Key Points

Matthew Hayden expressed disbelief as South Africa ended Australia's long-standing dominance at Lord's in the WTC Final. The Proteas secured their first-ever world title, with standout performances from Ngidi, Markram, and Bavuma. Hayden pinpointed Smith's dismissal as the turning point in the match. This loss halted Pat Cummins' golden run as Australia's captain.

Key Points: Matthew Hayden Stunned as South Africa Ends Australia's Lord's Dominance

  • Australia's third Lord's defeat since WWII
  • Hayden highlights South Africa's inexperienced squad
  • Ngidi's dismissal of Smith pivotal
  • Markram and Bavuma lead SA's chase
2 min read

I honestly can't even remember the last time Australia lost at Lord's: Matthew Hayden reflects on WTC Final defeat

Hayden reflects on Australia's rare WTC Final defeat at Lord's as South Africa clinches their first world title with a historic win.

"I honestly can't even remember the last time Australia lost at Lord's – Matthew Hayden"

London June 14

Former Australia legendary batter Matthew Hayden reflected on Aussie defeat in the World Test Championship (WTC) Final 2025, against South Africa at the Home of Cricket Lord's on Saturday and said "I honestly can't even remember the last time Australia lost at Lord's."

This is just Australia's third defeat in 24 Tests at Lord's since World War II, the previous two coming in Ashes 2009 and Ashes 2013, respectively.

"The legacy of Australian cricket -- its results and performances in ICC events -- shows how much this team thrives on the big stage. I honestly can't even remember the last time Australia lost at Lord's; it's been something like 22 years of dominance here," Jio Expert Matthew Hayden said on Cricket Live.

With this victory, South Africa has laid their hands on their first-ever world title in international cricket. Also, this is their second ICC trophy after the ICC Knockout 1998.

Also, Australia skipper Pat Cummins' golden run as a captain, which started with the retention of the Ashes series against England and was followed by an incredible WTC mace and 50-over World Cup wins over India, has come to a halt.

Hayden emphasised the significance of South Africa's victory, particularly highlighting Lungi Ngidi's performance in dismissing Steve Smith, a pivotal moment that shifted the game's momentum.

"This South African side, which is relatively inexperienced compared to Australia at this stage in the World Test Championship cycle, this result is phenomenal. Take someone like Lungi Ngidi -- virtually unplayable in the first innings, and then in the second, when it mattered most, he came in and dismissed Steve Smith. That moment was huge. Smith is such an iconic presence in the Australian setup, and from there, South Africa just kept rolling. That's what finals are all about -- finding a way," he added.

Aiden Markram slammed a memorable century, and captain Temba Bavuma fought through injury to score a combined 102 runs in the match, as SA chased down a daunting target of 282 on Day 4. Kagiso Rabada starred with the ball, taking nine wickets in the match.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

R
Rahul K.
What a match! South Africa finally got their ICC trophy after so many years. As an Indian fan, I know how painful it is to lose WTC finals (we've been there twice 😅), but credit where it's due - SA played like champions. Markram's century was pure class!
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Priya M.
Hayden's comment shows how dominant Australia has been! But every empire falls someday. Hope our Indian team takes notes - we need to be more clinical in ICC finals. Rabada's bowling was 🔥 though!
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Arjun S.
As much as I enjoy seeing Australia lose (after what they did to us in WC final 😤), we should worry about our own team's performance in knockouts. SA showed how to handle pressure - something our boys need to learn ASAP.
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Sanjana P.
Bavuma playing through injury reminds me of Dhoni's famous 2011 WC final knock. True captains lead from the front! Hope BCCI is watching - we need more such determined players in our squad.
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Vikram J.
Respect to SA for this win, but let's be honest - Australia's golden run had to end sometime. Now the real question is: can India break their ICC trophy drought next year? Our team has the talent but needs the temperament.
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Neha R.
Ngidi dismissing Smith was the turning point! Reminded me of how Bumrah got Root in our last England tour. Fast bowlers win you test matches - hope our management realizes this instead of focusing only on T20 leagues.

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