Aiden Markram scored one of the most significant centuries of the modern era as South Africa defeated Australia to win the World Test Championship final at Lord's on Saturday.
Markram hit a majestic 136 as the Proteas chased down the 282-run target with five wickets in hand to lift their first ever major world title.
South Africa did win the 1998 ODI Champions Trophy but that tournament is considered an ICC tournament and not a world event.
Saturday's victory was the first proper world title in cricket for South Africa, erasing the painful memories of defeat in the 2024 T20 World Cup final against India in the Caribbean where they failed to chase down 30 runs from 30 balls with six wickets in hand.
There was to be no repeat in London, though, as the Proteas chased down the runs with clinical precision.
Victory had been set up on Friday by Markram and captain Temba Bavuma (66), who starred in a sensational stand of 147. The partnership ended early on Saturday as Bavuma was caught behind off the bowling of Pat Cummins.
But David Bedingham (21) eased the nerves with less than 50 runs needed.
It was a remarkable chase from South Africa who had been dismissed for just 138 in the first innings and had conceded a lead of 74.
Victory was also special for South Africa as it etched the name of Bavuma in the annals of history as the first black African Test captain who was also the architect of their first world title. The diminutive batter had scored 36 important runs in the first innings as well.
Australia, meanwhile, will be ruing their missed opportunity. Bavuma was dropped early in his innings by Steve Smith, who grassed a straightforward chance at slip off the bowling of Mitchell Starc. Smith hurt his finger in the process, and also Australia's chances in the final.
While Markram and Bavuma starred with the bat for the Proteas, their match-winner was fast bowler Kagiso Rabada who picked up nine wickets on the match and restricted Australia to less than 220 in both innings.
The day started with Markram on 102. The right-handed batter and captain Bavuma set up the victory with a partnership of 143 runs the day before. They could not finish what they started, adding only four runs together before Bavuma edged Cummins behind for 66, one more than he had overnight.
Tristan Stubbs was castled on eight by Starc with 41 runs needed and South Africa close to the finish line.
But Markram couldn't contain himself. With six runs needed to win, he was caught at midwicket by Travis Head off Josh Hazlewood.
Australia didn’t celebrate. Instead, players congratulated Markram on his match-winning knock as the Lord’s crowd stood and applauded.
About 15 minutes later, Kyle Verreynne broke the tension by hitting the winning run, a drive into the covers.
South Africa greats Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers were at Lord's to witness the historic occasion.
It was an emotional day for South Africa players, both past and present.
“We've come a long way as a team, as a country,” an emotional Keshav Maharaj said. “We always say we want to be good people and play good. We're moving in the right direction as a cricketing nation.
“After 25 years of pain, to finally get over the line is super emotional. We're so grateful to have Temba (Bavuma, captain) to get us over the line. Diversity is our strength, so to see the crowd, they stand for the meaning of our rainbow nation. To lift the trophy is going to unite the nation even more.”
On his part, Bavuma said victory could prove to be an important juncture in South Africa's cricket journey.
“While we were batting, we could hear the Aussies using that dreaded word, choke,” Bavuma said.
“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 our differences and enjoy. We just have to embrace it.”
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
Funding: $22.6 million (as of September 2018)
Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
LOS ANGELES GALAXY 2 MANCHESTER UNITED 5
Galaxy: Dos Santos (79', 88')
United: Rashford (2', 20'), Fellaini (26'), Mkhitaryan (67'), Martial (72')
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
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On sale: Now
Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
Price: From Dh98,800
Available: Now
Ukraine
Capital: Kiev
Population: 44.13 million
Armed conflict in Donbass
Russia-backed fighters control territory
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Dubai Bling season three
Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
'My Son'
Director: Christian Carion
Starring: James McAvoy, Claire Foy, Tom Cullen, Gary Lewis
Rating: 2/5
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Sheikh Zayed's poem
When it is unveiled at Abu Dhabi Art, the Standing Tall exhibition will appear as an interplay of poetry and art. The 100 scarves are 100 fragments surrounding five, figurative, female sculptures, and both sculptures and scarves are hand-embroidered by a group of refugee women artisans, who used the Palestinian cross-stitch embroidery art of tatreez. Fragments of Sheikh Zayed’s poem Your Love is Ruling My Heart, written in Arabic as a love poem to his nation, are embroidered onto both the sculptures and the scarves. Here is the English translation.
Your love is ruling over my heart
Your love is ruling over my heart, even a mountain can’t bear all of it
Woe for my heart of such a love, if it befell it and made it its home
You came on me like a gleaming sun, you are the cure for my soul of its sickness
Be lenient on me, oh tender one, and have mercy on who because of you is in ruins
You are like the Ajeed Al-reem [leader of the gazelle herd] for my country, the source of all of its knowledge
You waddle even when you stand still, with feet white like the blooming of the dates of the palm
Oh, who wishes to deprive me of sleep, the night has ended and I still have not seen you
You are the cure for my sickness and my support, you dried my throat up let me go and damp it
Help me, oh children of mine, for in his love my life will pass me by.
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Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
HWJN
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The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler
Price, base / as tested Dh57,000
Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine
Transmission Six-speed gearbox
Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm
Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Men from Barca's class of 99
Crystal Palace - Frank de Boer
Everton - Ronald Koeman
Manchester City - Pep Guardiola
Manchester United - Jose Mourinho
Southampton - Mauricio Pellegrino
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.