Set 282 to win, 70 more than had been scored in any of the first three innings at Lord’s, Markram and captain Temba Bavuma put on 147 to break the back of the chase.
Bavuma fell early on Saturday morning for 66 and, though Markram was dismissed six runs short of the victory target, his 136 was the crucial innings and allowed David Bedingham and Kyle Verreynne to finish the job.
It ends a series of agonising near misses for the five-time World Cup semi-finalists and 2024 T20 World Cup runners-up and marks the Proteas’ first global trophy since 1998, when they won the Wills International Cup – the precursor to the Champions Trophy – and the Commonwealth Games.
Markram told 5 Live Sports Extra: “It’s been a very long time coming, got close in the past couple of years and not been able to get over the line.
“The first one was always going to be the toughest one, the group of guys have been playing some really good cricket but it never really feels worth it until you win something.
“Because of us getting over the line today, a lot of emotions are coming out of some of the boys and they’re just really proud of what they’ve achieved.”
Bavuma had battled through a hamstring injury on Friday evening as he and Markram piled on the runs.
He lasted only three overs of the fourth morning before a tame edge off rival captain Pat Cummins was taken by wicketkeeper Alex Carey.
Tristan Stubbs dug in, contributing eight to a stand of 24 with Markram lasting nearly an hour before he was bowled by Mitchell Starc.
Bedingham settled South Africa’s nerves in partnership with Markram as the pair put on 35 in 10 patient overs.
Markram’s brilliant innings finally came to an end when he whipped Josh Hazlewood into the leg side but was superbly taken low to his right by Travis Head.
The fielder’s lack of celebration suggested that the game was up and – though there was a final moment of drama when Verreynne gloved Starc through to Carey but was given not out, with Australia’s reviews spent – the winning run came two balls later.
South Africa’s past failures at the business end of major tournaments, some of them farcical in nature, have seen the team labelled “chokers” and Bavuma was happy to lay the ghost to rest.
He told 5 Live Sports Extra: “While I was batting I heard some of the Aussies use that word, the ‘choke’ word.
“You see the elation of past greats, guys like Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers, they had that opportunity and with the greats they had, they weren’t able to do something like this.
“So we know what we just did is not only for us, it’s also for them. We’ve been etched in history, we’re part of something that’s never been done.
“It’s special in a lot of ways. For South Africa, there’s an opportunity for us to be united. We’ve got a cause in front of us where we can put aside our differences and live in this joyful moment as a nation.”
