London: In a high-pressure ICC World Test Championship (WTC) Final clash at Lord’s, Australia’s Mitchell Starc showcased a rare and gritty side of his cricketing persona by scoring an unbeaten 58 off 136 balls, helping Australia post a respectable second-innings total. Known more for his thunderbolts with the ball, Starc etched his name into the record books with a historic batting feat.
Starc became the first batter batting at number nine or lower to score a half-century in an ICC tournament knockout match. His innings featured five boundaries and included a crucial 59-run stand for the last wicket with Josh Hazlewood (17 off 53 balls), frustrating South Africa’s bowlers and fans alike.
This was Starc’s 11th Test fifty, and his eighth half-century while batting at number nine or lower, the most by any player in Tests. Remarkably, he and Stuart Broad are the only two batters to score five or more fifties from number nine or lower in England.
Match Summary – Australia vs South Africa, WTC Final
- After being put in to bat first by South Africa, Australia struggled early, crumbling to 67/4 by the end of the first session.
- Recovery came through a 79-run stand between Steve Smith (66 off 112, 10 fours) and Beau Webster (72 off 92, 11 fours).
- Webster also added 46 runs with Alex Carey (23 off 31, 4 fours) to help Australia approach 200.
- Despite the efforts, Australia were bowled out for 212, thanks to Kagiso Rabada’s 5/51 and Marco Jansen’s 3/49.
South Africa’s Batting Collapse
South Africa ended day one at 43/4, with no batter crossing the 20-run mark. On day two, a brief resistance came through Temba Bavuma (36 off 84) and David Bedingham (45 off 111) who posted a half-century stand.
But Pat Cummins (6/28) ripped through the Proteas line-up, bowling them out for just 138, giving Australia a 74-run lead.
Australia’s Second Innings Fightback
The Proteas’ pace attack returned fire in Australia’s second innings, reducing them to 73/7. Alex Carey (43 off 50) once again stood firm, partnering with Starc for 61 runs, ending day two at 144/8.
On day three, Nathan Lyon fell early, but Starc and Hazlewood added 59 precious runs before Australia was bowled out for 207, setting South Africa a target of 282 runs to win the WTC mace.
Rabada (4/59) and Lungi Ngidi (3/38) were standout performers, with Jansen, Wiaan Mulder, and Aiden Markram picking up a wicket each.