Temba Bavuma collects the mace from ICC head honcho Jay Shah and lifts it above his head to huge cheers and gusts of flames. What a moment, all those painful memories of tournament’s lost and squandered over the past 30 years vanquished.
Congratulations South Africa and what a fantastic and riveting game of Test cricket befitting the occasion.
Key events
James Wallace
The South African players mill about on the Lord’s outfield with their families, a few of them bounce their bairns on their knee and others pass the mace between themselves for a hold, a lift and a smooch.
Lovely scenes at Lord’s and Ali Martin’s report has landed. That’s my cue to head out into the sunshine too. Thanks for joining us these last four days and we’ll be back to bring you the first of England v India from Headingley next week. Until then, goodbye.
Aiden Markram has just downed a pint handed to him by a fan on the boundary edge! If ever a man has deserved a drink… imagine how good that tastes. Unless it’s Fosters.
Stuart Broad’s commitment to the bit is admirable. He’s just posted on the socials:
South Africa! Congratulations. Very happy for you all”
Presumably he’ll be updating his single day’s worth of coaching invoice to include a win bonus?
“Three miracles!” Writes Gary Naylor.
“I like these South Africans. I like these Australians.
I like this World Test Championship.
It’ll never last…”
Temba Bavuma collects the mace from ICC head honcho Jay Shah and lifts it above his head to huge cheers and gusts of flames. What a moment, all those painful memories of tournament’s lost and squandered over the past 30 years vanquished.
Congratulations South Africa and what a fantastic and riveting game of Test cricket befitting the occasion.
Here’s South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma, voice hoarse with emotion, moments before lifting the ICC mace.
This is what we wanted to do, we planned for it, prepped for it and put in the work. We’re happy we could take it away. I hope our performance gives credit to why we were in the final.
I went against the advice of the coaches [to keep batting], they thought the wiser decision was to let someone else in who could run properly. But I thought it was important I stayed out here, me and Aiden went out there and put up a total. It could’ve gone the other way and I could’ve been criticised but we’re here now.
Look at the crowd, it feels like a home game. Past guys, they had the opportunities but didn’t have the chance to do what we did. We hope we can inspire other guys to go and collect some silverware.
Whilst we were batting, we could hear the Aussies using that dreaded word, choke. It’s been years since we’ve overcome a final, we’ve been etched in history, we’re part of something that has never been done. It’s special in a lot of ways. Also, it’s a chance for South Africa to be united. We’ve got a cause where we can put aside out differences and enjoy. We just have to embrace it.”
Here’s Pat Cummins, gracious as ever, not that he’s particularly used to having to be gracious in defeat.
Things can change quickly, but it was a bridge too far. There were a few things we didn’t do right, we didn’t bat the opposition out of the game after a decent first-innings lead.
“South Africa didn’t give us a chance in the fourth innings. There are some concerns in the top-seven (in the batting line up), guys have performed well in the last two years. Bowlers did well in the first two days. We gave everything a chance, Lyon bowled particularly well but didn’t get a wicket.
“Aiden and Temba didn’t give us a chance. South Africa showed why they’re here and are deserved winners, they kept themselves in the game throughout.
“It’s the pinnacle, I love Test cricket. It’s a huge achievement to make the final, the one-game shootout is a spectacle, we didn’t end up on the right side but it’s been a great week.”
The Australian players are called up for their runners up medals. We’ll hear from their captain Pat Cummins very shortly.
Player of the Match Aiden Markram has been speaking to the BBC. He’s cool as a cucumber but clearly absolutely elated.
It is emotional, it’s been a very long time coming. We’ve got close in the past couple of years and not got over the line. The first one is always going to be the toughest.
The guys have been working really hard but it never really feels like it until you’ve won it, so the guys are emotional.
Australia are quite a tough team, we fell behind and were put under a lot of pressure but we were able to adapt and finish the game.
It’s very special, growing up Lords was the one venue I wanted to play at. To do it at a final and win is something really special.
