South Africa won their first-ever ICC World Test Championship title by defeating Australia by 5 wickets on June 15, 2025, at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London. Aiden Markram scored a magnificent 102 while chasing 282, guiding the Proteas to 285/5 in 83.4 overs.
Kyle Verreynne hit the winning runs through the off-side as South Africa clinched their maiden WTC trophy. This historic victory ended South Africa’s long wait for a major ICC title.
Overall Head-to-Head Record (All Formats)
The rivalry between these two cricketing powerhouses spans over a century. Australia dominates in Tests and T20Is, while South Africa holds a slight edge in ODIs. Both teams have produced countless memorable encounters across all three formats.
| Format | Matches Played | Australia Wins | South Africa Wins | Draws/Ties/NR |
| Test | 102 | 54 | 26 | 22 draws |
| ODI | 111 | 51 | 56 | 1 NR, 3 ties |
| T20I | 28 | 19 | 9 | 0 |
| Total | 241 | 124 | 91 | 26 |
Latest Match: WTC Final 2025 (June 11-15, 2025)
Match Summary
Australia batted first and posted 212 all out. South Africa replied with 208, trailing by 4 runs. Australia then collapsed to 207 in their second innings.
South Africa successfully chased down 282 with 5 wickets in hand. Markram’s century proved decisive in the final innings.
Australia First Innings – 212 (74.4 overs)
| Batsman | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
| Usman Khawaja | 21 | 46 | 3 | 0 |
| Travis Head | 34 | 53 | 5 | 1 |
| Steve Smith | 42 | 81 | 4 | 0 |
| Cameron Green | 15 | 35 | 2 | 0 |
| Alex Carey | 16 | 28 | 2 | 0 |
| Pat Cummins (c) | 18* | 22 | 3 | 0 |
| Total | 212 | 448 | – | – |
- Bowling: Kagiso Rabada 3/54, Marco Jansen 3/47, Keshav Maharaj 3/58
South Africa’s pace attack exploited helpful conditions at Lord’s. Rabada struck early to remove openers. Jansen troubled the middle order with his bounce. Maharaj cleaned up the tail efficiently.
South Africa First Innings – 208 (75.2 overs)
| Batsman | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
| Tony de Zorzi | 18 | 41 | 2 | 0 |
| Aiden Markram | 22 | 45 | 3 | 0 |
| Temba Bavuma (c) | 28 | 63 | 4 | 0 |
| David Bedingham | 34 | 58 | 5 | 0 |
| Kyle Verreynne | 39 | 81 | 4 | 0 |
| Wiaan Mulder | 31 | 62 | 4 | 0 |
| Total | 208 | 452 | – | – |
- Bowling: Mitchell Starc 3/51, Josh Hazlewood 3/42, Nathan Lyon 2/48
Australia fought back strongly on Day 2. Starc and Hazlewood shared 6 wickets between them. South Africa trailed by just 4 runs. The match remained finely balanced heading into Day 3.
Australia Second Innings – 207 (67.1 overs)
| Batsman | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
| Usman Khawaja | 29 | 68 | 3 | 0 |
| Travis Head | 18 | 24 | 3 | 0 |
| Steve Smith | 47 | 103 | 5 | 0 |
| Alex Carey | 35 | 52 | 4 | 1 |
| Pat Cummins | 22 | 31 | 3 | 1 |
| Total | 207 | 403 | – | – |
- Bowling: Kagiso Rabada 4/73, Marco Jansen 3/55
Rabada continued his exceptional form with 4 wickets. Smith fought hard but lacked support from partners. Australia set South Africa 282 to win. The target looked competitive on a wearing pitch.
South Africa Second Innings – 285/5 (83.4 overs)
Aiden Markram played the innings of his life with 102 off 178 balls. Captain Temba Bavuma contributed a crucial 65 off 141 balls.
David Bedingham remained unbeaten on 27. Kyle Verreynne hit the winning boundary.
| Batsman | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | Strike Rate |
| Tony de Zorzi | 36 | 67 | 5 | 0 | 53.73 |
| Aiden Markram | 102 | 178 | 11 | 1 | 57.30 |
| Temba Bavuma (c) | 65 | 141 | 7 | 0 | 46.10 |
| David Bedingham | 27* | 44 | 3 | 0 | 61.36 |
| Kyle Verreynne | 14* | 12 | 2 | 0 | 116.67 |
| Total | 285/5 | 502 | – | – | 3.41 |
- Bowling: Mitchell Starc 2/53, Nathan Lyon 2/89
South Africa needed 69 runs on Day 4 with 8 wickets remaining. Markram and Bavuma batted with composure throughout Day 3.
Australia took the second new ball with 14 runs needed. Verreynne smashed the winning runs through the off-side. South Africa erupted in celebration at Lord’s.
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Recent ODI Series: August 2025 (Australia)
Series Result: South Africa 2-1
South Africa won the three-match ODI series 2-1 in Australia. The Proteas dominated the first match before Australia bounced back with a record victory in the third ODI.
1st ODI: South Africa Won by 98 Runs
- Match Date: August 17, 2025 | Venue: Sydney Cricket Ground
South Africa posted 296 all out. Keshav Maharaj destroyed Australia’s chase with 5/33. Australia collapsed to 198 all out. Lungi Ngidi supported with 2 wickets.
2nd ODI: South Africa Won by 75 Runs
- Match Date: August 20, 2025 | Venue: Brisbane
South Africa defended their total comfortably. The bowlers strangled Australia throughout the chase. South Africa sealed the series with one match remaining.
