Daijiworld Media Network - London
London, Jun 14: South Africa have taken a commanding position in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at Lord’s, inching closer to a historic maiden title. At stumps on Day 3, the Proteas were 213/2, chasing 282 for victory against defending champions Australia.
Aiden Markram’s classy century and skipper Temba Bavuma’s unbeaten half-century powered an unbroken 143-run stand, leaving South Africa just 69 runs shy of victory with eight wickets in hand heading into Day 4.
The iconic English venue, which has already crowned New Zealand (2021) and Australia (2023) as WTC champions, could witness a new name etched in history books if South Africa seal the chase.
Meanwhile, despite growing calls to shift the WTC final venue in future cycles, a report by The Telegraph UK suggests that England is set to retain hosting rights for the next three editions — 2027, 2029, and 2031. The ICC is expected to formally confirm this at its Annual Conference in Singapore next month.
The BCCI had previously expressed interest in hosting the summit clash, with similar sentiments echoed by Indian captain Rohit Sharma and Australia's Pat Cummins. However, the ICC appears inclined to continue with England as the preferred neutral venue for the tournament finale.
Interestingly, while England has hosted all three WTC finals, their own team is yet to qualify for one.