Road to the cricket World Cup 2019. Heart-stopping tie. Excerpt from Indra Vikram Singh’s book ‘The Big Book of World Cup Cricket 1975-2011’

AUSTRALIA v SOUTH AFRICA (SEMI-FINAL) 

EDGBASTON, BIRMINGHAM, 17 JUNE 1999

Just four days earlier the two teams had fought a high-scoring cliffhanger. Australia had advanced to the semi-final with just two balls to spare. It was clear that not much separated these sides. Excitement was running high as they clashed again at Edgbaston. Yet none could have imagined that the match would end the way it did.

Pacemen Shaun Pollock and Allan Donald were in devastating form. Pollock made a delivery jump, and Mark Waugh gloved it to Mark Boucher. Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting put on 51 but South Africa struck back. Three wickets fell for 14 runs, and at 68 for four in the 17^th over, Australia were looking down the barrel.

That man Steve Waugh fought another valiant battle. He put on 90 for the fifth wicket with Michael Bevan. Waugh was caught by Boucher, trying to glide the ball to third-man. He scored 56 off 76 balls with a six and 6 fours. Thereafter only Shane Warne offered resistance. Bevan was last out in the final over for 65. Pollock took five for 36 off 9.2 overs, while Donald bagged four for 32 off 10 overs. They shot out Australia for 213.

Gary Kirsten and Herschelle Gibbs put on 48 before an inspired Warne struck. He beat Gibbs in the air and bowled him. Kirsten tried to heave him and was also bowled. Warne beat Hansie Cronje second ball with a vicious turner. David Shepherd declared him caught at slip by Mark Waugh. The ball had apparently missed the bat. Misfortune struck again as Daryll Cullinan was run out. South Africa were 61 for four off 21.2 overs.

Jacques Kallis and Jonty Rhodes put on 84 for the fifth wicket. Kallis scored a resilient half-century before falling to Warne. Pollock hit 20 off 14 deliveries. But wickets kept falling while the irrepressible Lance Klusener blazed away at the other end. Boucher and Steve Elworthy departed in quick succession. The score then was 198 for nine after 48.4 overs, with 16 runs required off 8 balls. Klusener swung Glenn McGrath high towards long-on. Paul Reiffel on the boundary jumped to catch the ball, but palmed it over the ropes. Klusener then scrambled a single to retain the strike for the final over.  

There were now 9 runs needed. Klusener smashed Damien Fleming for boundaries off the first two balls. Just one run was required off 4 deliveries with Klusener still on strike. Steve Waugh brought in all his fielders. Donald at the other end seemed jittery. He was nearly run out off the third ball. Klusener played the next ball towards Mark Waugh in the covers and ran. Donald was confused. He stayed put, then ran, dropping his bat in the process. Mark Waugh back-handed the ball towards the stumps at the bowler's end where both the batsmen were stranded. Fleming then rolled the ball to Ian Healy, and Donald was beaten by yards.

It was a tie, the first in the World Cup. Australia advanced to the final, having beaten South Africa by a whisker in the previous match. A relieved Shane Warne exclaimed: "We just got out of jail at the end. I don't know how we did it. It was just a great game of cricket." Sometimes the difference between triumph and tragedy can be very slender indeed.

Australia        : 213 all out (49.2 overs)

South Africa : 213 all out (49.4 overs)

(Author Indra Vikram Singh can be contacted on email singh_iv@hotmail.com).

