CRICKET WORLD CUP 2003
SA’s World Cup heartbreak
Brad Morgan
South Africa, isolated from international cricket from 1970 to 1991 due to the policies of the apartheid government, has contested only three World Cup tournaments, the first one in 1992. The country's short history in the tournament has been one of heartbreak, despite a fantastic record.
1992
Led by former Australian opener Kepler Wessels, South Africa returned to world cricket pretty much as rookies when they took part in the 1992 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
It didn’t take long for the team to make its presence felt, however. Facing defending champions Australia in Sydney in their opening game, the Proteas handed the home team a massive hiding.
February 26, 1992 vs Australia
Batting first, the Australians were given a let off on the very first ball of the match when Geoff Marsh was given not out on a caught behind appeal off the bowling of Allan Donald.
It was a remarkable decision by New Zealand
umpire Brian Aldridge, especially considering that the ball had deflected to virtually the second slip position. Donald wasn’t put off his stride, however, and went on to take 3 for 34 as Australia managed only 170, with no batsman making more than 27 runs.
The target facing South Africa did not require them to score at a fast rate. Wessels and Andrew Hudson put on 74 for the first wicket before Hudson fell to off-spinner Peter Taylor. The experienced Peter Kirsten then joined Wessels at the wicket and together they guided South Africa to a crushing victory. Wessels finished unbeaten on 81, with Kirsten contributing 49.
February 29 1992 vs New Zealand
In their second game the South Africans were beaten by a well-organised New Zealand team that used innovative tactics to claim a comfortable seven-wicket win.
The Proteas found the Kiwis’ medium pacers difficult to score off of and made just 190 for 7 in their 50 overs, led by 90 from Peter Kirsten. New
Zealand, in reply, showed the aggression that South Africa had lacked and rushed to victory off only 34.3 overs, thanks mainly to a quickfire opening stand of 114 between Mark Greatbach and Rod Latham.
March 2 1992 vs Sri Lanka
Wessels’ team again struggled on the slow and low pitches of New Zealand in their third outing when they were beaten by Sri Lanka by three wickets. Again, the team failed to top the 200-run mark and were dismissed for 195 off the final ball of their 50 overs. Kirsten and Wessels again led the scorers, although their scoring rate was somewhat pedestrian.
The Sri Lankans, with 68 from Roshan Mahanama and an unbeaten 64 from Arjuna Ranatunga, sneaked to victory with just a ball to spare, leaving South Africa with one win and two losses after three of their eight pool matches.
March 5 1992 vs West Indies
Still in New Zealand, South Africa faced the West Indies in Christchurch. It proved to be a good game for the Proteas.
Batting first, South Africa finally reached the 200 mark, though only just, finishing their 50 overs on 200 for 8. Kirsten was again the leading run-getter, making 56.
Chasing a gettable target, the West Indian run chase never materialised as a spectacular spell from opening bowler Meyrick Pringle destroyed their innings. Pringle claimed the wickets of Brian Lara, Richie Richardson, Carl Hooper and Keith Arthurton by the time the Caribbean side had just 19 runs on the board. He finished with figures of 4 for 11 off eight overs as the West Indies managed just 136 all out, and was an obvious choice for man of the match.
March 8 1992
South Africa headed back to Australia for a big match against Pakistan in Brisbane. Once again the Proteas batted first and this time managed their highest score of the competition so far, 211 for 7. Andrew Hudson hit 54, while Hansie Cronje added a welcome aggression to the batting, smashing an unbeaten 47 off 53 deliveries.
In reply, Pakistan reached 74 for 2 in the twenty-second over when rain disrupted play. The revised target favoured South Africa, requiring the Pakistanis to make 194 off 36 overs to win, meaning they needed a further 120 runs off just 14 overs.
It was during their run chase that Jonty Rhodes grabbed the attention the cricketing world.
