The first tie in World Cup history, this match has become legendary along with the tied Tests of 1960 and 1987.
Australia were 4-68 in this fluctuating semi-final but were rescued by skipper Steve Waugh (56) and Michael Bevan (65) who added 90 runs. Proteas fast bowlers Shaun Pollock (5-36) and Allan Donald (4-32) were magnificently incisive and Australia totalled 213 off their 50.
South Africa’s reply was a virtual carbon copy of Australia’s. They were 4-61 when Jacques Kallis and Jonty Rhodes added 84. Shane Warne swung the match Australia’s way with figures of 4-29.
Then came Lance Klusener on the scene, the Man of the World Cup, to give the match another twist. He hammered 31 runs off 14 balls and took South Africa to the brink of their first final. But his brain short-circuited in the last tense over.
He hit two fours off Damien Fleming to level the score. Now only one run was needed off four balls to win with Klusener on strike and experienced no. 11 bat Donald at the other end.
Knowing that a tie would be sufficient to enter the final because of Australia’s better net run-rate, Steve Waugh reshuffled the field. Klusener drove the ball straight and Donald nearly got run out.
In desperation, Klusener drove the next ball and charged. A dazed Donald, looking the other way, dropped the bat in panic and set off as an afterthought. Alas, too late.
Mark Waugh at gully flicked the ball to Fleming who rolled it to Adam Gilchrist who broke the stumps, and South African hearts.
This tie took Australia to the final where they thrashed Pakistan to lift the WC for the second time.
The other two cliff-hangers in this series are recreated below:
Miracle at Mohali (v. West Indies, Mohali, 1996).
Phew, what a result; a certain defeat converted into an incredible win by Mark Taylor’s gallant Aussies!
Taylor decided to bat on a grassy pitch and soon Australia was 4-15, Taylor, the Waugh twins and Ricky Ponting contributing four runs between them. Rescued by a fifth wicket stand of 138 runs between Stuart Law (72) and Michael Bevan (69), Australia totalled 207.
The Windies started promisingly. Shivnarine Chanderpaul (80) had a 72 run partnership with skipper Richie Richardson. After 41 overs they were 2-165, needing only 43 from nine overs with eight wickets intact.
But once Chanderpaul fell, the momentum and six wickets were lost. In a mesmerising spell, Shane Warne took 3-6. Richardson was on strike when Damien Fleming bowled the final pulsating over. Richardson hit the first ball for a four and just six runs in five balls were needed with two wickets remaining.
Richardson went for a suicidal single and Curtly Ambrose was adjudged run out by the video umpire. Last man Courtney Walsh heaved at his first ball and was bowled and Australia won by five runs. The Windies had snatched defeat from the jaws of victory.
“It was a game we couldn’t possibly win, yet we did, and is definitely the best victory I’ve been involved in one-day cricket,” Mark Waugh said.
A Miracle Named Bichel (v. England, Port Elizabeth, 2003).
Another miracle win was brought about by Australia’s unsung hero Andy Bichel with help from Michael Bevan.
It seemed all over. In reply to England’s 204, Australia was 8-135 and the Barmy Army was on-song. Then, the miracle.
Tail-ender Bichel joined Bevan, perhaps the most versatile limited-overs cricketer ever. Bichel was already a hero after capturing 7-20 off 10 overs on a slow pitch, and he shone as a batsman as well.
The two Bs (Bevan 74, Bichel 34) added 73 precious runs without getting separated. Needing 14 to win in two overs, Bichel swung for a 6 and then a 4 and Australia won by two wickets with two balls to spare.
To quote Wisden 2004, “As Bichel and Bevan ran off delirious, England stood still. [Skipper Nasser] Hussain was on his knees, his head in his hands….How had this happened?”
Australia went on to win the World Cup beating India in the final, Ponting scoring a magnificent 140 off 121 deliveries.
Which of these thrillers are your favourites? Or can you mention the ones which made you chew on your TV remote?
Come on, get in the mood – the 10th cricket World Cup is around the corner.
sheek
Guest
Kersi, "What's wrong with a pitch that spins"? In this politically correct world where the contest should last 5 days (for tests) & full 100 overs for ODIs, in order to maximise revenue, it's the age of batsmen. We can't have spinners dominating for that reason. Okay, enough of my jaundiced cynicism. The best world cup ODI in my memory is the 1999 semi-final between Australia & South Africa, followed by the 1996 semi-final against the West Indies. Two breath-taking, gut-wrenching, energy sapping matches. And that was just us fans in our lounge rooms..........
Kersi Meher-Homji
Expert
Chris, to me Steve Waugh was the best Australian skipper after Richie Benaud. To change the topic. Before the toss was made in the warm-up game between Australia and India on Sunday, Ian Chappell said that it was an excellent pitch which will help both the batsmen and the bowlers -- seamers and spinners. But after the match everyone is blaming the pitch as it spun a lot. What's wrong with a pitch that spins? I did not watch Chawla bowl as I went to bed after mid-night but Krejza spun a lot earlier on. Such a pleasure to see tussel between bat and ball. So captains should stop complaining and batsmen should play their shots at turning balls.
Chris
Guest
I think all of them are amazing, but I still recall sitting in my lounge room in the middle of the night watching the tie in 1999. I had watched all of the Aussie matches in that WC since the first match between Australia and Sth Africa - in that match, with Australia seemingly down and out, I made the terrible decision to go to bed and missed one of the the most incredible one day innings ever - Steve Waugh's hundred after he was dropped by Gibbs. After that decision, I refused to go to bed no matter how the game was going and was distraght as Klusner hit this 2nd consecutive four off Fleming in the final over. An amzing match and I think that win was the start of the dynasty that resulted in Australia winning the WC undefeated in 2003 and 2007. Hopefully the dynasty can continue in 2011. I have heard a lot of criticism of Steve Waugh over the years, but anyone who watched him drag Australia back from the brink of going out of that WC in 1999 (with a lot of help from S.Warne - a master in English conditions) could never doubt his greatness.
formeropenside
Guest
I can never go past Andy Bichel at the 2003 World Cup as the player who won Australia the cup. Wickets against England, after McGrath and Lee got spanked, runs later on, runs against NZ to keep Australia in the match...and a vital run out off his own bowling against SL, as I recall. His heroics were not needed in the final, but in a sense that was only fitting.
Vinay Verma
Roar Guru
Kersi,the tie at Edgbaston remains in my mind as the reason why I believe Warne was greater than Murali. If you recall SAF was 0-48 and cruising with Gibbs and Kirsten untroubled. Warne,if you remember,was recently back from a shoulder and finger operation and had been reluctant to land his big spinning legbreaks. In a recent interview he recalled: " It was now or never and I decided,what the hell,and let it rip." The ball he bowled Gibbs with drifted to leg and Gibbs opened his stance to cover it but it pitched,bit and spun past his horrified eyes to clip the off bail. He heard the hiss long before he felt the sting. He then dismantled the pugnacious Kirsten with an absolute cracker. Reminiscent of the ball he bowled to get rid of Chanderpaul at the SCG. Next over he got rid of the outwardly inscrutable,inwardly scheming bounder,Cronje. In 9 balls he had ripped the heart out of SAF. All three,especially the first two,were balls to rank with the Gatting ball. Again, SAF rebuilt with Kallis and Rhodes and only required 38 to win with 5 wickets and 36 balls in hand. Enter Warne and he fooled Kallis to have him driving at one that turned less than Kallis expected. Without Warne Australia were gone. Warne also bowled four maidens in his spell of 10. One of the great spells in history. Love him or hate him Warne was Mandrake.