The ICC WTC 2025 Final is set to begin! South Africa (SA) and Australia (AUS) will battle it out for the World Test Championship title at the famous Lord’s Cricket Ground in London today, Wednesday, June 11. This special one-off match will decide who is the best Test team in the world. Australia is trying to win again, as they were the champions in 2023. South Africa is hoping to win their first-ever ICC Test trophy, which would be a historic moment for them.
If South Africa wins, it would be their first major ICC cricket title in over 20 years. This would bring new hope and excitement for their team, often called the Proteas. For Australia, winning would mean they lift the WTC trophy two times in a row, further proving they are a very strong team in Test cricket.
Lord’s Cricket Ground: Pitch Report for SA vs AUS, ICC WTC 2025 Final
The pitch at Lord’s Cricket Ground is known for being fair to both batters and bowlers. Early in the match, especially when the sky is cloudy, the pitch usually helps fast bowlers, allowing them to swing the new ball. Batting gets easier as the match goes into Day 2 and Day 3. However, later in the game, particularly on Day 4 and Day 5, the ball might bounce in different ways, and spin bowlers could become more effective. This balance makes the ICC WTC 2025 Final at Lord’s very interesting.
Captains who win the coin toss often choose to bat first. But if we look at past results, there isn’t a clear advantage. Out of 147 Test matches played here, teams batting first have won 52 times, and teams chasing a target have won 41 times. This means Lord’s Cricket Ground doesn’t strongly favor one choice over the other. To win this ICC WTC 2025 Final, both teams will need to bat patiently and bowl very well throughout the five days.
Recent Test Match at Lord’s Cricket Ground
The most recent Test match played at Lord’s Cricket Ground was in the summer of 2024, when England played against Sri Lanka. England scored 427 runs in their first turn at bat and 251 runs in their second. Sri Lanka could only make 196 runs in their first turn and 292 in their second. England won that match easily by 199 runs. This recent game gives us a clue about how the pitch might behave in the ICC WTC 2025 Final.
Lord’s Cricket Ground: Test Match Stats and Key Performances
Lord’s Cricket Ground is a very important place for Test cricket. It has hosted a total of 147 Test matches since the first one on July 21, 1884. The most recent Test was on August 29, 2024.
Let’s look at some key statistics for matches played at Lord’s:
- Matches Won by Batting First: Teams that batted first have won 53 matches.
- Matches Won by Batting Second (Chasing): Teams that batted second have won 43 matches.
- Drawn or No Result Matches: 51 matches have ended in a draw or with no clear winner.
When a captain wins the toss and decides what to do (bat or bowl), here’s how it has usually turned out:
- Teams Winning the Toss and Winning the Match: 53 matches (36.05% of all matches).
- Teams Losing the Toss and Winning the Match: 43 matches (29.25% of all matches).
These numbers show that winning the toss doesn’t guarantee a win, making the strategic decisions in the ICC WTC 2025 Final even more important.
Individual and Team Records at Lord’s Cricket Ground
Lord’s has seen some amazing individual performances and team records over the years:
- Highest Test Score by a Player: The highest score made by one player in a Test match at Lord’s is 333 runs. This was scored by England’s Graham Gooch against India on July 26, 1990.
- Best Bowling Figures in One Innings: The best bowling figures in one turn of batting belong to Ian Botham. He took an incredible 8 wickets for only 34 runs for England against Pakistan on June 15, 1978.
- Best Bowling Figures in a Whole Match: The best bowling figures for an entire match were set by Australia’s Bob Massie. He took a total of 16 wickets for 137 runs against England on June 22, 1972. This is a record that highlights the challenge of batting at Lord’s.
- Highest Team Total: Australia also holds the record for the highest total runs scored by a team in one innings at Lord’s. They made 729 runs for 6 wickets declared against England on June 27, 1930.
- Lowest Team Total: On the other hand, the lowest total runs scored by a team at Lord’s is a very low 38 runs. This was scored by Ireland against England on July 24, 2019.
- Highest Successful Run Chase: The most runs successfully chased by a team to win a match at Lord’s was 344 runs for 1 wicket. This was achieved by West Indies against England on June 28, 1984.
These historic records add to the rich story of Lord’s and set the stage for potentially new records in the ICC WTC 2025 Final. Both South Africa and Australia will be hoping to add their names to this famous ground’s history books by winning this important match. The stakes are incredibly high, making every ball in the ICC WTC 2025 Final count.
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