Success at Lord’s and Wolvaardt’s greatness highlight a magnificent 2025

An ICC trophy banked and a runners-up finish at the biggest event in the women’s game has certainly made 2025 one of the best years for South African cricket.

Was it the best yet?

In the post-isolation years, 2008 ranks high because of Test series wins in England and Australia by Graeme Smith’s side. But 2025 has seen success not only for the men’s team at Lord’s and a series win in India, but also the Proteas women established themselves as an elite team.

In captain Laura Wolvaardt, South Africa has the women’s game’s best batter. She is a bona fide star.

Her exploits in the knockout stages of the ODI World Cup were memorable: a semifinal display that ranks with the greatest ever, which she followed with another century in the final.

Vast pool of talent

For most of the last 35 years, the women’s programme was largely ignored by Cricket SA (CSA). But from issuing the first contracts in 2014 to the establishment of domestic competitions, and with it contracts for provincial players, CSA is beginning to unlock a vast pool of talent.

With SA getting so close in ICC events in the last three years, Wolvaardt and Proteas coach Mandla Mashimbyi will hope the provinces can produce a couple of players who can help surmount that final hurdle.

For now, Mashimbyi has looked to the past, restoring former captain Dane van Niekerk to the team. Van Niekerk has built a strong base for herself against lower-grade opponents, Ireland, this month, but bigger fixtures, where she will be tested more stringently, await.

As for Temba Bavuma’s team, barring a limp exit in the Champions Trophy semifinal, 2025 was exceptional.

Stunning win in India

In the Test arena, they won seven out of eight matches, magically capturing the ICC Test mace at Lord’s by defeating Australia, and then matching that achievement with a stunning 2-0 series win in India — a first Test series win in that country by South Africa in 25 years.

The year started perfectly in the shadow of Table Mountain, where opener Ryan Rickelton made a double hundred against Pakistan, with Bavuma and Kyle Verreynne adding centuries of their own.

In all, nine South African batters scored Test hundreds this year, with Wiaan Mulder’s unbeaten 367 against Zimbabwe the highest and, arguably, the most controversial; why didn’t he break Brian Lara’s record?.

It would be unfair to elevate one player above the rest.

This year, Bavuma was magnificent, finishing with a Test average of 51.66 — the third year in a row he’s reached December with his batting average for the year north of 50.

But he also missed half of South Africa’s Tests this year, including the pivotal tour to Pakistan, where Aiden Markram led the side to a 1-1 draw. His replacement, Tony de Zorzi, scored an excellent 104 in the first Test, followed by a crucial 55 in the second Test, won by Proteas on a spin-friendly surface.

Superb performance

That match in Rawalpindi was another superb performance from the Proteas, in which they recovered from a ragged first day on which they dropped five catches.

After being reduced to 210/7, they reached 404 in their first innings, thanks to Senuran Muthusamy’s composed 87 not out and Kagiso Rabada’s stroke-laden maiden half-century.

From there Simon Harmer, rekindling his international career after sharing a celebratory beer in London with Bavuma following the WTC final, picked up a first Test “five-for” that led to an eight-wicket win.

Clearly India weren’t paying attention to South Africa’s comfort in spinning conditions, for they prepared a rank turner in Kolkata for the first Test and promptly lost in three days, with Bavuma’s half-century another demonstration of his mastery.

Harmer picked up eight wickets and then finished India off in Guwahati to carve out a slice of history for the Proteas.

The inconsistency in the limited-overs formats can be forgiven — what with a change of coach and all. For the men’s side, this year was all about the Test format, and by the end of it, they reigned supreme.