Australia v Sri Lanka

At Port Elizabeth, March 18, 2003. Australia won by 48 runs (D/L method). Toss: Australia.

This was Gilchrist's match, not for what he did with bat or gloves but for his decision to walk, which astonished everyone unused to such Australian magnanimity. Despite being reprieved by umpire Koertzen, Gilchrist knew he had edged an attempted sweep that was caught off his pad. His departure, swiftly followed by Ponting's, gave Sri Lanka their chance to beat Australia: they blew it. Sangakkara missed a simple chance to stump Symonds, on 33, off Jayasuriya, who later removed Lehmann and Bevan with successive balls, but Symonds was not to be dismissed. He adapted well to another difficult St George's Park surface and his innings was defined by patience rather than brute force. Sri Lanka needed only 213, but their optimism had gone. Atapattu, their form batsman, was dropped by Hogg at cover on 14, but had his off stump ripped out by Lee's next ball, which was measured at 99.4mph. Jayasuriya hit Lee for six before being caught at square leg. Then Bichel, in his follow-through, swooped left-handed to pick up a defensive push from Sangakkara, turned, and threw down the batsman's stumps, stranding de Silva, who trudged off into retirement. The late-afternoon rain halted Sri Lanka's first decent partnership - 47 for the eighth wicket between Sangakkara and Vaas - but no one complained about Duckworth/Lewis. Australia had deservedly reached their fifth World Cup final and their third in succession.

Man of the Match: A. Symonds. Attendance: 14,525.