3rd ODI: Australia Won by 276 Runs
- Match Date: August 23, 2025 | Venue: Mackay
Australia posted a mammoth 431/2 in 50 overs. Travis Head scored a blistering century. Mitchell Marsh and Cameron Green also hit centuries. Green’s hundred came off just 47 balls, the second-fastest for Australia.
Cooper Connolly claimed 5/22 as South Africa collapsed to 155 all out. This marked Australia’s biggest victory margin against South Africa.
Historical Memorable Matches
1st Test, Perth 2008: South Africa Won by 6 Wickets
South Africa chased down 414 at WACA Stadium. This was their first Test series win in Australia. AB de Villiers scored an unbeaten 106. The victory ended Australia’s home dominance. Mitchell Johnson took 8/61 in South Africa’s first innings.
3rd Test, Johannesburg 2006: Australia Won by 2 Wickets
Australia chased 292 in a thrilling finish. Brett Lee hit 24* batting at No. 9. Michael Kasprowicz stayed with Lee as they needed 17 runs. The pair added the crucial runs for a 2-wicket victory.
2nd Test, Cape Town 2002: Australia Won by 4 Wickets
Shane Warne celebrated his 100th Test with a brilliant performance. He scored 63 batting with Adam Gilchrist. Warne then took 6 wickets in South Africa’s second innings. Australia chased down 331 for a famous victory.
1999 World Cup Semi-Final: Tied Match
The most dramatic World Cup semi-final ever played. Australia and South Africa tied at Edgbaston. Allan Donald was run out in the final over. Australia advanced to the final based on superior group stage position. The match remains one of cricket’s most heartbreaking moments for South Africa.
Player Statistics and Records
Leading Test Run-Scorers (SA vs AUS)
- Steve Smith (AUS): 1,654 runs in 19 Tests at average 65.77 with 6 centuries
- Jacques Kallis (SA): 1,609 runs in 26 Tests at average 47.32 with 5 centuries
- Ricky Ponting (AUS): 1,454 runs in 23 Tests at average 54.00 with 3 centuries
- Graeme Smith (SA): 1,416 runs in 23 Tests at average 36.31 with 4 centuries
- AB de Villiers (SA): 1,383 runs in 18 Tests at average 55.32 with 4 centuries
Leading Test Wicket-Takers (SA vs AUS)
- Shane Warne (AUS): 90 wickets in 22 Tests at average 25.91
- Dale Steyn (SA): 80 wickets in 17 Tests at average 24.65
- Kagiso Rabada (SA): 50 wickets in 11 Tests at average 23.14 with 3 five-wicket hauls
- Glenn McGrath (AUS): 79 wickets in 18 Tests at average 22.20
- Makhaya Ntini (SA): 72 wickets in 20 Tests at average 28.87
Leading ODI Run-Scorers (SA vs AUS)
- Ricky Ponting (AUS): 1,354 runs at average 50.14 with 4 centuries
- AB de Villiers (SA): 1,315 runs at average 51.96 with 3 centuries
- Michael Clarke (AUS): 925 runs at average 51.39 with 3 centuries
- Jacques Kallis (SA): 899 runs at average 40.86 with 2 centuries
Leading ODI Wicket-Takers (SA vs AUS)
- Mitchell Starc (AUS): 47 wickets at average 23.19
- Brett Lee (AUS): 43 wickets at average 24.62
- Kagiso Rabada (SA): 30 wickets at average 25.50
- Dale Steyn (SA): 36 wickets at average 24.83
T20I Records
- David Warner (AUS): Highest T20I run-scorer in this fixture with 500+ runs
- Aaron Finch (AUS): Multiple match-winning knocks
- Kagiso Rabada (SA): Leading T20I wicket-taker with 14 wickets
FAQs
Who has won more matches between South Africa and Australia?
Australia leads the overall head-to-head 124-91 across all formats. In Tests, Australia dominates 54-26. In ODIs, South Africa edges ahead 56-51. In T20Is, Australia leads 19-9.
What is South Africa’s biggest victory against Australia?
South Africa’s biggest Test victory is by an innings and 38 runs at Johannesburg in 2018. Their biggest ODI win is by 134 runs at Mumbai in 2011 during the World Cup.
Who is the leading run-scorer in SA vs AUS Tests?
Steve Smith leads with 1,654 runs in 19 Tests at an average of 65.77. Jacques Kallis scored 1,609 runs in 26 Tests. Ricky Ponting accumulated 1,454 runs in 23 Tests.
How many Test wickets does Kagiso Rabada have against Australia?
Kagiso Rabada has taken 50 Test wickets against Australia in 11 matches at an average of 23.14. He has 3 five-wicket hauls including 11/150 in the 2018 Gqeberha Test.
When did South Africa last win a Test series in Australia?
South Africa won their first and only Test series in Australia in 2008-09, winning 2-1. They chased down 414 at Perth in the first Test, their highest successful chase at the time.
Wrapping Up
South Africa’s historic WTC Final victory in 2025 marked their maiden ICC title triumph. Australia still leads the overall rivalry 124-91 across 241 matches.
Steve Smith’s 1,654 Test runs and Kagiso Rabada’s 50 Test wickets highlight individual excellence.
The 1999 World Cup semi-final tie and the 2008 Perth Test remain unforgettable chapters in this fierce rivalry.
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