WTC Final 2025 produces cricket’s first in its 145-year history at Lord's

The third World Test Championship (WTC) Final got underway at the Mecca of cricket at Lord’s on Wednesday (June 11), with Australia and South Africa sharing honours on day one. While South African seamer Kagiso Rabada made headlines with his brilliant five-for in the first innings, helping the Proteas dismiss Australia on a paltry 212, the Aussie pace trio picked up four wickets between them to end the day on top. The day, however, saw cricket’s first unfold at the Lord's.

On a breezy London morning, South Africa won the toss and sent Australia in to bat first. The scoreboard read 0/0 until the fourth over when makeshift opener Marnus Labuschagne played on the leg side to open the scoring. That, however, wasn’t enough to get the Aussies going, as Rabada accounted for seasoned Usman Khawaja, caught in the slips on a duck. The Oz lost new number three Cameron Green in the same over, with South Africa relishing a dream start.

Steve Smith and Marnus tried to steady the innings, but losing two more wickets before lunch had them on the floor. Afterwards, Smith and Beau Webster added 79 for the fifth wicket before part-timer Aiden Markram got the big fish in Smith, caught in the first slip on 66.

Keeper Alex Carey also contributed with a handy 23 before Rabada turned the game on its head by picking three wickets to complete his five-wicket haul. Thanks to a complete team show, South Africa dismissed Australia on 212 inside the three sessions.

Cricket’s first

What unfolded next was cricket’s first in its 145-year history at the venue, and what an occasion it was.

For the first time in 561 Tests on English soil, both teams' number-one batters were dismissed for zero in the first innings. It happened when Aussie seamer Mitchell Starc bowled Markram on the final ball of his first over on zero.

While it was Markram for Proteas, Khawaja was the Australian opener who departed without bothering the scoresheet.

Returning to the South African innings, Starc picked his second wicket in Markram’s fellow opener Ryan Rickelton before captain Pat Cummins broke Wiaan Mulder’s stumps on just six.

While Proteas captain Temba Bavuma took 31 balls to hit his first run as the crowd cheered the moment, adding just two more before stumps were taken, Josh Hazlewood also returned with a wicket by dismissing Tristan Stubbs, clean bowled on just two.

South Africa finished the day on 43 for two, trailing by 169 runs.