South Africa’s Test captain Temba Bavuma, opened up about his journey in cricket as he prepares to lead his team into battle against Australia at Lord’s in the ICC World Test Championship final. While growing up in Langa, he often fantasized about playing on this very famous venue. He remembers how he and his friends would casually rename local areas after names of prominent cricket grounds, with Lord’s being the neatest side of all.
At 35, he is the first To Black cricketer to captain South Africa in Tests, carrying the hope of his team and the weight of a past journey of challenges and opportunities. Bavuma had progressed from street cricket to elite school cricket on a scholarship while facing an attempting integration process.
He remembers the big difference when his school would play against teams from Langa: Back home, his friends had less but would still laugh about it, while his classmates wondered when they’d get to enjoy a meal like the Langa kids.
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After moving to Johannesburg and attending St David’s—the cricket ground of which now bears his name—he began to find his way alongside his peers. The journey to the top was hard; after becoming the first Black South African to score a Test century in 2016, he only managed his second in 2023, as captain. Those obstacles they have faced together as a team; now on the roar day into the finals, they proudly walk in with seven consecutive Test victories.