It will rank up there as number one, my Test career has been hard going, very stop start. To get a hundred has been great to help the team.”
James Wallace
Thanks Geoff and hello everyone. Emotional scenes at Lord’s as South Africa’s male cricketers finally shrug off the curse that has lain heavy across generations.
Here’s South Africa’s lissom limbed seamer Marco Jansen speaking to Sky:
I don’t know what to say. I was sitting there praying and luckily we got the job done!
In the changing rooms there were a lot of nerves, a lot of guys quiet. To hear the fans cheer every ball, every run, you can’t ask for anything more.
I think that’s what dreams are made of. Dreams are meant to be achieved. We’re going to celebrate really well now.”
Geoff Lemon
Aiden Markram is receiving the player of the match trophy, and I’ll hand over to James Wallace while Markram speaks to the crowd.
Here’s Maharaj on BBC. “We want to be a good team of good people, because good things happen to good people. We were just so entwined in concentrating on the run chase. 25 years of pain, I’ve been involved in 10… Diversity is our strength, and to see it come to fruition over a number of years is much more meaningful. You see our crowd, we are a rainbow nation.”
A very emotional Keshav Maharaj is breaking down on television, speaking about how much this means, and what it might mean for the future. Aiden Markram is calmer speaking to Jonathan Agnew on Test Match Special.
“It didn’t feel like [we beat them easily],” he says. “It was going to be extra difficult in a final, but the guys fronted up for that.”
“It’s very special. Growing up, Lord’s was the one venue that I wanted to play just one game at. To do it in a final, and most importantly to be on the right side… It’ll rank up there as number one, no doubt.”
The significance of Temba Bavuma leading this side, a Black African captain in a team that so often had so few players of that background. Just as Siya Kolisi did for the Springboks in the Rugby World Cup, so this has happened here.
Here’s an email from Phil Withall. “Being an Englishman that has lived in Australia for nearly 30 years, I may well be accused of a certain amount of bias. Having endured so many summers of patronising derision from my new compatriots, I could well be allowed a small bit of pleasure from the current state of play, and will happily take that, but the determination of Temba Bavuma has made all my pettiness pointless. A match winning contribution under such circumstances is worthy of a Championship reward.”
South Africa are the World Test Champions
An astonishing result. In the long term, a cricket country that has gone through such pain in so many ways, from the pain of apartheid inflicted by its own people, on its own people, to the hurt of the years since readmission when South African teams have been so good, so competitive, while never winning the big titles. In the medium term, as a fading cricket economy on the outer of the Test world, barely playing at times, with so few opportunities to play the longest, oldest, most difficult format. And in the short term, as a team shot out for 138 in the first innings, looking done and dusted.
They have put all of that behind them, at the home of the game, against the reigning champions and the strongest Test machine in the world, and beaten them at their own game. Showed their quality with the ball, then produced with the bat when it mattered most. This is a brilliant day, a historic day, and a day that will be a salve for those who love that county and that team, whatever the future holds.
84th over: South Africa 282-5 (Bedingham 21, Verreyne 4) Kyle Verreyne tries to finish it with a ramp! That would have been a good highlight reel moment. Carey appeals for a nick behind. Not given. He hit it too, but no reviews left. Carey was convinced, nobody else was interested. Verreyne gets tangled up trying to whip Starc to leg.
But third time lucky, he does it! Drives it square, laces it between point and cover, and while the ball reaches the boundary he’ll only be credited with the first run that they complete as quickly as possible just to be sure. Two fists in the air from Verreyne as he runs through!
83rd over: South Africa 281-5 (Bedingham 21, Verreyne 3) They’re not racing to the finish line, South Africa, they’re enjoying the stroll. Cheers and sunshine greeting them every step of the way, so why not? A single here, a single there, from Hazlewood. Verreyne flays one into the covers, but it’s stopped, and he races one during the sprawl. Scores are level!
