WATCH: victorious South Africa revisit Lord’s after WTC final triumph

LONDON: South Africa’s triumphant ICC World Test Championship (WTC) squad made a jubilant return to Lord’s on Monday to continue celebrating their historic victory over Australia in the Ultimate Test.

Just two days after sealing a memorable five-wicket win to lift the coveted WTC mace, the entire 15-player squad, along with the support staff, revisited the home of cricket for a final celebration before heading back home.

Players posed with the iconic Test mace, relived the winning moments and soaked up the atmosphere at the historic ground where they created history over the weekend.

Speaking to ICC digital at Lord’s, South African all-rounder Wiaan Mulder described the celebrations as some of the most memorable of his career.

“It’s been a very, very good couple of days. Celebrations like I haven’t had before. As a team, we’re super chuffed and there’s no better place to do it than at the Home of Cricket,” Mulder said.

Mulder revealed that the excitement and nerves before the final, along with the non-stop celebrations afterward, had left him with hardly any sleep.

“I think it’s the Western Province crew, to be honest. Kyle Verreynne, Dane Paterson, David Bedingham, and (batting coach) Ashwell Prince — they’re kind of the leaders of our vibe team and have gone all out,” he added.

He praised Australian stars Pat Cummins and Travis Head for their sportsmanship and revealed that Head had congratulated him after the final.

“Heady is one of the top blokes around and Patty is also a great guy. I actually spoke to Heady last night on the phone. He was happy for us despite being disappointed. It shows the great spirit in which the game was played,” Mulder concluded.

It is pertinent to mention that South Africa made history as they won the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2023-25 by beating defending champions Australia by five wickets here at The Lord’s Cricket Ground on Saturday.

The title victory marked their first since 1998, when they won the inaugural edition of the men’s Champions Trophy, then known as the Knockout Trophy.

The defending champions were in control halfway through the ultimate Test as they had secured a handy first-innings lead of 74 runs by bowling out South Africa for a meagre 138.

Australia, however, could not capitalise as they accumulated a modest 207 in the second innings, setting a 282-run target.

South Africa’s batting unit outclassed Australia’s star-studded bowling attack in the ultimate innings and chased down the target for the loss of five wickets.

Leading the way for them was experienced opener Aiden Markram, who top-scored with 136, while skipper Temba Bavuma lent vital support with a half-century.