Pakistan had reached 135 for 2 and were progressing well with Inzamam ul-Haq and captain Imran Khan at the crease. Inzamam, who was on strike, had scored 48 off 44 deliveries, but he made big mistake the next ball he faced.
Dabbing the delivery into the ground and towards backward point, he took off for a quick single. Rhodes swooped on the ball and Imran yelled for Inzamam to turn back to his crease. Rhodes gathered the ball on the run and with hardly a break in stride kept sprinting towards the stumps.
Inzamam hurtled towards the safety of his crease and stretched out to slide his bat into his ground. He was too late.
A spectacular full-length dive from Rhodes demolished Inzamam’s stumps. The spectacular image of an airborne Rhodes was blazed across the world’s media and a legend of modern cricket was born.
That dismissal triggered the beginning of the end for Pakistan, and they eventually came up 20 runs short of the target, leaving Kepler Wessels and co with three wins and two losses after five matches.
March 10 1992 vs Zimbabwe
South Africa’s next outing, against Zimbabwe in Canberra, ended in a comfortable victory for the Proteas. The Zimbabweans failed to get to grips with the South African bowling attack and were bowled out for 163. Fast bowler Eddo Brandes top scored with 20 as Brian McMillan and Peter Kirsten picked up three wickets apiece.
Kirsten and Wessels then combined for a second-wicket stand of 112 to help steer South Africa to victory with 4.5 overs to spare. Kirsten ended undefeated on 62 which, when combined with his 3 for 30, was enough to earn him
man of the match honours. Wessels made 70.
With four wins and two losses, South Africa looked a good bet to make it into the semi-finals.
March 12 1992 vs England
Facing England in Melbourne, South Africa enjoyed their best batting effort of the World Cup so far when they tallied 236 for 4 in 50 overs. The total was, however, in some ways a disappointment because Wessels and Hudson had provided an excellent platform with a partnership of 151 for the first wicket, Wessels hitting 85 and Hudson making 79.
England, with a powerful and aggressive batting line-up, went after the South African bowling from the start. Opener Alec Stewart scored 77 at close to a run a ball before he was run out, and an excellent unbeaten 75 from Neil Fairbrother helped the English to a three-wicket win that was more emphatic than it might appear at first glance - they reached the victory target with 9.1 overs to spare.
With four wins and three losses, South Africa faced an
important game against India in their final pool match.
March 15 1992 vs India
Rain meant that the Proteas’ match against India was reduced to a 30-overs-a-side fixture. The Indians, batting first, rattled up 180 for 6, batting at exactly a run a ball faced, with Mohammed Azharuddin making 79 off 77 deliveries.
In a calculated move, South Africa moved the in-form Peter Kirsten up the order to open with Andrew Hudson and dropped the steady but slower-scoring Wessels down the order. It proved to be an excellent move.
Kirsten and Hudson put on 128 for the first wicket before Hudson departed for 53. Kirsten, though, went on to make 84 before falling with victory in sight. With five balls to spare South Africa scraped to the win that earned them a place in the semi-finals. Kirsten was again named man of the match.
March 22 1922 vs England
South Africa returned to Sydney for their semi-final clash with England, the scene of the Proteas’
opening nine-wicket win over hosts Australia. Rain led to a reduction from 50 overs to 45 a side, and England showed an aggressive approach once more, totalling 252 for 6 in their innings. Zimbawean-born Graeme Hick, with 83 off 90 deliveries, led the way for the English.
Undaunted by England’s score, South Africa’s batting effort was steady as every player made it into double figures. Ironically, Peter Kirsten’s 11 proved to be the lowest score.
The decisive moment in the contest came five balls into the forty-second over as the rain came down, forcing the players from the field. At that stage South Africa needed 22 runs from 13 balls for victory. However, they were about to become the victims of the rules governing rain in the tournament.
After a delay it was determined that two overs had been lost to the weather, but that South Africa would still need to score 22 runs to win. 22 runs off a single delivery was an impossible target, and after coming back for the
one delivery remaining, the Proteas finished their innings 20 runs short.
