South Africa sealed a historic three-match Test series 2-1 against Australia at Newlands, Cape Town on October 31, 2026, winning the final match by 176 runs to complete one of the more commanding home series victories in recent WTC 2025-27 history. Temba Bavuma captained the Proteas throughout, while Pat Cummins led the touring Australians.
Australia had begun the final day needing 288 runs across their remaining 5 wickets to win the Test, but the hosts dismantled that resistance swiftly. Kagiso Rabada set the tone with a devastating opening spell, removing Matt Renshaw for a duck, Marnus Labuschagne for 4 and Travis Head for 14 to claim 3 wickets in that burst.
Off-spinner Simon Harmer then took over, picking up 3 wickets of his own in the first session to reduce Australia to 42 for 6 before lunch. Harmer’s haul included the wicket of Mitchell Starc, who fell for a 25-ball duck, leaving the Aussies at 60 for 7 shortly after. The lower order offered no meaningful resistance, and Australia were bowled out for 111, handing South Africa the 176-run victory.
The win moved South Africa’s WTC points percentage from 66.67 up to 71.42, lifting them to second position in the standings. Australia, who had entered the match at the top of the table with a percentage of 75.00, dropped to third after the defeat, their percentage falling to 69.23 across 13 Tests that yielded 9 wins, 4 losses and 108 points.
How does the WTC 2025-27 points table look after the Cape Town result?
New Zealand remain at the summit of the WTC 2025-27 table with a points percentage of 72.22, accumulated from 6 Tests that produced 4 wins, 1 loss, 1 draw and 52 points. South Africa now sit second at 71.42, having overtaken Australia, who occupy third at 69.23. India are fourth with 68 points from 11 Tests, covering 5 wins, 4 losses and 2 draws, giving them a percentage of 51.52.
Bangladesh are fifth at 47.61, their 40 points coming from 7 Tests with 3 wins, 3 losses and 1 draw. England are sixth with 74 points from 16 Tests, 7 wins, 8 losses and 1 draw translating to a percentage of 38.54. Sri Lanka and West Indies are both at 33.33: Sri Lanka have 24 points from 6 Tests with 1 win, 2 losses and 3 draws, while West Indies have 42 points from 13 Tests with 3 wins, 8 losses and 2 draws.
Pakistan sit bottom of the table at 4.63, collecting just 5 points from 9 Tests with 2 wins and 7 losses. Meanwhile, Bangladesh suffered a further setback when they lost to West Indies by 8 wickets in the first Test at Mirpur, a result that will factor into their percentage as the cycle progresses.
| Teams |
M |
W |
L |
T |
D |
N/R |
PTS |
PCT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 52 | 72.22 |
| South Africa | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 71.43 |
| Australia | 13 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 108 | 69.23 |
| India | 11 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 68 | 51.52 |
| Bangladesh | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 40 | 47.62 |
| England | 16 | 7 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 74 | 38.54 |
| Sri Lanka | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 33.33 |
| West Indies | 13 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 42 | 26.92 |
| Pakistan | 9 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4.63 |
Looking ahead, New Zealand are scheduled to face India in a two-match series starting November 19, a contest that could reshape the top of the table. Australia are set to tour India for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, a four-Test home series for India, early next year. South Africa will host England for 2 Tests in February 2027, while England are also scheduled to travel to Sri Lanka for a 5-Test series.
How did South Africa build their series victory over Australia?
The Proteas’ 2-1 series win was built across three hard-fought Tests. Australia lost the opening match in Durban by 214 runs, a result that set the tone for the hosts’ dominance. South Africa then won the second Test in Gqeberha by an innings, extending their lead to 2-0 before Australia pulled one back to set up a decider at Newlands. The Cape Town victory confirmed the series for South Africa and delivered the points swing that moved them above Australia in the WTC 2025-27 standings. Rabada’s incisive new-ball work and Harmer’s control through the middle overs were central to the Proteas’ bowling effort across the deciding Test.
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