SOUTH AFRICA ON TOP OF THE WORLD

IDEN Markram's century led South Africa to an emotional five-wicket victory over Australia in the World Test Championship final.

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Set 282 to win, 70 more than had been scored in any of the first three innings at Lord’s, Markram and captain Temba Bavuma put on 147 to break the back of the chase.

Bavuma fell early on Saturday morning for 66 and, though Markram was dismissed six runs short of the victory target, his 136 was the crucial innings and allowed David Bedingham and Kyle Verreynne to finish the job.

It ends a series of agonising near misses for the five-time World Cup semi-finalists and 2024 T20 World Cup runners-up and marks the Proteas’ first global trophy since 1998, when they won the Wills International Cup - the precursor to the Champions Trophy - and the Commonwealth Games.

Markram told 5 Live Sports Extra: “It’s been a very long time coming, got close in the past couple of years and not been able to get over the line.