Markram led the chase with his match-winning 136 in the fourth innings. ©Getty
Ten minutes before the start of what became the last day’s play in the WTC final between South Africa and Australia at Lord’s on Saturday, two smartly suited women strode purposefully towards a spot on the outfield near the Compton Stand.
There, on a black box the best part of a metre high, lay the ICC Test mace, its sterling silver and gold plating glinting in the bright sunshine of a morning that had started under a sky cloyed by cloud, a remnant of Friday night’s thunderstorm.
One of the women bundled the mace into a drably grey cloth bag. The other did the same to its wooden base. Just like that it was gone, rushed off the ground to wherever it is trophies go when they’re not on view. It was out of sight, but not out of mind.
When you’ve never won anything that has “world” in its title, and you haven’t won anything the ICC has put on offer since 1998, you can’t not think about it. Especially now that you’ve come back from losing five wickets for 12 runs in the first innings, which sealed a deficit of 74, to venture within 69 runs of victory, and that with eight wickets standing.
Pat Cummins bowled the first delivery of the day to Temba Bavuma, who offered the straightest of bats and sent the ball back to the bowler. The largely South Africa supporting crowd sent a warm cheer into the expectant air.
Cummins also bowled the 18th ball of the morning, and also to Bavuma. It was pitched outside off stump and moved subtly further in that direction – enough to take the edge and fly into Alex Carey’s gloves with a scant four runs knocked off the day’s target.
Bavuma stayed where he stood for a long moment, alone with his thoughts at last. He had strained a hamstring on Friday taking a single to score his ninth run. Bravely, he had battled through the pain, hobbling and hopping as he went, in the interests of the cause to share a stand of 147 – the only century partnership of the match – with the unflappable, the immovable, the immaculate Aiden Markram.
Their collaboration endured for 200 minutes and Bavuma’s share of it, in runs, was 66. By the more important immeasurable metrics, his contribution was immense. Most importantly, the partnership put meat on the bones of belief Shukri Conrad has wished, willed and wisecracked into this team. Here was a thing of consequence, a fact to hold up to the light not in triumph but as incontrovertible evidence of the ability to get this job done.
But it wasn’t as simple as that. Asked after stumps on Friday if Australia could “do something special tomorrow”, their bowling coach, Daniel Vettori, said: “We understand the magnitude of the task… There’s an appreciation of how well Bavuma and Markram batted to put all that pressure back on us. So to get one of them tonight may have given that optimism. So it’s going to be a real challenge tomorrow.”
There were a few ifs and buts and howevers in the rest of Vettori’s answer, but the short version was no. Vettori is a good bloke and a canny cricket man. But he is not Australian. And so not born with the gene to never stop fighting, even when the situation is dire. That said, even Aussies get rattled – they would blow all three of the reviews on specious appeals.
Tristan Stubbs emerged from the pavilion to replace Bavuma and strode to the middle looking exactly like Tristan Stubbs. He took guard, and proceeded to bat as if someone had told him, “Whatever you do, don’t bat like Tristan Stubbs.” Stubbs, or whoever he was, lasted 43 frigid balls for eight runs before – with 41 required – Mitchell Starc nailed the top of his leg stump. Give the kid a break: he’s 24, and he had never seen a stage as grand as this.
Neither had David Bedingham. He had played 57 first-class matches in England before, but this was his only appearance at that level at Lord’s. Bedingham’s 45 in the first innings was South Africa’s highest score and their longest stay at the crease in minutes as well as balls faced.
Would he be able to stay with the nerveless Markram? The question hung in the air like the vapour trails from aircraft high above and beyond the pavilion to Heathrow.
Fourteen were needed when the second new ball was taken – by Josh Hazlewood – for the first time in the match. Markram promptly thumped it for four through midwicket.
It was done. Or as near to dammit as being done. But first Markram launched a meaty pull off the last ball of that over – and was stunningly caught by Travis Head at midwicket.
Like Bavuma, Markram also stood at the crease that had belonged to him for so long. When he finally turned to go, Lord’s stood to acclaim his 136. The Aussies ran to offer handshakes and backslaps. And well they might have – they had been party to only the fourth century in a winning chase in Tests at this ground.
Six required. Welcome, Kyle Verreynne. Bedingham took a single off Starc, as did Verreynne. Then Hazlewood conceded one to each. Two dots, two needed. A third dot. A slashed single off Hazlewood by Verreynne into the covers to level the scores.
Starc to Verreynne. No run. Next ball, leg side. Verreynne, outrageously, attempts a ramp. Carey catches. The Aussies appeal. Not out, says Richard Illingworth. Replays show a spike, but Australia are out of reviews. Dot ball. Then Starc serves up a full toss and Verreynne lashes it through the covers for the most famous single in the history of South African cricket.
Where the hell is that trophy?
© Cricbuzz