82nd over: South Africa 278-5 (Bedingham 20, Verreyne 1) Extended session because the end is so close, umpires have that discretion. So now somebody else gets the chance to hit the winning runs, with Starc changing ends from earlier to bowl with the Pav at his back. Bedingham does nothing extravagant, takes a single. Verreyne, with a very open stance against Starc coming over the wicket, drives flashily, to deep point, for one.
81st over: South Africa 276-5 (Bedingham 19) What a strange over that was. New ball taken immediately. Josh Hazlewood bowling from the Nursery End which he hasn’t done much this Test, if at all. But he’s still and sore, and bowled slot on leg stump, which Markram banged through long on for four, then three. Bedingham wanted to finish things off, aimed a big square flash, missed it. Settled for a single with one ball to go, and six to win, and Markram was out to that ball.
WICKET! Markram c Head b Hazlewood 136
Oh, and it’s over for Markram! With six to win, he aims a big shot through the leg side, and Travis Head at midwicket dives away to hold on to a catch, falling to ground. What an innings it has been, the century that has sealed South Africa’s first major global cricket title, and Markram will have that forever. He won’t walk off at the end, but he gets his own walk, and his own ovation, now.
80th over: South Africa 268-4 (Markram 129, Bedingham 18) A big sweep from Markram, only gets a single with the fielder back. Oh, there could be a new ball after this. Do Australia bother? Might as well try. Lyon gets one to jump, pop off Bedingham’s hip, off Carey’s gloves, and into Head’s hands. Nobody responds except for Labuschagne, who goes sprinting up to Head, jumping in the air, both hands raised, appealing. Head looks at him like, “You what, mate?”
79th over: South Africa 267-4 (Markram 128, Bedingham 18) The big question now is will South Africa win before lunch? The caterers will hope not, get those sales in. Eight minutes to go, as Webster finishes an over that costs two singles.
15 to win.
78th over: South Africa 265-4 (Markram 127, Bedingham 17) An umpire’s review, as Bedingham plays the ball down by Travis Head’s foot at short leg, from where it bounces up for a catch. But it hit the ground first. Then Lyon hits Markram on the pad, and the umpire could have given that! Says not out, but it was umpire’s call on leg stump. A review wouldn’t have overturned it for Australia, if they had one left, but a dismissal would have stood.
17 to win.
77th over: South Africa 264-4 (Markram 127, Bedingham 16) The back is broken! Bedingham slots a lovely on drive from Cummins, and Starc doesn’t really bother chasing it. He’s done all he can. Too well struck anyway. Huge cheers, even for a single to square leg. They’re under 20 to get now, and surely the rest will come quickly. Not past a good stop from Labuschagne in the covers.
76th over: South Africa 257-4 (Markram 126, Bedingham 10) Glanced down the leg side from Lyon, and back for a third! Big turn again, but the line doesn’t start right, so Bedingham can pick it off. That was Markram pushing the third, he turned and sprinted after touching in for the second, no hesitation. They pick off a couple of singles. Only 25 to win now, and I think that South Africa can almost breathe out. Surely they’re close enough from here.
75th over: South Africa 252-4 (Markram 125, Bedingham 6) Last roll of the dice. The captain takes responsibility. Cummins from the Nursery End, with the downhill slope to aid away movement. He got the early wicket, now he need three or four late ones. Two slips, gully. Has Bedingham falling over his front leg in defence. Eventually gets a single from a block, with Starc at mid off coming in.
74th over: South Africa 250-4 (Markram 124, Bedingham 5) They’re doing this better, three runs from Lyon, keep that target ticking down. Now it’s 32.
73rd over: South Africa 247-4 (Markram 122, Bedingham 4) Crisp punch from Markram, half stopped at cover, then Bedingham gets a smart shot away from Starc, open face behind point to pick up three runs. Markram dinks another to leg. Starc goes up for an appeal after cutting the ball in to hit Bedingham’s pad. High and outside the line? They’re desperate so they go for it, but he’s definitely played a shot and the replay shows that the impact is wide. Would have gone over anyway, I suspect. No reviews left for Australia. Only 35 to win for South Africa.
