Proteas break ICC trophy drought with victory over old foe Australia at Lord's

The pain of all the near-misses at ICC tournaments - the comic of 1992, the trauma of 1999, the rain of 2003, the heartbreak of 2015 and the capitulation of 2024 - were all banished on a cool morning at the Home of Cricket.

Requiring a further 69 runs to achieve a 282-run target, captain Temba Bavuma and Aiden Markram resumed in the morning with the total on 213-2 needing to calm what would have no doubt been a nervous dressing room and South African fans that packed the famous venue.

Those nerves would been amplified when Bavuma nicked Pat Cummins in the second over of the day to be out for 66 and then Mitchell Starc (8) bowled Tristan Stubbs to leave the Proteas on 241-4.

Markram and David Bedingham then calmed some nerves, taking the total to 276 before Markram was well-caught at mid-wicket for a magnificent 136.

The opener would have wanted to be there at the end, but it was rather fitting that he walked off the hollowed ground to a standing ovation that the 30-year-old richly deserved.

The innings will go down as one of the best ever played by a Proteas player in any format, and an argument could be made that it is the best innings ever by a South African.

Bedingham (21 not out) was joined at the crease by his good friend Kyle Verreynne (4 not out) and it was the wicketkeeper-batter who hit winning runs as the two Capetonians embraced.

The victory would be crowning moment for captain Temba Bavuma and head coach Shukri Conrad in what is their first WTC cycle together.

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