Follow his blogs:

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Indra Vikram Singh’s books are available at attractive prices on Amazon:

The Big Book of World Cup Cricket 1975-2011

Published in India by Sporting Links

ISBN 978-81-901668-4-3

https://www.amazon.in/dp/8190166840

Crowning Glory

Published by Sporting Links

ISBN 978-81-901668-6-7

https://www.amazon.in/dp/8190166867

Don’s Century

Published in India by Sporting Links

ISBN 978-81-901668-5-0

https://www.amazon.in/dp/8190166859

A Maharaja’s Turf

Published in India by Sporting Links

ISBN 978-81-901668-3-6

https://www.amazon.in/dp/8190166832

Indra Vikram Singh’s forthcoming books:

Indian Spring, on India’s triumph in the cricket World Cup 2011

Wonder Down Under, special souvenir on the cricket World Cup 2015

The Cricket World Cup - Classic Matches…..8 : Excerpt from ‘The Big Book of World Cup Cricket 1975-2011’ by Indra Vikram Singh

AUSSIE RESILIENCE ON SHOW

Australia v England  •  St. George’s Park,

Port Elizabeth, 2 March 2003

Even given that an Australia-England face-off invariably has the adrenalin pumping, this match had enough excitement to make a whole tournament memorable. An old hand and a new star – albeit not-so-young – eked out an improbable victory for the defending champions just when they seemed vulnerable. It was indeed a classic contest, reminiscent of the thrilling Pakistan-West Indies encounter at Edgbaston in 1975.

England openers Nick Knight and Marcus Trescothick raced to 50 off 7.1 overs. A 160.1 kph (99.4 mph) thunderbolt from Brett Lee to Knight, the fastest of the event thus far, made no impact. The tide turned as Andy Bichel came on in the 10th over. At 66, he had Knight caught in the gully by Damien Martyn. In his next over, Bichel had Michael Vaughan caught behind, and spread-eagled Nasser Hussain’s stumps. Glenn McGrath removed Trescothick. Bichel had Paul Collingwood nicking to Adam Gilchrist. In eight overs England lost five wickets for 19 runs. Bichel had four for 12 from a six-over spell.

Alec Stewart and Andrew Flintoff effected another twist. They battled for nearly 25 overs to put on 90. The irrepressible Bichel again broke through. He had Flintoff snapped up by Gilchrist, and castled Stewart too. He added Giles to his bag, finishing with seven for 20, second-best in the World Cup after McGrath’s effort against Namibia three days earlier.

Any Australian complacency was ripped away by Andy Caddick. He picked up Matthew Hayden early, and though Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting tried to dominate, he dismissed the wicketkeeper. He trapped Martyn for a duck and sent back the skipper too. Australia reeled at 48 for four. Darren Lehmann and Michael Bevan staged a rearguard before another spate of wickets. At 114 for seven, Australia seemed to be faltering at last. Soon it was 135 for eight as Lee was run out.

Bevan and Bichel dug themselves in. Could ‘Terminator’ Bevan do it again? Would he get necessary support? Bichel was a man inspired. He had come through the ranks. A perpetual reserve, he was in only due to Jason Gillespie’s Achilles tendon injury. He bowled with abandon in this match, as always. Now he batted with determination.

The pair stood firm but the overs were running out. With 14 runs to get off two overs, Bichel chanced his arm against James Anderson. He clouted a slower ball over mid-wicket for six, and on-drove a boundary. Eleven runs came off the over. Finally, Bevan hit Flintoff’s fourth ball to the mid-wicket fence to raise an amazing victory. The stand was worth 73 runs off 74 balls. It was a stupendous turnaround. Bichel would no longer be an aspirant relegated to the bench. There was glee on his face: “To get seven wickets, then be there when the winning runs are scored and walk off having scored 34 not out from no.10. It’s hard to even dream about those days.” Ponting offered another perspective, “England allowed a lot of doubt to creep into their minds and asked themselves: Is this going to be another day when the Australians get up and steal the game away from us just like before.” Actually, for Australia defeat was never an option. 

England          : 204 for 8 wickets (50 overs)

New Zealand : 208 for 8 wickets (49.4 overs)

(Author Indra Vikram Singh can be contacted on email singh_iv@hotmail.com).

The Big Book of World Cup Cricket 1975-2011

ISBN 978-81-901668-4-3

Distributed in India by Variety Book Depot, Connaught Place, New Delhi, Phones + 91 11 23417175, 23412567

Available in leading bookshops, and online on several websites.