RESULT
2nd Semi-Final, Birmingham, June 17, 1999, ICC World Cup
(49.2/50 ov) 213
(49.4/50 ov, T:214) 213

Match tied

Player Of The Match
18 (24) & 4/29
shane-warne
New
SA
Full commentary

I'm going to have a heart failure

ball was pulled down the wicket, Klusener called him thru, Donald didn't move and then dropped his bat, both batsmen at the bowler's end, mid off passes it to Fleming who passes to Gilchrist, Donald running down the pitch without his bat, well short

just a tad of an exciting match, it's tied, Australia go thru because they finish higher in the super 6 table

first tie in World Cup history, and surely the most exciting, the last few overs provided drama after drama after drama

sensational, amazing, astounding, whatever, make your own superlatives up

presentations comign up

Cronje looks lost for words, devestated: "up to the fall of the 1st wicket, we were looking good", poor guy he can barely speak, MC wraps it up quickly

Steve Waugh says "it's the most exciting match he's ever played in", looks a little underwhelmed, sensibly knows the final is still to come

Man of the match is Shane Warne, mentions how "fired up" and "pumped" he was after the wickets... he thinks this tops the Mohali semi final, point is made of Mark Waugh getting a duck in both of the matches

and so we move to Lord's for Sunday's final. WC87 v WC92 winners to determine who becomes the second team to win the World Cup twice. It's Australia 4th WC final (a record) and their 3rd in the past 4 World Cups

so it all begins at 0945 GMT Sunday June 20. The Ripe Bananas v the Unripe Bananas (Aus v Pak) from Lords. Until then, I'll be laying down and catching my breath.

49.4
W
Fleming to Klusener, OUT

run out gone, Australia have done it

Allan Donald run out (Waugh/Fleming/†Gilchrist) 0 (0b 0x4 0x6 7m) SR: 0

direct would have been out

49.3
Fleming to Klusener, no run

pulled down the wicket, to the mid on, Lehmann with the run out chance, Donald too far backing up

scores are tied, Australia will go to the final if the match remains this way

all 11 in the infield

49.2
4
Fleming to Klusener, FOUR runs

driving thru the wide long off, and again, too wide of Mark Waugh in the deep

5 runs needed off 5 balls

49.1
4
Fleming to Klusener, FOUR runs

stepping back and driving the covers, amazing stuff, can he do it yet again, McGrath pitching up from around the wicket

end of over 499 runs • 2 wickets
SA: 205/9CRR: 4.18 RRR: 9.00
Lance Klusener23 (12b 2x4 1x6)
Allan Donald0 (0b)
Glenn McGrath 10-0-51-1
48.6
1
McGrath to Klusener, 1 run

clipping it thru the mid wicket to keep the strike

very difficult chance, running backwards and taking it over his head, wouldn't have been a 6 if he didn't go for it

have I said "what drama" yet?

48.5
6
McGrath to Klusener, SIX runs

pulled down the ground, Reiffel is underneath it, DROPPED, at long on, and fends it over for the 6

many replays needed to decide if the ball broke the stumps or if McGrath broke the stumps with his hands

48.4
1W
McGrath to Klusener, 1 run, OUT

driving down to the long off, they go for wrist-slititng single, Reiffel is relied upon for the long direct throw, McGrath just deflects it onto the stumps

Steve Elworthy run out (Reiffel/McGrath) 1 (1b 0x4 0x6 3m) SR: 100
48.3
1
McGrath to Elworthy, 1 run

poor defence, outside edge lands in the gully, Ponting with a desperate dive from the backward point, they scrape togather a single

Boucher was just rattled, he can go have a good sit on the toilet now

48.2
W
McGrath to Boucher, OUT

and gone, yorker knocks the middle stump out of the ground, Boucher making room for himself and plays the diagonal bat over the top of it

Mark Boucher b McGrath 5 (10b 0x4 0x6 13m) SR: 50
48.1
McGrath to Boucher, no run

full toss, Boucher left his timing and nerve in the dressing room, knocked direct to the cover

end of over 487 runs
SA: 196/7CRR: 4.08 RRR: 9.00
Lance Klusener15 (9b 2x4)
Mark Boucher5 (8b)
Damien Fleming 8-1-32-1
47.6
2
Fleming to Klusener, 2 runs

skies it with a big pull over the mid wicket, ball lands just short of the boundary and is just stopped from going over the rope, they don't go for the 3rd, Moody was the fielder

47.5
4
Fleming to Klusener, FOUR runs

throwing the bat at it, thick edge high in the air, over the backward point, too wide of the 3rd man

around teh wicket to Lance

47.4
1
Fleming to Boucher, 1 run

inswinging full toss, they finally get a single, knocked thru the wide mid off

47.3
Fleming to Boucher, no run

swing and missing, ball bounces over the leg stump, Boucher hitting the panic button

47.2
Fleming to Boucher, no run

inswinging yorker, Boucher gets tied up in his defence again,bat and pad inf ront of the leg stump

47.1
Fleming to Boucher, no run

outside the off stump, a little short, couldn't get to it very well, dabbed to the mid wicket

end of over 475 runs
SA: 189/7CRR: 4.02 RRR: 8.33
Mark Boucher4 (4b)
Lance Klusener9 (7b 1x4)
Glenn McGrath 9-0-42-0
46.6
1
McGrath to Boucher, 1 run

another yorker length ball, dug out into the covers, 5 off the over, keeps SA well within reach

46.5
1
McGrath to Klusener, 1 run

pushed to the mid off, quick single taken, Shepherd gets in the way! Klusener looked quite short of making his ground. what drama

46.4
McGrath to Klusener, no run

clubbed away into the covers, Klusener cannot loft the pitched up balls, good length and tactics from mcGrath

46.3
1
McGrath to Boucher, 1 run

the off drive from Boucher this time, another single

46.2
1
McGrath to Klusener, 1 run

around the wicket, pitched up, just outside the off stump, mistimed drive down the off side, long off fields wide

46.1
1
McGrath to Boucher, 1 run

played late, top edge along the ground to the 3rd man Mark Waugh, very well gathered

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