Nobody who watched the Proteas beat England at Lord’s back in 2012 will ever forget it.
It was a battle of the heavyweights. A team operating at the peak of its considerable powers aiming to dethrone the current World Test champions.
After both teams landed heavy blows it came to an epic conclusion which left the Proteas standing as the No 1 Test side in the world with their masterful captain Graeme Smith holding aloft the coveted golden ICC mace in his hands on the hallowed Lord’s balcony.
It was a seminal moment within the history of South African cricket.
But now after a 12-year long wait, the Proteas have done it again. Temba Bavuma’s team will be returning to Lord’s next year to follow in Smith and his merry men’s footsteps after qualifying for a first-ever World Test Championship final.
It’s been a hazardous journey with various pot-holes along the way, but each time they’ve shown resilience, which is “the South African way” according to Smith, and none more so than on Sunday afternoon after the Proteas slumped to 99/8 in pursuit of 148 for victory in the first Test against Pakistan.
But ultimately they got the job done with tailenders Kagiso Rabada and Marco Jansen combining for a scintillating unbroken 51-run partnership to edge their team over the line.
“I was on the edge of my seat!” Smith exclusively told Independent Media Sport. “Watching us bat is always a bit hair-raising, but I can tell you that I lived every one of those last runs with Marco and KG.
“But when they got there, I was over the moon! I downed a big Castle Lite afterwards! I’ll see them at Lord’s for sure.”
The genuine sense of excitement within Smith’s voice is tangible. And why would it not be? This is a man that has carried the weight of South African cricket on his admittedly broad shoulders since the tender age of 23.
Firstly, as Proteas captain for the best part of 11 years, followed by a stint as Cricket SA Director of Cricket, and now the Commissioner of SA20 - the golden goose that serves as the financial lifeblood of South African cricket.
There are few people that want the Proteas to shine on the global stage more than “Biff”.
And he certainly feels that a return to Lord’s - the spiritual home of the game - will go a long way to restoring the Proteas’ credibility in the world game, especially after the national Men’s and Women’s teams have reached a first-ever T20 World Cup finals over the past 12 months.
“I feel there’s some real spirit being built back into the game with people starting to get behind our team again,” Smith said.
“There’s also the ICC Champions Trophy before the WTC Final, two big opportunities for this team to go and win two trophies.
“I mean the opportunities that lie ahead for these guys. It’s amazing. I am certainly excited about the next six months of cricket with SA20 coming up, which is always a great time of the year, and then the Champions Trophy and World Test Championship. There is so much to look forward to.”
Smith’s personal record at Lord’s is also unmatched. After a spectacular maiden appearance where he struck a marvelous 259, his name was engraved again on the famed Honours Board five years later after scoring another century.
Equally, his captaincy record at the St John’s Wood citadel is exemplary with the Proteas having won two out of three Tests and drawn the other under his leadership.
What words of advice does Smith have for Temba and his boys to cope with all the outside noise of a WTC Final at Lord’s?
“Going to Lord’s is incredibly special,” he said. “I think the thing to do is to just talk openly and honest about it and to talk about the experience.
“Get some things out of the way in the build-up. Take the photos you need to take and sort out all the tickets. Walk around and get the experiences. Take it all in but when you arrive on game day, you know you're ready to then compete.
“I think you know for us, Lord’s has always kind of generally got the best out of our teams. We loved playing there, certainly against England. We've had some unbelievable Test victories.
“I think it's a place that certainly can bring the best out of you. Take in the atmosphere, take in the traditions and get yourself mentally ready to walk out because there's no better platform in front of a stadium like that at Lord’s.”