SA opener Markram gains big after all-round show during WTC Final
Markram’s contributions weren’t limited to the bat, as his two crucial wickets also earned him a remarkable 44-place jump in the all-rounder rankings.
Markram’s contributions weren’t limited to the bat, as his two crucial wickets also earned him a remarkable 44-place jump in the all-rounder rankings.
The Proteas comfortably chased down the remaining 69 runs on the fourth morning at Lord’s, with wicketkeeper Kyle Verreynne striking the winning runs to seal South Africa’s first men’s senior ICC title since 1998.
The 29-year-old, who had a rather ordinary outing on Day 1, made a dramatic impact on Day 2 by picking up three crucial wickets, including the prized scalp of Steve Smith for 13, a moment he considers among the finest of his career.
Pacer Mitchell Starc’s gritty half-century gave Australia’s innings the much-needed impetus on Day 3 of the ICC World Test Championship Final at Lord’s, setting South Africa a challenging target of 282 runs for victory.
The scars of June 17, 1999 could still haunt South Africans across generations. Exactly 26 years ago, what promised to be a triumphant march to their first-ever World Cup final turned into a collective nightmare after a narrow one-run loss to Australia in Birmingham.
The seasoned left-hander has been a constant presence at the top of Australia’s Test batting order throughout the WTC cycle.
While Lyon acknowledged that the experience of playing in high-pressure finals, including the last WTC Final will help the Kangaroos, he insisted that it counts for little in a one-off encounter against a side that topped the WTC standings.
