South Africa and Australia clash in the second semi-final of the World Cup in Kolkata on Thursday. We look at five great ODIs between the cricketing powerhouses.
Edgbaston tie (17 June 1999)
The semi-final at the seventh edition of the World Cup went down as one of the most dramatic knockout matches with the game ending in a tie at Birmingham’s Edgbaston ground.
Chasing 214 for victory, South Africa needed one run to win off the final three deliveries, with just one wicket left and Lance Klusener batting on 31.
Klusener attempted to play the fourth ball towards long-on and attempted a single, but a mix-up saw partner Allan Donald run out.
Australian players celebrated as they moved into the final because of a higher Super Six stage finish (on net run rate) and captain Steve Waugh called it “the most exciting match” he ever played.
Waugh special (16 August 2000)
One year later after the Edgbaston tie, Steve Waugh starred in Australia’s convincing win over the Proteas in cricket’s first indoor match played at Melbourne’s Docklands Stadium with a retractable roof.
Invited to bat first, Australia rode on centuries from Michael Bevan (106) and Waugh (114*) to score 295-5.
Fast bowlers Ian Harvey, Shane Lee and spin great Shane Warne combined to bowl out the opposition for 201 and win by 94 runs.
Only 12 ODI matches have been played at the multi-sport Docklands Stadium, which is home to Big Bash League side the Melbourne Renegades.
Gibbs epic (12 March 2006)
The Proteas’ Herschelle Gibbs entered the record books with his 175 off 111 balls in an epic ODI clash with Australia which produced 872 runs in 99.5 overs of intense drama in Johannesburg.
In the fifth and deciding match of the bi-lateral contest, Australia had put up a record total of 434-4 in 50 overs courtesy of captain Ricky Ponting’s 105-ball 164.
South Africa were one down when Gibbs came out to put on 187 runs with captain Graeme Smith, who made 90.
Gibbs departed in the 32nd over with the Proteas on 299-4 before Mark Boucher hit an unbeaten 50 and steered the team to victory with one ball to spare.
Aussies rule (25 April 2007)
The South Africans failed to shrug off their “chokers” tag at Gros Islet, St Lucia in the West Indies when they went down to Australia tamely in a World Cup semi-final.
The Graeme Smith-led South African team had played good cricket and beat hosts West Indies and England en route to the semis.
The Proteas batted first only to be bowled out for 149 as Australian pace duo of Glenn McGrath and Shaun Tait wreaked havoc with seven wickets between them.
McGrath was named Match of the Match for his figures of 3-18 before Matthew Hayden (41) and Michael Clarke (60*) scored the bulk of the runs with seven wickets and 111 balls to spare.
PREVIEW: Proteas hope for fifth time lucky
Chase-master Miller (5 October 2016)
David Miller’s unbeaten 118 trumped an Australian team with two centuries in their innings from David Warner and Steve Smith as South Africa chased down a victory target of 372 with four balls to spare.
Left-handed middle-order batsman Miller put on an unbeaten stand of 107 with Andile Phehlukwayo to punish the Australian bowlers including Adam Zampa and Mitchell Marsh.
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