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LONDON: South Africa’s Aiden Markram etched his name into the history books on Friday with a remarkable century in the fourth innings of the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2025 against Australia at Lord’s.
After a forgettable six-ball duck in the first innings, Markram bounced back in style with an unbeaten 102* off 155 deliveries, a knock that not only revived South Africa’s chase but also placed him among an elite group of batters to score a century in a WTC final.
The Proteas opener now joins Australia’s Travis Head and Steve Smith in that exclusive list.
Head was the first to register a century in the WTC final — a match-winning 163 against India in 2023, followed by Smith’s gritty 121 in the same innings.
Batters to score a century in the WTC final
Markram’s effort is particularly significant, considering the WTC Final at Lord’s is being played under high-pressure conditions and on a Day 3 pitch.
Notably, no batter managed a hundred in the inaugural WTC Final between India and New Zealand, with Devon Conway’s 54 being the highest individual score in that low-scoring contest.
This century also marks another milestone as Markram is now the first-ever South African to score a century in the fourth innings of a Test at Lord’s.
He’s also the first overseas batter to hit a ton in the fourth innings at the iconic venue since Michael Clarke did it back in 2009.
With Aiden Markram standing tall and skipper Temba Bavuma providing solid support with a composed half-century, South Africa ended Day 3 in a dominant position.
They now need just 69 runs to win the WTC Final and end their ICC title drought that dates back to 1998.
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