OPINION: In a Test of inches, young minds can find miles of motivation

BY ALL accounts, the World Test Championship final at Lord’s has, thus far, been a bruising affair – not just for the players, but for any fan hoping for a breather between collapses. 

It reminds me of the intensity of our street cricket matches when I was much younger, where a pine plank was a bat, and a huge trash can was the wicket, giving bowlers a massive advantage!

Anyway, back to Lord’s, where it’s been raw, thrilling, and full of nervous moments. In fact, there hasn’t been any respite for nail nibblers. 

After two days of ferocious exchanges and at the time of writing, 28 wickets have fallen. Australia are ahead, but only just. Their lead of 218 runs may look steep on paper, yet this is no walkover. Every inch has been fought for. Every run has come with risk. This is what Test cricket is at its best — a battle of attrition that rewards not just skill, but spirit.

Yet, beyond the high-stakes match and the bragging rights that will come in its wake, perhaps unexpectedly, this game has offered a powerful metaphor for something much bigger than cricket.

Something young South Africans – especially those from communities with limited access to opportunity – can hold on to. Because this match, despite its elite setting, is built on the kind of virtues the youth should notice, learn and embrace. Those virtues are grit, patience, adaptability, and determination in the face of pressure.

No superheroes, but plenty of fight

Too often, young people from underserved communities are told to look for “heroes” on the field – players who look like them, sound like them, come from where they come from. And yes, representation matters deeply. But the sad reality is that for most of the youth, elite sport, the big game, and the world it reflects, isn’t theirs to aspire to.

Sounds pretty dark, doesn’t it?

But if the youth, and those who feel disconnected from the glamour, look deep enough, there will be lessons to learn. Lessons are everywhere, I mean, think about it, Isaac Newton learned a lesson from a falling fruit.

So, with that in mind, this Test match offers a different kind of story. One where neither team – not underdogs South Africa, nor favourites Australia – has looked invincible. Not a single player has bossed this match from start to finish. 

What we’ve seen is struggle: batters making 30s and 40s, not hundreds. We have witnessed bowlers being patient, working hard, and pushing themselves for breakthroughs. We’ve seen players failing, adjusting, coming back for more and sticking it out.

Resilience has been the standout performer. Pat Cummins grinding through 18 overs and hitting 300 Test wickets not with swagger, but with stamina. David Bedingham top-scoring for South Africa with 45 gritty runs, not fireworks — but guts and graft. 

We also saw Lungi Ngidi, who was called to the team at the 11th hour, and written off after a flat first innings, roaring back with a momentum-turning burst.

These aren’t superhero feats. These are human ones.

Belief without guarantees

This Test is also a masterclass in graft without guarantees. The Proteas are behind, but not broken. Australia are ahead, but not secure. 

Both teams are navigating a pitch that punishes hesitation and rewards commitment — a lesson Bedingham summed up perfectly: “The main thing is just to 100 percent commit ... As soon as you get caught in two minds ... you get found out.”

So here’s the question: How many young people in our communities live in those “two minds” every day – doubting their place, their worth, their next move? 

The lesson from Lord’s seems to be yelling: “Back yourself. Not because success is certain, but because effort without belief will never be enough.”

The worst feeling imaginable for a sports person is to be on the bus back home, after a disappointing outing on the field of play and for them to realise they never gave 100 percent, never gave their best, they held something back in the tank, that “something” that could have, maybe, made the crucial difference.

A test worth passing

In the end, I guess it’s easy to look at cricket, especially a Test cricket match like the one happening in London, and see only its privilege – the blazers, the broadcasters, the adoring fans in the stands. 

But beneath all that, it's still a contest of will. And as much as these elite players, dare we say this “privileged” lot, have a will, so does everyone else; you – every single young person – included.

And so in this match, whether you’re a cricket fan, a Proteas fan or an Aussie fan, young people can see that willpower can punch above its weight. That you don’t need to be the biggest or most celebrated player to make an impact. That struggle is not failure – it’s just the work you do before the breakthrough comes.

Don’t be caught one day thinking, “I should have applied myself more!” Today is all you have; seize it!

The Proteas may or may not win this final. But for those watching with quiet dreams and big questions, the match already offers something valuable: proof that you can scrap your way into relevance – one decision, one commitment, one play, one bounce-back at a time.

Not competing in the game of life is not an option!