in both directions and dismissing multiple South African batters in the top and middle order. Had South Africa not had Markram's century to anchor the innings, Cummins' effort would likely have been remembered as the match-winning performance. Instead, it stands as one of cricket's finest individual contributions in a losing side.
Why This Win Mattered for South Africa
South Africa had been serial underachievers in ICC knockout cricket for decades: semi-final exits in 1992, 1996, 1999, 2007, and 2015 ODI World Cups; semi-final exits in T20 World Cups; and a reputation as the 'chokers' of world cricket despite producing outstanding individual talent. The WTC 2025 Final ended that narrative definitively. Temba Bavuma — the first Black captain to lead South Africa to an ICC title — lifted the mace. The victory validated Cricket South Africa's investment in the four-day red-ball competition (the CSA Four-Day Series) as the foundation of Test cricket development.
How South Africa Qualified for the 2025 WTC Final
South Africa qualified for the 2025 WTC Final by posting the second-highest PCT (Percentage of Points Available) in the 2023-25 WTC cycle — behind Australia (the defending WTC champions) but ahead of India, England, and Pakistan. Their route included series wins against their rivals on different surfaces: seaming conditions at home, and spin-friendly pitches away. Their pace attack — Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi, and Marco Jansen — proved adaptable across conditions, which is the fundamental requirement for WTC success. Teams that win only at home accumulate PCT early but are vulnerable in away series; South Africa performed consistently both home and away.
What the WTC 2025-27 Cycle Means for South Africa
Defending a WTC title is notoriously difficult: New Zealand (2021 champions) did not reach the 2023 WTC Final; Australia (2023 champions) lost in the 2025 WTC Final despite reaching it. The WTC 2025-27 cycle (the fourth cycle) is now underway, with Australia, India, Bangladesh, England, and South Africa among the teams building PCT. South Africa's challenge is to sustain the standards that won the 2025 cycle — particularly as ageing pace bowlers like Rabada manage their workloads and younger players step into key roles.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the 2025 WTC Final?
South Africa won the 2025 ICC World Test Championship Final at Lord's Cricket Ground in London (11-14 June 2025), beating Australia by 5 wickets. Aiden Markram scored a century in the fourth innings as South Africa chased down a target of 282.
What was the score in the 2025 WTC Final?
Australia made 212 in the first innings and 207 in the second. South Africa made 138 in the first innings and 282/5 in the fourth innings to win by 5 wickets. Pat Cummins took 6/28 in South Africa's successful chase, but Markram's century proved decisive.
Who scored a century in the 2025 WTC Final?
Aiden Markram scored a century for South Africa in their second innings — the match-winning innings that guided the chase of 282. It was the first century by a South African in a WTC Final.
What was South Africa's last ICC title before 2025?
South Africa's previous ICC title was the 1998 ICC Champions Trophy (shared) — 27 years before the 2025 WTC Final. South Africa had reached multiple World Cup semi-finals and finals in the intervening years but failed to win, earning a reputation as serial underachievers in knockout cricket.
Who captained South Africa in the 2025 WTC Final?
Temba Bavuma captained South Africa in the 2025 WTC Final — becoming the first Black South African captain to lead the Proteas to an ICC title. The win was also significant for Cricket South Africa's transformation agenda.