Aiden Markram’s Tears at Lord’s: Century of Grit Captured by AB de Villiers in WTC Final

By Admin

14 Jun, 2025

In a sport steeped in tradition, where emotions often simmer beneath the surface, Aiden Markram chose vulnerability over bravado at the most iconic cricket venue in the world. On Day 3 of the World Test Championship final at Lord’s, the South African opener played an innings not just for the scoreboard, but for the soul of a nation hungry for glory.

After being dismissed for a duck in the first innings by Mitchell Starc, Markram walked out in the second innings with quiet determination. Against the formidable Australian attack of Hazlewood, Cummins, and Starc, he built his innings with patience, poise, and an artistry that reminded fans why the straight drive remains one of cricket’s most elegant strokes.

The defining moment came in the 51st over. Josh Hazlewood pitched it up, and Markram, composed yet confident, leaned into a classic straight drive that pierced the field and raced to the boundary. It wasn’t just a shot it was a statement. One stroke away from his century and strengthening South Africa's grasp on their first ICC title in almost three decades, Markram had the cricketing world holding its breath.

But he wasn’t chasing milestones. He took his time, playing out eight more deliveries with just a single run added. Then came Hazlewood’s penultimate over before stumps an error in line, a tired drift down leg. Markram didn’t miss. He flicked it fine, the ball slicing through square leg with the precision of a surgeon’s scalpel. It kissed the ropes, and Lord’s erupted.

The sound was deafening, more Premier League than Test cricket. But at the center of the celebration stood a man lost in emotion. Aiden Markram quietly removed his helmet, looked skyward, and wiped a tear that had lingered too long perhaps not just for the innings, but for the weight of years, losses, and near misses that South African cricket has endured.

And watching it all from the Lord’s stands was a man who knew that pain intimately AB de Villiers. Clad in a pale white cricket sweater and shades that tried (and failed) to hide moist eyes, de Villiers stood and pulled out his phone. He recorded the moment a century, yes, but more than that, a chapter in South Africa’s long-awaited redemption story.

“De Villiers is standing. Lord’s is standing. And Markram deserves every bit of it,” came the voice of Shaun Pollock on commentary, summing up the emotions that flooded the historic ground.

At the other end stood captain Temba Bavuma, watching quietly. He didn’t rush. He gave Markram the moment. Leadership isn’t always about words or decisions it’s knowing when to stand still. When the time was right, Bavuma walked over and embraced his partner. It was subtle, yet powerful.

Markram wasn’t done. He took guard again and defended the final delivery of the day. He walked off unbeaten on 102 off 159 balls, with 69 more runs still needed. The victory wasn’t yet sealed, but South Africa was closing in.

It wasn’t just a hundred. It was a cry from the heart, a flicker of long-buried belief, and a promise that South Africa’s wait for an ICC trophy might finally end. In that fleeting moment under the setting sun at Lord’s, Markram wrote one half of what could be South Africa’s greatest cricketing chapter. The rest was just 69 runs away.