Bavuma purrs as Proteas grab top spot in WTC final race

Proteas captain Temba Bavuma and his Test colleagues will relish the chance to take their minds off cricket for a few days after securing a vital 2-0 series win over Sri Lanka in Gqeberha on Monday. 

Heading into the final day at St George’s Park needing five wickets while defending 143 runs, Kagiso Rabada and Keshav Maharaj, who shared 17 overs in the morning session, claimed four of those wickets.

Marco Jansen wrapped up the match with the final wicket for the Proteas to win by 109 runs.

Bavuma was in high spirits after his side ensured their ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final fate remained in their own hands as they now sit atop the WTC 25 standings after the triumph. 

The deal is sweetened with the news that they only need one more win from their final two matches against Pakistan in the coming weeks to confirm their appearance at the June 2025 showpiece after New Zealand fell 2-0 to England in their three-match series. 

The Proteas’ victory is their fifth consecutive one in red-ball matches after two wins against Bangladesh and one against the West Indies earlier in 2024.

The Test squad will now take a short break, with only Ryan Rickelton and Matthew Breetzke joining the T20 national group for the three-match series starting against Pakistan in Durban on Tuesday.

On the batting front, only two centuries were scored in the match — by Rickelton (101) and Kyle Verreynne (105) — while contributions of 78 and 66 by skipper Bavuma also contributed to the memorable result for the hosts. 

Bavuma also claimed the Player of the Series award after scoring 327 runs in four innings at an average of 81.75. 

Maharaj claimed 7/141 in the match, while Dane Paterson, who celebrated his first career five-for in the first innings, returned figures of 7/104 for the Test. 

Speaking at the after-match media conference, Bavuma said the series win had strengthened his belief in himself as a player, but it also gave his team a lot of confidence in what they were are doing on the field.

“There was a lot of hunger and desire from my side to put in winning performances for the team. The opportunities were there throughout the series and I was able to make use of it,” he said. 

Speaking about Paterson and Rickelton, who were drafted in due to injuries to other key players, Bavuma said their performances were a result of the energy and competition within the team environment. 

“Guys are coming from the sidelines but are still in a mental space where they can put in winning performances for the team.

“As much as guys have a good time being around each other, each is waiting for their opportunity to do it for the team and that is testament to the coaching staff and how well they have been preparing the guys. 

“Every session has been inspirational and as a leader it makes my job easier when guys want to have a bowl or you see them throwing themselves around in the field. 

“There is a lot of good stuff happening in the team while acknowledging and celebrating those moments.”