A couple of notes about the prospect of moving WTC finals from England. Here’s Nigam Nuggehalli: “I think there will be interest in WTC neutral games in India as well, provided the venue is chosen carefully. Bangalore, for example, will attract a good crowd regardless of who is playing.”
And Kandukuru Nagarjun. “I found myself wondering which non-English ground might get good crowds for a neutral WTC final. I reckon the Chinnaswamy, the Wankhede/Brabourne, the Eden, and Chennai could all get 20,000 bums on seats daily, even without India. This one certainly would make the short trek to Bangalore. The other major Indian venues are in states where the link between cricket and toxic nationalism/partisanship is the strongest. Ahmedabad and Delhi would be lucky to get 2,000 a day for a non-India final. Sydney and Melbourne too could get 10-20,000 daily even without Australia or India? I suppose with even 20,000 would make the MCG look empty, but Lord’s would look quite full… Thanks for everything you do on The Final Word!”
This is interesting. The prospect of a Test final at Eden Gardens, for instance, could be awesome. So much history, so much atmosphere. The problem is that there is also so much jingoism and ego built into the foundations of the Ahmedabad ground that the BCCI will want to hold any prestigious event there. But I still wonder about turnout elsewhere. Even India Test matches get poor crowds these days, because of difficult ticket access and unpleasant security arrangements and a lack of leisure time. So if they don’t turn up to watch Kohli, I’m not sure they’re turning up to watch Ryan Rickelton.
The Australian grounds are too big, really, unless the home team was playing. England really is the happy medium, a place where any Test team has some supporter base.
72nd over: South Africa 240-4 (Markram 120, Bedingham 1) Lyon doesn’t give away a run, Bedingham playing with the spin to midwicket repeatedly without getting through.
71st over: South Africa 240-4 (Markram 120, Bedingham 1) Another snorter first ball to Bedingham. It goes away from the right-hander from around the wicket, beats his edge narrowly and is close to the stumps. But he survives that, and gets a thick edge for one to end the over.
WICKET! Stubbs b Starc 8 (South Africa 241-4)
Absolute ripper! Australia are getting desperate, as shown by a review for a ball down leg side that missed the glove, but they felt they had to gamble. Still, the delay works for them. The very next ball, around the wicket, wide on the crease, Starc fires the ball in, serious angle, beating Stubbs and taking the leg bail off the top of the stumps. Brilliant bowling. Only 41 runs to defend, but that’s four down. Got to get Markram…
70th over: South Africa 240-3 (Markram 119, Stubbs 8) Lyon after the drinks break, and Stubbs breaks out the reverse! Misses, but I don’t mind seeing the unorthodox at this stage. They get a couple of conventional singles, then Lyon beats the edge and narrowly beats the off stump with a beauty.
Had an email 50 minutes ago about the lines to get in. “I’ve been worrying about my Day 4 tickets for a while whether I’d get to see any cricket, and the speed this game has moved at since it started didn’t help me. Yesterday evening I consoled myself that I’d probably see an historic victory for SA, or an incredible comeback for Oz; and a small chance of getting my money back if it’s done and dusted in fewer than 15 overs.
“But the bloody queues to get in are soooooo long that there is a continuous line of people wrapping round the entire stadium. Game might be over before I get in. There are plenty of places with bigger capacities than Lords, surely they can get is in quicker than this? So frustrating to be literally a handful of yards away from the action but not be able to watch!”
I hope you’re in by now, Sumit. I was puzzled this morning, having a look around the ground shortly before the first ball. The crowds have come in easily the other days, and only today were there long queues at the three major gates: the North, the Heyhoe-Flint, and the Grace.
