With a gleaming mace in its clutches, South Africa shook off the ghosts of ignominious defeat on big ICC stages that have haunted the country for decades. London 2025 will go down as a monumental day in South African cricket history, when the underdogs finally pulled off one of the game’s great edifices and claimed a World Test Championship final.
In doing so, they ripped the trophy from the callused hands of serial champions Australia, who will be left wondering what might have been as they contemplate their second-place finish. The Proteas won with a defiance and style that belied their underdog tag, and the victory also bodes well for South Africa’s preparations for their home ODI World Cup in 2027.
The ICC’s World Test Championship is designed to promote the preservation of the five-day format, and to provide a platform for emerging countries to challenge the sport’s established powers. However, critics such as Wisden’s Lawrence Booth have derided the championship as a “shambles masquerading as a showpiece”, and a contest where winning teams are awarded points that can be diluted by fewer series than other, richer teams regularly play.
The tournament was staged in England for a number of reasons, including the fact that it offers good infrastructure, an early summer time zone that aligns with prime viewing hours in India, and pitches that provide a fair fight between bat and ball. The system of ranking teams in the results table remains unchanged from the previous cycle, with a win worth 12 points, a tie worth six, and losses counting for nothing (although there are point deductions for slow over rates). The winner will be announced at Lord’s on Wednesday afternoon.