WTC Final 2025: Australia Take 218-run Lead Over South Africa Despite Losing 8 Wickets on Nervy Day 2

Day 2 of the WTC Final 2025 was, in many was, identical to Day 1 - both days saw 14 wickets fall as both side's batting units struggled to cope on a lively Lord's wicket, and both days saw Australia end the day just marginally ahead in the race to win the Test mace. 

South Africa began the day with 6 wickets in hand while batting and ended it having taken 8 of the Australian wickets in the second innings, all while conceding a 74-run first innings lead thanks to a batting collapse triggered by skipper Pat Cummins taking a superb five-for in the first innings. 

Australia did not fare much better and ended the day with tailenders Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon on the crease - but with a 218-run lead, they will be the more confident of the two sides given that South Africa's batters have looked far less at ease on the Lord's track. 

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Cummins Triggers SA Collapse

There was some home that Temba Bavuma and David Bedingham could grind their way out of the trouble South Africa found themselves in, but Cummins getting rid of Bavuma and Kyle Verreynne in quick succession meant the Proteas were playing catch-up. 

Bedingham was also eventually accounted for by Cummins, with the Aussie skipper picking 5 of the 6 SA wickets to fall on the day - the other wicket came via a run-out. 

Cummins became the 8th Australian to reach the landmark of 300 wickets and looked to have set his team up well for a final push at getting a big lead in the second innings. 

However, South Africa's bowlers ensured that Australia were pegged back a notch, even though it is the defending champions who are in a better position as things stand. 

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Rabada, Ngidi Rip Through Aussie Top Order

Marnus Labuschagne and Usman Khawaja looked at ease to begin with, but a double strike from Kagiso Rabada in the 11th over that saw Khawaja and Cameron Green depart opened the floodgates. 

Marco Jansen accounted for Labuschagne, but it was Lungi Ngidi who got the important wickets of Steve Smith and Beau Webster, the two Aussie batters who did the most damage in the first innings. 

But Australia's batting collapsed, with no one apart from Alex Carey (43) putting up any meaningful resistance. In the end, Starc and Lyon managed to hang on to fight another day - but only just. 

Starc was dropped by Jansen at slip in the final over of the day but will come back to bat on Day 3 in the hopes of adding more valuable runs to their lead.