Most Fifties in ICC World Test Championship Final
Half-centuries have often played an important role in ICC World Test Championship finals, especially in matches where seam-friendly conditions made long innings difficult. Across the finals in 2021, 2023 and 2025, several batters produced important fifties, but no player has scored more than one half-century in WTC final history.
Kane Williamson and Devon Conway registered the only fifties in the inaugural final, while Ajinkya Rahane, Shardul Thakur and Alex Carey reached the landmark in the 2023 final. The 2025 final added four more names: Beau Webster, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc and Temba Bavuma.
Because all nine players are tied with one fifty, the leaderboard below uses total runs in WTC finals as the secondary ordering method. Centuries are listed in a player's highest-score and run totals but are not counted as half-centuries.
Most Fifties in ICC World Test Championship Final
| Rank | Batsman | Team | Finals | Innings | Fifties | Runs | Highest Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Steve Smith | Australia | 2 | 4 | 1 | 234 | 121 |
| 2 | Ajinkya Rahane | India | 2 | 4 | 1 | 199 | 89 |
| 3 | Alex Carey | Australia | 2 | 4 | 1 | 180 | 66* |
| 4 | Mitchell Starc | Australia | 2 | 4 | 1 | 105 | 58* |
| 5 | Temba Bavuma | South Africa | 1 | 2 | 1 | 102 | 66 |
| 6 | Kane Williamson | New Zealand | 1 | 2 | 1 | 101 | 52* |
| 7 | Beau Webster | Australia | 1 | 2 | 1 | 81 | 72 |
| 8 | Devon Conway | New Zealand | 1 | 2 | 1 | 73 | 54 |
| 9 | Shardul Thakur | India | 1 | 2 | 1 | 51 | 51 |
Steve Smith tops this tied group on total WTC final runs. He scored 121 and 34 against India in 2023 before making 66 and 13 against South Africa in 2025, giving him 234 runs from four innings.
Rahane's combined record comes from scores of 49 and 15 in the 2021 final and 89 and 46 in 2023. Carey accumulated 114 runs in the 2023 final and another 66 across his two innings in 2025.
Top 5 Batters With Most Fifties in WTC Finals
1. Steve Smith – Australia
Steve Smith has one fifty in WTC finals, but his overall record puts him first among the players tied on that mark. He scored a century against India in 2023 and followed it with 66 against South Africa at Lord's in 2025. His four WTC final innings have produced 234 runs.
2. Ajinkya Rahane – India
Ajinkya Rahane played in India's first two WTC finals. After narrowly missing a fifty with 49 against New Zealand in 2021, he scored 89 against Australia at The Oval in 2023, India's highest individual score in that final. He added 46 in the second innings to finish with 199 career WTC final runs.
3. Alex Carey – Australia
Alex Carey registered his WTC final fifty against India in 2023, scoring an unbeaten 66 in Australia's second innings. He had earlier made 48 in the first innings. Carey later scored 23 and 43 against South Africa in the 2025 final, taking his overall WTC final tally to 180 runs.
4. Mitchell Starc – Australia
Mitchell Starc's most important WTC final contribution with the bat came at Lord's in 2025. After Australia collapsed in their second innings, Starc made an unbeaten 58 from 136 balls, helping his team recover from 73/7 to 207. He has 105 runs across his four WTC final innings.
5. Temba Bavuma – South Africa
Temba Bavuma made 66 in South Africa's successful fourth-innings chase against Australia in the 2025 final. He shared a decisive partnership with Aiden Markram as South Africa chased 282 to win their first WTC title. Bavuma finished the final with 102 runs across his two innings.
