OTD 1999: Australia and South Africa play the epic World Cup semi-final
There was so much drama and several jaw-dropping moments in the World Cup semi-final that took place between Australia and South Africa on 17th June 1999. At the end of the match, there was nothing to separate the two sides, as the encounter ended in a tie. But then, Australia advanced to the final of the tournament as they had finished at a better position at the Super Six Stage as compared to South Africa.
The thriller
South Africa won the toss and decided to field first. And, after a top-order collapse that saw the kangaroos reeling at 68/4, skipper Steve Waugh and the ever-reliable Michael Bevan resurrected the fortunes of the Australian side. While Waugh scored 56 off 76 deliveries, Bevan helped himself to a cautious 101-ball 65. And, it was the 90-run partnership between these two men that propelled Australia to a total of 213 in their first innings.
For South Africa, legendary pacer Shaun Pollock was the pick of the bowlers. The right-arm seamer scalped 5 wickets in the 9.2 overs that he bowled, giving away 36 runs. South Africa got off to a good start, as Gary Kirsten and Herschelle Gibbs put on a 48-run stand for the opening wicket.
But then, the Proteas lost a flurry of wickets and were reduced to 61/4. And, it was a middle-order rescue act that kept South Africa in the hunt. The great Jacques Kallis and Jonty Rhodes were involved in an 84-run stand to keep Australia on the backfoot. And, after the departure of Rhodes, Lance Klusener played some dazzling shots to put pressure on the Aussies.
The last over
The equation boiled down to 9 runs needed off the last over, and South Africa had just one wicket in hand. Klusener smashed the first two deliveries of the 50th over for a boundary, and the scores were levelled. But then, Allan Donald was run out off the 4th ball of the 50th over, with South Africa still one run shy of victory. And, that meant that the match had ended in a tie.
For Australia, spin bowling magician Shane Warne was the star performer with the ball. Warne scalped 4 wickets in his quota of 10 overs and gave away just 29 runs. And, the Steve Waugh led Australian side qualified for the final.
Even more than two decades after this epic encounter, the memories of this pulsating and spine-tingling match are still fresh in the memories of the fans even today.