69th over: South Africa 238-3 (Markram 118, Stubbs 7) I do think they need to get moving here. Stubbs blocking the ball is letting Australia stay in the game. Finally he gets a length from Starc that he’s happy to hit, shorter, and while the pull shot is ungainly it gets him two runs. Then a drop and dash! Hits it hard to mid off and runs anyway, Cummins firing the throw but missing. Probably would have made it, but that would have been tight. Drinks break.
68th over: South Africa 235-3 (Markram 117, Stubbs 5) Turn and low bounce from Lyon, takes the under edge of Markram’s angled bat, into the ground. Fuller goes Lyon, Markram on the forward stretch. Then a genuine edge as he drives, but two runs the result, scooting past slip where Khawaja is set fine. No Smith at slip for Lyon is a big loss for Australia, he has held so many there. Sam Konstas still sub fielding. Travis Head under the helmet at fine leg.
47 to win.
67th over: South Africa 233-3 (Markram 115, Stubbs 5) Double change, Starc from the Nursery End. that long lope up to the crease, left arm around the wicket. He took South Africa apart from this angle in Durban on Markram’s debut, denying the chance for that Markram century to lead to a win. But the ball was reversing severely in that match, mostly away from the right-handers. This time Stubbs is able to stay behind the line, and blocks out the whole over. If Stubbs stays this quiet for much longer, will something eventually crack?
66th over: South Africa 233-3 (Markram 115, Stubbs 5) Time for spin, Lyon from the Pavilion End. Has Stubbs playing carefully for five balls, but gets the last one to turn big. Stubbs gets a lucky run, stabbing the ball away through square.
65th over: South Africa 232-3 (Markram 115, Stubbs 4) Cummins with a bit of seam movement inward, and Stubbs drives it reasonably nicely but hits the opposite set of stumps. Then punches one well but straight to cover. What’s the plan for Australia? Can they slow things down so much that a second new ball comes into play? That’s 15 overs away, it seems unlikely. Does Stubbs need to cut loose? Make 20 quickly and you’ve pretty well broken the game. He gets off strike with a leg bye, Cummins appealing but that ball was going down leg. Wasn’t it? Cummins reviews.
It’s very similar to the one that got Verreyne in the first innings, on leg stump and not moving a long way towards the leg side, but I think it’s a centimetre further over and will be shown to miss. Yep. Yellow on impact, green on the woodwork.
Oh, and there’s a boost for South Africa. Cummins tries the short ball, Markram wallops it for four! Crisp pull shot. Deep backward square is out, but it goes squarer than him.
That leaves 50 to win. Seven wickets to take.
64th over: South Africa 227-3 (Markram 111, Stubbs 4) Hazlewood continuing, hasn’t broken through yet. Markram is immaculate in defence to start the over, but Hazlewood gets one to jump nastily at him, a bit of seam inward as well, and again Markram is flinching into the shot to make sure he gets some bat in line. Even this chunk of his innings today has been excellent, never mind the hundred yesterday. A second maiden over for Hazlewood.
63rd over: South Africa 227-3 (Markram 111, Stubbs 4) Oh, so close! Cummins again gets the ball to seam away, and Stubbs has no idea about that. Whips his head around as the ball zips past his edge, the bat pushing forward with no intention or knowledge. But it keeps going South Africa’s way, Stubbs able to work a couple of runs through midwicket two balls later. That makes it 55 to win.
62nd over: South Africa 225-3 (Markram 111, Stubbs 2) Hazlewood with the chance to work at Stubbs some more. Gets the inside half of the bat, false shot. But gets his first run the next ball, straight bat and a steer past the cordon to Lyon in the deep. Windy day at Lord’s, stiff breeze coming north to south. Hazlewood squares up Markram, arrowing in straight, the batter desperate to keep it out of his pads with a fend. Gets a single next ball, jammed into the leg side. So the runs keep coming, only 58 to get. Not getting becalmed is the most important bit, and Stubbs does his part with a second single, dinked wide of mid on.
