London: There was no mad scramble, no final-ball thriller, no cruel twist of fate. Just two men, bats in hand, embracing mid-wicket at Lord’s to the sound of their flag-waving countrymen singing in full voice.

It was in that uncharacteristically orderly ending that South Africa finally found a new identity, free from the scars of all the mishaps and collapses of the past three decades.

South Africa’s captain Temba Bavuma holds the winner’s trophy and celebrates with teammates after their win in the World Test Championship final against Australia at Lord’s.Credit: AP

If Lord’s sounded like it was in Cape Town rather than St John’s Wood, well, that’s because it nearly was. The ground these past few days was a sea of green and gold — but more green than gold, if you judged by the singing and the South Efrican “eccents” at beer stands.

Since their readmission to international cricket in 1991, the Proteas have been a study in brilliance tinged with heartbreak. All too often, at the sharp end of major tournaments, they’ve stumbled. The 1992 rain-rule farce. The 1999 mix-up. The 2003 miscalculation. The 2015 Grant Elliott dagger. And just last year, the T20 heartbreak in Barbados.

The World Test Championship may not carry the........

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