Notable Fifties in WTC Finals
There have been nine individual half-centuries across the first three WTC finals. The table below lists every score between 50 and 99.
| Score | Batsman | Team | Final | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 89 | Ajinkya Rahane | India | 2023 | The Oval, London |
| 72 | Beau Webster | Australia | 2025 | Lord's, London |
| 66* | Alex Carey | Australia | 2023 | The Oval, London |
| 66 | Steve Smith | Australia | 2025 | Lord's, London |
| 66 | Temba Bavuma | South Africa | 2025 | Lord's, London |
| 58* | Mitchell Starc | Australia | 2025 | Lord's, London |
| 54 | Devon Conway | New Zealand | 2021 | Rose Bowl, Southampton |
| 52* | Kane Williamson | New Zealand | 2021 | Rose Bowl, Southampton |
| 51 | Shardul Thakur | India | 2023 | The Oval, London |
The 2021 final produced two fifties, with Conway making 54 in New Zealand's first innings and Williamson finishing unbeaten on 52 in the successful chase.
The 2023 final produced three scores in the 50–99 range: Rahane's 89, Thakur's 51 and Carey's unbeaten 66. Travis Head's 163 and Steve Smith's 121 were centuries and therefore do not count as fifties.
In 2025, Webster scored 72 and Smith 66 in Australia's first innings. Starc later made 58* before Bavuma's 66 helped South Africa complete their title-winning chase.
Records and Highlights
No Batter Has More Than One WTC Final Fifty
After three completed WTC finals, the record for most half-centuries is still one. Nine different batters share the record.
This unusual statistic partly reflects the small number of finals played so far and the fact that several batters who passed fifty converted their innings into centuries instead.
Steve Smith Has the Most Runs Among the Fifty-Makers
Smith leads the group with 234 runs across four innings in two WTC finals. His scores are 121, 34, 66 and 13.
His 121 in the 2023 final does not count toward his half-century total because it is recorded separately as a century.
Ajinkya Rahane Has India's Highest WTC Final Fifty
Rahane's 89 against Australia in 2023 is the highest score by a batter that finished between 50 and 99 in a WTC final.
He was India's leading scorer in the first innings and helped his side recover after slipping to 71/4.
Four Fifties Were Scored in the 2025 Final
The South Africa-Australia final at Lord's produced four half-centuries:
- Beau Webster – 72
- Steve Smith – 66
- Mitchell Starc – 58*
- Temba Bavuma – 66
It produced more fifties than either of the previous two WTC finals.
Williamson's Fifty Helped New Zealand Win the First WTC Title
Kane Williamson's unbeaten 52 came in New Zealand's chase of 139 against India in the inaugural final. He and Ross Taylor guided New Zealand to 140/2 and an eight-wicket victory at Southampton.
Bavuma's Fifty Came in a Successful Championship Chase
Bavuma's 66 in 2025 came while South Africa were chasing 282 against Australia. Together with Aiden Markram, who scored 136, he put South Africa in control of the final before they completed a five-wicket victory.
Three Centuries Have Been Scored in WTC Finals
While this list focuses on fifties, three batters have converted their starts into centuries in WTC finals:
| Batsman | Score | Team | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travis Head | 163 | Australia | 2023 |
| Aiden Markram | 136 | South Africa | 2025 |
| Steve Smith | 121 | Australia | 2023 |
Head and Smith's centuries powered Australia to 469 in the 2023 final, while Markram's 136 was the defining batting performance in South Africa's successful 2025 chase.
FAQs
Who has scored the most fifties in WTC final history?
The record is one fifty, shared by nine batters: Steve Smith, Ajinkya Rahane, Alex Carey, Mitchell Starc, Temba Bavuma, Kane Williamson, Beau Webster, Devon Conway and Shardul Thakur.
Who has the most runs among batters with a WTC final fifty?
Steve Smith has 234 runs in four WTC final innings, the most among players who have recorded at least one half-century.
What is the highest fifty in a WTC final?
Ajinkya Rahane's 89 against Australia in the 2023 final is the highest WTC final score that falls in the 50–99 range.
How many fifties have been scored across all WTC finals?
A total of nine half-centuries were scored across the 2021, 2023 and 2025 WTC finals: two in 2021, three in 2023 and four in 2025.
Rivcky John
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