61st over: South Africa 222-3 (Markram 110, Stubbs 0) Great crowd in today, again. Not sure if it’s free entry? Certainly huge lines of people were waiting to get in, even as the first ball neared. Not sure if there was some delay in the queues. Another wicket will make things very interesting… and Markram nearly provides it! Booms the drive at Cummins, but the ball decks too far, past the edge instead of taking it. Millimetres in that. It doesn’t discourage Markram though when the next one is wider still, and he slaps it off a length with an angled bat. So well hit in front of point that the deep backward fielder can’t make up the few metres in time.
60th over: South Africa 218-3 (Markram 106, Stubbs 0) So it is Tristan Stubbs to the middle. Starts at the non-striker’s end, but immediately gets strike as Markram guides a single. Lots of pressure on Stubbs, more a white-ball player but one of huge talent, who Shukri Conrad has backed in this team. Small target, plenty of time, and in a short-form game he might knock off these last 64 runs in five overs. But this is different. Hit on the pad early, Hazlewood appealing but it’s going down leg. Two slips and a gully, but the second slip is Webster and the gully is Green, so effectively four slips and two gullies. Cover, mid off, mid on, midwicket up closer. Deep point and deep backward square saving boundaries. Stubbs defends his first five balls.
WICKET! Bavuma c Carey b Cummins 66 (South Africa 214-3)
59th over: South Africa 217-3 (Markram 105) Oh, there it is! The first tremor? South Africa’s captain battled through the pain yesterday and has put his team in a winning position, but can’t see that win through. The over starts with another ball that stays low, Cummins this time getting it to burrow. Markram keeps it out, and remains confident enough to follow up by playing a quality straight drive for three. Positivity was the key to innings yesterday, so it’s good to see him starting the same way. But after the rotation of strike, from the last ball of the over, Cummins gets one seaming away, down the hill from the Nursery End, and it takes the edge of the defensive push, a little too wide to play. Straightforward for Carey.
58th over: South Africa 214-2 (Markram 105, Bavuma 66) Hazlewood from the Pavilion End, and immediately asking questions. One ball past the edge, another keeping low. Bavuma is very watchful through that over, acknowledging the threat. No run. It tells you something about South Africa’s approach that Australia’s quicks didn’t bowl a single maiden over between them yesterday. That’s the first in the innings, aside from a few by Lyon.
57th over: South Africa 214-2 (Markram 102, Bavuma 66) We are ready to begin. Bavuma must have that leg strapped to high heaven, but he’s still hobbling as he pokes the first run of the day from Cummins into the off side.
Who’s nervous? I’m nervous, on their behalf. The batters in next will have spent the evening telling themselves that they’re relaxed, but I’m sure there are thoughts flittering around, mostly that they would all really like to not be required. Australia need to turn that screw right away to have a chance.
Then there was Andy Bull, who pondered the slips and the turn of fate that saw Steve Smith’s horrible hand injury.
I was drawn to the idea last night of inevitability, and how it seemed to exist in one direction until it existed in another.
In some promising news that Simon Burnton has snuffled out, the next three WTC finals might not all go to India, where there would be less interest in neutral contests, and might instead stay at Lord’s.
Let us begin with the match report of what happened yesterday, via Ali Martin.
Preamble
Geoff Lemon
Yesterday, we said there wouldn’t be a Day 4. Cricket decided differently. Australia’s tenth-wicket defiance pushed us all the way up to lunch, only to be countered by South Africa’s polish and confidence as Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma changed the game.
Now, South Africa are so close to doing what they have never done: winning a major international trophy. Not one of the World Cups that have caused them so much heartache over the decades, but the newer World Test Championship.
The opportunity is there. They need 69 more runs, with eight wickets in hand. But if ever there was a team whose history could make its supporters nervous about that kind of equation, South Africa is the one. Nobody will relax until the job is done, and if the Australians take a wicket or two early, the nerves will blossom.
If the overnight pair can add a few without alarm, it will make all the difference. This is Australia’s last chance to turn the game, and defend their WTC title.
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