How do you judge the quality of a cricket match? Is it based on how evenly the teams are matched? Or, on the thrill the game provides? Maybe the finest matches involve the best players and unforgettable performances. Some might just feature moments that last in your memory for a lifetime.
But no single One Day International in the history of the game holds a candle to the 1999 semi-final between Australia and South Africa, on the list of the greatest matches. Reasons? Plenty.
Rich context
The context for this game did not start in the games preceding the semi-final of the World Cup or even in the year 1999. It was set nearly 7-8 years earlier when South Africa were readmitted into international cricket after a gap of 22 years. They quickly adjusted to the top-flight game and were desperately unlucky to miss out on the World Cup final in 1992 because of a complicated rain rule. However, in the coming years it became quite apparent that South Africa were often unbeatable in group matches but would struggle on the big day. This was in evidence in the tri-series in Australia when they dominated the group phase and won the first final before losing the next two games to the hosts. In the 1996 World Cup, South Africa were by far the best team in the group stage winning all five of their matches before running into an inspired Brian Lara and West Indies in the quarter-final and crashing out.
Australia, on the other hand, had gone through a bit of a lean run in global tournaments since their win in 1987. They were well below par in the 1992 edition and were lucky to get past West Indies in the semi-final in 1996 before losing in the final. Australia somehow seemed to be able to rise to the occasion when it mattered and had crushed South Africa’s hopes more than once. The 1999 tournament seemed to be the perfect setting to test out which team had the greater will to win.
The unique format of 1999 WC
England was hosting the World Cup after a long gap – the last World Cup held in England was in 1983. From the beginning it was clear that the batsmen were not going to have it easy with all the swing and movement available for the bowlers. Australia had a mixed run in the beginning of the World Cup losing matches against Pakistan and New Zealand. Despite their wins against other teams Australia never quite looked like a threat till the Super Six stage began.
South Africa won all their matches in the group, before an upset loss against Zimbabwe in their final group game. The format was designed such that team A would carry points into the Super Six stage if the other teams that qualified had lost to team A earlier. South Africa, who had beaten India and lost to Zimbabwe, carried 2 points into the next stage while Australia started with no points given they had lost to both Pakistan and New Zealand. They had no option but to win every game they played from that point on.
After two comfortable wins, both Australia and South Africa faced off in the final Super Six game in Headingley.
The pre-cursor to the final
South Africa started firm favourites in this clash and quickly went about dominating the Australian attack with Herschelle Gibbs making a terrific century. Australia were set a stiff target of 272 to qualify for the semi-finals. A collapse at the top left Australia reeling at 48/3. Steve Waugh, the Australian captain, knew it was time to produce something special. He did just that by scoring a magnificent, unbeaten 120 taking Australia to a five-wicket win and ensuring their qualification. He had a massive dose of luck though; Gibbs grabbed a sharp catch at mid-wicket but dropped the ball while trying to throw it up in celebration even before he had control of the ball. It is rumoured that Waugh suggested to Gibbs that he might have just ‘dropped’ the World Cup.
The semi-final line-up was ready then. New Zealand played Pakistan in the first of the two clashes and were crushed by the mercurial Pakistan side.
The match that lived up to the billing
The second semi-final at Edgbaston pitted Australia against South Africa again. The mouthwatering clash began at a frenetic pace with Mark Waugh falling early before Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting launched a counterattack. Allan Donald removed Ponting as soon as he was introduced into the attack. In the same over, Donald snared Darren Lehmann with a fantastic away-going ball that was held by Mark Boucher. In walked Steve Waugh, and soon Australia got the huge wicket of Gilchrist, who was out caught at third man off Jacques Kallis. Australia were precariously placed at 68/4.
Waugh was then joined by Michael Bevan, who was perhaps the world’s best batsman in a crisis. The pair slowly set about repairing the innings and set up a firm platform before Australia were once again rocked by a double blow – this time Waugh and Tom Moody falling in quick succession to Shaun Pollock. Bevan stayed calm and held the innings together but Donald came back to dismiss Paul Reiffel and Damien Fleming with two superb deliveries before Pollock had Bevan caught behind to end the innings at 213.
Was this enough? Conventional wisdom suggested perhaps not. But this was a big game. It was South Africa chasing and Australia defending. How could anyone predict what was going to happen?
Gibbs chose this occasion to try and redeem himself for that dropped catch. With some sublime timing and placement, Gibbs quickly moved South Africa towards their target. At the beginning of the 13th over, to be bowled by Shane Warne, South Africa were 48/0 and looking increasingly comfortable.
Warne magic
Warne, who had endured a rough run through the tournament, was struggling with a shoulder injury for more than a year. He had been dropped for the only time in his career in the series in the West Indies prior to the World Cup. He had been South Africa’s nemesis for years in Tests and this was the perfect opportunity for him to end the concern about his form and fitness.
