Temba Bavuma: The captain who ended South Africa’s long wait

On 14 June 2025, Temba Bavuma lifted the World Test Championship mace at Lord’s after South Africa beat Australia by five wickets.

It was the country’s first major global cricket title in 27 years, and it came with Bavuma leading from the front despite a hamstring injury.

That win ended years of near misses at the business end of world tournaments.

For South African cricket fans who follow a bookmaker covering the major sports as closely as the scorecard, it was the day a talented side finally got over the line on the biggest stage.

In this article, we reflect on the captain who guided the Proteas to a long-awaited title.

A historic appointment

Bavuma made history when he was named South Africa’s first black African Test captain, a milestone in a sport that was closed to many during apartheid.

He had already broken ground as the first black African to score a Test century for his country, and the captaincy added to his standing in the game.

Born in Cape Town in 1990, Bavuma worked his way up through domestic cricket before establishing himself in the Test side.

South Africa’s previous global trophy had come back in 1998, at the tournament then known as the ICC KnockOut, with a win over the West Indies.

The road to Lord’s

South Africa reached the 2025 final after topping the World Test Championship table, and Bavuma was central to that run.

Across the cycle, he passed 50 on seven occasions in 13 innings and averaged close to 60, leading the side both on the field and with the bat.

His 711 runs across the championship were among the most of any batter in the competition.

A final to remember

The final itself was tense.

South Africa were bowled out for 138 in their first innings, with Pat Cummins taking six wickets, before Kagiso Rabada and the bowlers hauled them back into the contest.

Chasing 282 to win, the Proteas leaned on a century from Aiden Markram and a battling 66 from Bavuma, who carried a hamstring problem through his innings.

Kyle Verreynne hit the winning runs on the fourth morning. Markram’s 136 was the highest score of the match and earned him the player of the match award.

A record-setting leader

The triumph extended Bavuma’s remarkable record as Test captain, which included an unbeaten run and a string of victories that drew comparison with leaders from cricket’s distant past.

He shares with England’s Percy Chapman the record for the most Test wins to start a captaincy career.

Under his calm leadership, South Africa shed the tag of a side that struggled in finals.

He joined Pat Cummins and Kane Williamson as the only captains to lift the mace in the event’s short history.

The 2025 win means South Africa joined New Zealand and Australia as World Test Championship winners.

For Bavuma, it was the reward for years of patience, and it brought cricket supporters across the country together.

What he said after

“It’s not easy being captain of South Africa but all the sacrifices, all the disappointment, feel worth it,” he said.

“Giving up is always an option. It’s always there at the back of your mind, but something kind of holds you on.

“For me, it was that moment there to be recognised as more than just a black African cricketer, but to be seen as someone who’s done something that the country has wanted.

“That’s something that I’ll definitely walk around with my chest out. And I hope that it continues to inspire our country.”