HISTORIC! South Africa are World Test Champions!!!

SA need six to win with five wickets in hand as Starc is back into the attack. Bedingham takes a risky single after tapping the ball straight to the fielder at mid-on.

Kyle Verreynne is beaten two balls in a row before he takes a single from the last ball of the over.

South Africa need four runs for victory.

Hazlewood continues as Verryenne clips the first ball off his pads for a single and Bedingham guides the next past gully for another run.

Verreynne punches Hazlewood into the covers to level scores.

Starc comes in to bowl his 15th over. Verreynne getting impatient to finish this off as he walks across his stumps and tries the ramp shot but misses.

Infact, he seems to have got a thin edge as confirmed by Ultra Edge but the umpire was unmoved and Australia also didn't have any reviews left.

Verreynne drives Starc through the covers for a four to take South Africa to a historic five-wicket victory as they win the ICC World Test Championship Final.

South Africa end years and years of heartbreak with their first ever ICC World title, ending a 27-year drought. Their only ICC title before this was the 1998 ICC Knockout Trophy, now known as the ICC Champions Trophy.

It will also help make up for their late collapse against India in the T20 World Cup final last year, when they lost the final from a winning position.

An emotional Keshav Maharaj is in tears as he speaks to former South Africa captain Graeme Smith after the triumph.

"It is special it is an honour to lift the Cup. Thanks to everyone who has been supporting us through adversity," said Maharaj.

"I can't describe it in words, I am extremely happy," said Kagiso Rabada at the toss.

"People said we got here without playing any tough opposition, that's all rubbish. We came here and we beat the best team," the fast bowler added.

Marco Jansen lauded Markram's superb match-winning century while also hailing captain Temba Bavuma for his composed knock in the second innings.

"It has been 27 years and I am thankful that we got over the line," said David Bedingham.

Australia take the second new ball as Josh Hazlewood is back into the attack. The first ball is full but too straight as the well-set Markram plays a cracking flick shot through midwicket for a four.

The next ball is again clipped through the same region for three runs as the target is down to single digits.

Some drama right at the end as Markram perishes off the final ball of the over. He plays the uppish flick but Head takes a superb catch at square leg.

Markram walks back in disappointment after a match-winning knock of 136, with 14 fours, as he returns to the dressing room to a standing ovation from the Lord's crowd.

Lyon drifts on the pads as Bedingham plays a fine glance off his pads for three runs followed by singles off the next two balls.

Bedingham, who top scored for South Africa with 45 in the first innings, looking in good touch.

Cummins' overpitched delivery is driven straight back past mid-on for a wonderful boundary to take the target under 20.

He picks a single off the next ball to get seven from the over.

An appeal by Lyon as Head seems to have taken a superb reaction catch. Bedingham had clipped the spinner straight into short leg, who showed great reflex to stick his leg out but the ball has clearly bounced.

The last ball turns sharply and strikes Bedingham on the pads but the leg before shout is turned down.

South Africa need 17 more for victory as Beau Webster comes back into the attack. The Proteas batter pick a single each to get two runs from his over.

Lyon bowls a quiet over conceding just a single as South Africa reach 268/4 in 80 overs, needing just 14 for victory.

Lyon bowls a maiden over to Bedingham as South Africa look to be feeling some pressure. Another wicket could put South Africa on the backfoot but a couple of boundaries could revive their hopes.

Markram hits Starc in the covers for one before Bedingham steers the next past the gully fielder for three runs.

Markram showing great cricketing intelligence as he taps Starc to midwicket for an easy single to gradually chip away at the target.

The short ball from Starc stays low as Bedingham misses the pull shot and is hit on the pads. The impact seems way outside the line as Starc immediately walks back to the start of his run up as he looks at the first replay.

As expected the impact is outside the line as Australia lose their second and final review.

Three singles from Lyon's 23rd over as South Africa bring up their 250, inching closer to the target.

Cummins back into the attack in what looks like could be Australia's final push.

Markram continues his resistance as he pushes the pacer for a single on the off-side. Bedingham does well to tap the last ball with soft hands and collect another run, as the target comes down to 30.

Off-spinner Lyon continues after the drinks break. Stubbs clips the first ball on the leg side for one and Markram pushes the next into the covers for another run.

Stubbs misses the reverse sweep as he gets the inside edge before he is beaten on the outside edge looking to drive it through the off-side.

Starc from the other end. He tries the short ball tactics as Stubbs misses the pull down the leg side and the same next ball. This time Australia take the review as wicketkeeper Carey looked very confident but there is nothing on the UltraEdge.

However, Starc gets his man next ball as Stubbs is bowled for eight.

This time Starc bowled length and got the ball to swing in sharply into Stubbs from round the wicket angle. Stubbs was beaten on the inside edge as the ball crashed into the stumps.

South Africa reduced to 241/4 as Australia keep their slim hopes alive.

Starc with another cracking delivery to beat new batter David Bedingham on the outside edge. He gets off the mark with a single from the last ball.

The first hour has gone South Africa's way. Even though they have managed just 25 runs in 13 overs, they have kept the Aussie bowlers at bay, giving away just one wicket.

