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Aiden Markram fifty - (Source : AP)
In the ongoing WTC final between South Africa and Australia at Lord’s, Aiden Markram has made day three his own, scoring a gritty fifty to keep his team’s hopes alive in the ‘Ultimate Test’.
Markram had a disastrous start to the final, managing only a six-ball duck in the first innings as South Africa were bowled out for 138. Australia, with a 74-run lead, set a target of 282 for the Proteas, thanks in part to Mitchell Starc’s fifty-plus score.
Markram Joins Heinrich Klaasen and Hansie Cronje After Heroics
In reply, South Africa lost an early wicket, but Markram held firm and played his shots to keep the scoreboard moving. The 30-year-old took 69 balls to reach his half-century, hitting four boundaries along the way.
With this feat, Markram has joined an elite list of South African players to score fifty-plus in ICC finals. It is notable that this is only South Africa’s third ICC final in their history.
Aiden now stands alongside Heinrich Klaasen and Hansie Cronje in this exclusive group. Cronje was the first to achieve this milestone, during the 1998 Champions Trophy.
Cronje’s Heroics vs West Indies
In the 1998 Champions Trophy final against West Indies in Dhaka, Cronje scored an unbeaten 61 off 77 balls, helping the Proteas chase down a target of 248 to lift their first and only ICC trophy.
Despite his heroics with the bat, Jacques Kallis was awarded Player of the Match for his five-wicket haul, which restricted West Indies to just 245 runs.
Klaasen Shines vs India in 2024 T20 World Cup
Heinrich Klaasen stole the show in the 2024 T20 World Cup final with a brilliant 52 off 27 balls, nearly securing the trophy for South Africa. The team fell seven runs short while chasing 177, despite Klaasen’s classic innings.
Current Match Update
At the time of writing, South Africa are 115/2 after 30.2 overs and still require 167 runs to win. Aiden Markram is batting on 55 (80)
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