The second ball Warne delivered was one for the ages; Gibbs lunged forward lazily to defend the seemingly harmless leg break that was drifting towards leg stump. At that very instant, he found out what Mike Gatting had in 1993 at Old Trafford. The ball ripped past the bat viciously and clattered into the stumps. Gibbs was stunned. The crowd went wild. Warne was pumped. More importantly, Australia knew they had a chance and no team was more dangerous than them when they had a sniff.
In the next over, the great leg spinner spun a web around the South African top order, bowling Gary Kirsten, and having the captain, Hansie Cronje caught at slip. Cronje, however, was a tad unlucky since the ball seemed to have come off his shoe. Australia were now rampant and had even more reason to cheer when Bevan ran Daryll Cullinan out with a direct hit to leave South Africa at 61/4.
Given the eerie similarity to the Australian innings at this stage, it did seem like a crucial partnership was round the corner. Together with Kallis, Jonty Rhodes turned the contest on its head with an 84-run partnership. South Africa needed 69 from 58 balls when Rhodes holed out to Bevan at deep square leg while trying to pull Reiffel. In came Pollock, who had picked up five wickets earlier.
Pollock smashed Warne for a four and a huge six to dent his otherwise exceptional figures but the bowler had the final say when he snapped up the vital wicket of Kallis to leave South Africa at 175/6 requiring 39 off 31 balls.
In comes Lance Klusener
South Africa’s hopes now rested completely on Lance Klusener, who had impressed with bat and ball throughout the tournament. The wicket of Pollock did not faze the powerful left hander as he went about picking off the runs with some aggressive hitting. McGrath had the massive responsibility of bowling the crucial penultimate over. He took Australia to the doorstep of victory when he bowled Boucher with a full delivery and then rather luckily deflected a sharp throw from the deep onto the stumps to run out Steve Elworthy.
South Africa now needed 16 off 8 balls and the pendulum had swung in favour of Australia. What happened next completely altered the mood of the contest. A full toss by McGrath was cracked straight down the ground by Klusener in the direction of Reiffel who misjudged the ball and let it carry over the ropes for six. South Africa had hope. Klusener had the confidence. Off the very next ball, he took the all-important single.
Nine off one over. One wicket in hand. Klusener to face. Fleming to bowl.
If one thought that the game had had enough excitement already, the next few deliveries would leave spectators and viewers dumbstruck and captivated for the rest of their lives. Fleming did not want to give Klusener room to bring his heavy bat down. So he decided to go around the wicket and cramp the left hander. Not that this mattered. Klusener bludgeoned the first ball for four through the covers and then pulverized the second ball between long off and deep cover giving the fleet-footed Mark Waugh no chance whatsoever at the boundary.
Mike Procter, the great South African all-rounder, who was on commentary, went berserk. He exclaimed “What kind of shot is that? First two deliveries of this over have gone bang, bang, four, four. Take that, scores are level”. The ever optimistic Bill Lawry responded with “If Klusener gets out, Australia will go through”. Yes, he was right. By virtue of their win in the final game of the Super Six stage, Australia had the advantage in the event of a tie. But then, who was even thinking that could happen? Klusener had hit two perfectly acceptable deliveries for four. Now all he needed was a single and had four balls to get that.
The brain-freeze
Fleming switched to over the wicket after the previous strategy had failed. Waugh brought every fielder into the circle. Fleming bowled a short ball which Klusener could not capitalize on. His mishit was picked up by Lehmann at mid on who flicked an underarm throw at the stumps at the non striker’s end where Donald had backed up too far. The throw missed by a whisker.
Australia were devastated. South Africa gasped for air but came up alive again. Was luck finally going to be on their side? Three balls and one run. Fleming delivered an excellent yorker outside off stump. All Klusener could do was awkwardly push the ball down the ground just past the bowler and set off for a single. Was the risk worth it? Did he really have to run?
Donald, who had survived a run-out scare the previous ball, stood, rooted to the crease as the ball passed him. Klusener had run past Donald already when Mark Waugh dived to his left and threw the ball to the bowler. Fleming relayed the ball along the ground to Gilchrist, who gleefully uprooted the stumps and with that, South Africa’s hopes. People watching could not believe their eyes.
Nobody could have imagined the way the game ended. Many blamed Donald while some felt it was Klusener who panicked. Maybe Klusener would have found it easier if South Africa required four and not one.
The jinx
The impact of the result was felt long after the tournament. To this day, South Africa have never quite been able to get past the semi-final stage of the World Cup while Australia have gone on to win four of the last five World Cups including the 1999 tournament which they won by trouncing Pakistan in the final at Lord’s.
There have been many close matches in ODIs before and after this game. But the unmatched context and sense of occasion, the evenly-balanced contest between bat and ball, sheer drama, pivotal performances, innumerable fluctuating periods of dominance for both teams, and finally, the greatest last-over finish, elevate this game beyond the reach of all other classics.