Aiden Markram has looked solid on 118 from 188 balls, while Stubbs has looked to stay at the wicket with seven from 36 balls.

They need another 44 runs for victory and it should be all over before the lunch break unless Australia's bowlers can create some some doubts with a wicket or two.

Cummins has provided Australia the much-needed breakthrough with the wicket of South African skipper Temba Bavuma. Australia need a couple more in the first session to stay in the game. 

South Africa need 49 runs more to script a historic win. 

Aiden Markram (115) and Tristan Stubbs (5) are at the crease. 

Cummins continues.. Three dot balls later, Stubbs tucks a rising delivery towards deep square leg and picks up a brace. Two more dots to end the over. 

Hazlewood operates from the other end, looking for his first wicket of the innings. 

Starts with a length delivery on middle stump and Markram punches it straight to the mid-wicket fielder. Three more dot balls follow. 

A maiden over as South Africa seemingly are in no hurry. 

Cummins continues. Stubbs knocks the good length delivery straight back to the bowler. No run. After three more dots, the batter looks to clip a good length delivery on leg, but the ball hits the pads and rolls towards square leg. Leg byes. Australia have reviewed it, but the on-field decision stays as the ball missies the leg-stump. Review lost.

Four! Second boundary of the day and the first off Stubbs' willow. Shortish delivery on off-stump, Stubbs pulls it over mid-wicket for four runs. 

Five runs off the over. 

Nathan Lyon comes into the attack. Five dot balls later, Stubbs goes deep and guides the length delivery towards square leg for a single. South Africa need 49 more. 

Star returns. Stubbs is one strike. Starts with a shortish delivery and Stubbs tries to cut it but misses. 

A gully is in place. A length delivery follows, and Stubbs comfortably knocks it the point fielder. Starc sends in three full deliveries but Stubbs defends them without any fuss. 

South Africa need 65 for victory but Australia have a small opening. Markram steers Hazlewood past point for a single before new batter Tristan Stubbs is struck on the pads by the incoming delivery but it is clearly going down before he blocks the rest of the over with caution.

Cummins nearly produces another wicket as Markram looks for the big cover drive but is beaten on the outside edge.

However, he smashes the next perfectly in the gap through the covers for a boundary.

Hazlewood continues as Stubbs guides the second ball to thirdman for a single to get off the mark.

Markram clips the fourth ball off his pads for one before Stubbs gets forward to solidly defend the full delivery into the covers and taps the last ball to midwicket for one.

Josh Hazlewood from the other end. The first ball is back of length as it swings away to beat Bavuma on the outside edge.

He leaves the next two balls as Hazlewood plugs in the channel outside the off-stump followed by a confident block.

He keeps out the next two balls to end a good first over from Hazlewood.

In the next over, Markram is beaten as he tries to cut Cummins with the ball staying low as it swings into the right-hander.

Markram hits the length ball straight back past the fielder at mid-off for three runs to get three runs.

Cummins strikes the early blow as he gets Bavuma caught behind for 66. He gets some good side ways movement as the right-hander pushing forward gets the edge and is taken by wicketkeeper Carey.

Bavuma walks back after a solid knock of 66, having put on 147 runs for the third wicket with Markram.

Aiden Markram and Temba Bavuma walk out to kick off action on Day 4 as South Africa sit on the cusp on history.

Australia will need quick wickets in the first few overs to get themselves back in the contest.

'The game will be lost in the first five overs,' says Matthew Hayden on commentary.

Captain Pat Cummins will open the bowling for Australia on Day 4. His opposite number Bavuma defends the first ball with a straight bat and blocks the next.

Bavuma pushes the fourth ball into the covers and hobbles across for a single. He has opted to continue batting despite the hamstring issue.

Markram with a solid block first up offering a straight bat to Cummins and does the same last ball.

Welcome to the coverage of Day 4 of the World Test Championship Final between Australia and South Africa at Lord's on Friday.

Having dominated the third day's play, South Africa are just 69 runs short of their historic first ever World title.

Following decades of falling agonisingly short of success, South African cricket now sits on the cusp of a first major triumph as they look on course to win the World Test Championship Final.

South Africa were sitting pretty on 213/2 at close on Day 3 thanks to a superb unbeaten hundred from opener Aiden Markram after Australia had earlier set a target of 282 runs for victory.

Markram, alongside captain Temba Bavuma (65 not out), put on an unbroken stand of 143 for the third wicket which broke the back of what would be the joint second-highest successful run chase at the Home of Cricket.

At 70 for two, the game was evenly poised, but the exploits of Markram and Bavuma slowly swung the pendulum in the Proteas' favour.

However, Australia won't give up hope as they will be aware that past South African teams have been labelled 'chokers' for consistently coming up short when victory is in sight at major tournaments.

South African cricket's reputation comes from a long list of near-misses in World Cup semi-finals, including falling foul to a now-discredited rain rule or coming off second best even when the match ended up tied.

Last year they reached their first major final at the Twenty20 World Cup in Barbados, but with only 26 runs needed off the last four overs, fell seven runs short as India snatched an unlikely victory.