 "1999 World Cup semifinal Australia vs South Africa")
It's nearly deja vu for South Africa and Australia in the 2023 ODI World Cup semi-final at Eden Gardens in Kolkata as the Proteas set a target of 213 for Australia to chase down. Before this match, the talk of the town was the previous semi-final between the two teams in an ODI World Cup, which took place 24 years ago in 1999, where 213 was the deadly score as well. Both the teams could only reach that much in their innings.
Check South Africa vs Australia semifinal full scorecard 2023 World Cup
Check South Africa vs Australia semifinal full scorecard 2023 World Cup
How Did South Africa Help Australia Reach the Semi-final in 1999?
Before this semi-final match in 1999, the two teams met in the last match of the Super Six, where Australia was set a target of 272 to win. Herschelle Gibbs, who had hit a century earlier, dropped Australian captain Steve Waugh at 56. Waugh went on to score 120 and win the match. Had Australia lost, they would have been knocked out of the tournament and never reached the semi-finals.
As fate would have it, due to a better net run rate, the Aussies were placed above the Proteas in the Super Six points table after that game, which played a huge role in the semi-final.
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Alan Donald’s Venomous Spell
The semi-final match started with South African skipper Hansie Cronje winning the toss and opting to field first. The Proteas made the most of the conditions as Allan Donald produced a nasty spell of fast bowling, trapping Ricky Ponting and Darren Lehmann. Donald also got Damien Fleming and Paul Reiffel out. Shaun Pollock picked up a five-for, but Donald did the damage.
The Rescue Work by Bevan and Waugh
After the first four wickets fell, the ever-reliable Michael Bevan and captain Steve Waugh did the rescue work. They both hit the fifties and took the Aussies past the 200-run mark. Australia finished at 213 all out.
Shane Warne ‘Turned’ the Game on Its Head
The Proteas started well in their chase, reaching 48 without any loss. However, Shane Warne turned the tables, getting three quick wickets, including those of Gibbs, Cronje, and Gary Kirsten. Daryll Cullinan's run-out meant that the Proteas were four down for 61. The Cronje dismissal was a mistake by the umpire as replays showed he didn’t edge the ball.
Kallis-Rhodes Comeback
Jacques Kallis and Jonty Rhodes then added 84 for the fifth wicket and brought the Proteas back into the game. Rhodes got out for 43, and Kallis hit a fifty before becoming Warne’s fourth victim.
Killer Instincts of Klusener
Lance Klusener showed killer instincts, scoring 31 off just 16 balls. He worked with tailenders Elworthy and Donald to take South Africa to a point where losing seemed an unlikely possibility. After Klusener hit Fleming for back-to-back fours off the first two balls when the Proteas needed 9 to win from the last over with one wicket in hand, it seemed a mere formality to get the single and enter the final.
The Heart-breaking Run-out
However, the Australians did not give up and built pressure. Klusener denied a single call from Donald on the third ball. Then Donald remained ball-watching as Klusener touched the fourth one and ran instantly, only turning back to see Australia celebrate as the match was tied. Australia advanced to the final courtesy of a better net run rate at the end of the Super Six.
From where South Africa could have eliminated Australia from entering the semis to getting knocked out by the same Aussies, and that too because of the net run rate, was a pure heart-break for the Proteas.
Cricket World Cup 1999 semifinal Australia vs South Africa full scorecard
Cricket World Cup 1999 semifinal Australia vs South Africa full scorecard
| Australia (50 ovs maximum) | |||||||
| BATTING | Dismissals | R | B | M | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Adam Gilchrist | c Donald b Kallis | 20 | 39 | 70 | 1 | 1 | 51.28 |
| Mark Waugh | c †Boucher b Pollock | 0 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ricky Ponting | c Kirsten b Donald | 37 | 48 | 49 | 3 | 1 | 77.08 |
| Darren Lehmann | c †Boucher b Donald | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 25 |
| Steve Waugh (c) | c †Boucher b Pollock | 56 | 76 | 108 | 6 | 1 | 73.68 |
| Michael Bevan | c †Boucher b Pollock | 65 | 101 | 151 | 6 | 0 | 64.35 |
| Tom Moody | lbw b Pollock | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shane Warne | c Cronje b Pollock | 18 | 24 | 36 | 1 | 0 | 75 |
| Paul Reiffel | b Donald | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Damien Fleming | b Donald | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Glenn McGrath | not out | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Extras | (b 1, lb 6, nb 6, w 3) | 16 | |||||
| TOTAL | 49.2 Ov (RR: 4.31) | 213 | |||||
| BOWLING | O | M | R | W | ECON | WD | NB |
| Shaun Pollock | 9.2 | 1 | 36 | 5 | 3.85 | 0 | 0 |
| Steve Elworthy | 10 | 0 | 59 | 0 | 5.9 | 1 | 2 |
| Jacques Kallis | 10 | 2 | 27 | 1 | 2.7 | 1 | 1 |
| Allan Donald | 10 | 1 | 32 | 4 | 3.2 | 1 | 0 |
| Lance Klusener | 9 | 1 | 50 | 0 | 5.55 | 0 | 3 |
| Hansie Cronje | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| South Africa (T: 214 runs from 50 ovs) | |||||||
| BATTING | Dismissals | R | B | M | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Gary Kirsten | b Warne | 18 | 42 | 59 | 1 | 0 | 42.85 |
| Herschelle Gibbs | b Warne | 30 | 36 | 51 | 6 | 0 | 83.33 |
| Daryll Cullinan | run out (Bevan) | 6 | 30 | 39 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Hansie Cronje (c) | c ME Waugh b Warne | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jacques Kallis | c SR Waugh b Warne | 53 | 92 | 119 | 3 | 0 | 57.6 |
| Jonty Rhodes | c Bevan b Reiffel | 43 | 55 | 70 | 2 | 1 | 78.18 |
| Shaun Pollock | b Fleming | 20 | 14 | 27 | 1 | 1 | 142.85 |
| Lance Klusener | not out | 31 | 16 | 32 | 4 | 1 | 193.75 |
| Mark Boucher | b McGrath | 5 | 10 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 50 |
| Steve Elworthy | run out (Reiffel/McGrath) | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| Allan Donald | run out (ME Waugh/Fleming/†Gilchrist) | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 | - |
| Extras | (lb 1, w 5) | 6 | |||||
| TOTAL | 49.4 Ov (RR: 4.28) | 213 | |||||
| BOWLING | O | M | R | W | ECON | WD | NB |
| Glenn McGrath | 10 | 0 | 51 | 1 | 5.1 | 1 | 0 |
| Damien Fleming | 8.4 | 1 | 40 | 1 | 4.61 | 3 | 0 |
| Paul Reiffel | 8 | 0 | 28 | 1 | 3.5 | 0 | 0 |
| Shane Warne | 10 | 4 | 29 | 4 | 2.9 | 1 | 0 |
| Mark Waugh | 8 | 0 | 37 | 0 | 4.62 | 0 | 0 |
| Tom Moody | 5 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 5.4 | 0 | 0 |
