Aiden Markram was the difference at Lord’s on Friday, scoring an unbeaten 102* in the WTC Final 2025 against Australia. With this remarkable knock, he became the first South African to hit a century in an ICC final. He put his team in a great spot against the Aussies.
Markram’s career-defining knock will be remembered by Proteas fans all across.
Markram’s Century at Lord’s Marks New Era for Proteas
Left-arm spinner Keshav Maharaj praised Markram’s special knock and described him as a “big-match player” in a post-day interview. “I saw a different sort of desire and focus in Aiden’s eyes today when he came off the field. I think he wanted to rectify the mistake that he made in the first innings,” Maharaj said.
“Kudos to him to put that into place. He’s a big match player and big players rise up to the moment and rectify their mistakes very quickly. There’s no better fitting moment for him to get a Test hundred here at Lord’s in a final against probably a team that I don’t think they’ve ever lost a final,” he added.
Markram’s ton places him alongside legends like Jacques Kallis (113* vs Sri Lanka, 1998 ICC Knockout), Herschelle Gibbs (116* vs India, CT 2002), and David Miller (101 vs Australia, WC 2023) — making him only the fourth South African to hit a century in ICC knockout matches.
Bavuma’s Grit In WTC Final 2025
Captain Temba Bavuma also showed remarkable determination. He was playing with a hamstring injury to score 65* in a crucial 143-run stand with Markram.
“He had a little bit of a niggle, but the warrior and fighter that he is was there with Aidan to support it. It was amazing to hear how they complemented each other when they came off at the tea break. Just hearing about how they’re going to go about their business and understanding that obviously Temba can’t run at full tilt, but Aiden embraced that,” Maharaj said.
With South Africa closing in on a major victory, this partnership may go down as one of the finest in their cricketing history.