It was an unsatisfactory result and led to a change in the rules governing rain delays for the next World Cup, but it was too late for Kepler Wessels and his gutsy team. It was South Africa’s first experience of heartbreak at the World Cup.
1996
The World Cup in 1996 was co-hosted by India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The South African team, having proved themselves one of the best limited-overs sides in the world since the previous World Cup, was captained by Hansie Cronje, coached by Bob Woolmer, and looked good to challenge for the silverware.
The competition was extended to include three qualifiers from the ICC Trophy, bringing the number of contestants to 12. The teams were divided into two groups: South Africa was in Group B with the United Arab Emirates, England, New Zealand, Pakistan and the Netherlands, while Group A consisted of India, Sri Lanka,
Australia, Kenya, the West Indies and Zimbabwe.
February 16 1996 vs United Arab Emirates
South Africa tackled the United Arab Emirates first up, and opening batsman Gary Kirsten, brother of 1992 hero Peter, dominated the game. Kirsten hit an unbeaten 188 in a massive South African total of 321 for 2, missing by just a single run the one-day international record for the highest score held by legendary West Indian Viv Richards. Hansie Cronje weighed in with 57, while Darryl Cullinan made 41 not out.
The UAE came nowhere near the target, scraping together 152 for 8 in their 50 overs. Allan Donald with 3 for 21 and Brian McMillan with 3 for 11 led the bowlers as South Africa claimed a 169-run win.
February 20 1996 vs New Zealand
South Africa expected a far stiffer examination from New Zealand in their second match, but the Kiwis failed to deliver the goods. They mustered only 177 for 9 in their 50 overs as Donald again bowled well to finish with
3 for 34. The Proteas needed only 37.3 overs to overhaul the Kiwis’ score. Captain Cronje led the way, blasting 78 from just 64 deliveries to win man of the match honours.
February 25 1996 vs England
After their comprehensive defeat of New Zealand, South Africa faced England in Rawalpindi, and again ran roughshod over the opposition.
Electing to bat, the Proteas managed 230 all out as many of the batsmen played themselves into double figures but then failed to build on their foundation. It was only the second time that the Proteas were all out in the World Cup - the first time, when they faced Sri Lanka in March 1992, also occurred off the final ball.
England fared a lot worse than South Africa with the bat, however. In just 44.3 overs they crumbled to 152 all out as Shaun Pollock, Fanie de Villiers, Craig Matthews and Pat Symcox claimed two victims each. After a big 78-run win, South Africa were sitting pretty with three wins off three
starts.
February 29 1996 vs Pakistan
Defending champions Pakistan in Karachi, playing in front of their passionate fans, would surely present South Africa with a tougher assignment in their fourth match of the 1996 World Cup. Not so as Hansie Cronje’s team powered to another impressive win.
After winning the toss and electing to bat, Pakistan tallied 242 for 6, led by 111 from opener Aamir Sohail. Cronje did a good job for the Proteas, claiming 2 for 20 in five overs.
Set a target of 243 to win - a required run rate of almost 4.9 to the over - and facing an impressive Pakistani bowling line-up that included the pace of Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis and the spin of Mushtaq Ahmed and Saqlain Mushtaq, the South Africans raced to victory with 5.4 overs to spare. Darryl Cullinan made 65, Gary Kirsten 44 and Cronje 45 not out as South Africa won by five wickets.
March 5 1996 vs The Netherlands
The Netherlands faced the in-form South Africans in
their final group match and provided little opposition to a confident team. Andrew Hudson led the way for the Proteas, clubbing 161 off only 132 deliveries as the Proteas totalled a South African record 328 for 3 in 50 overs. Together with Gary Kirsten, who made 83, Hudson put on 186 for the first wicket, and Cronje chipped in with a brisk 41 towards the end of the innings.
Virtually out of the contest before their innings began, the Dutch struggled to 168 for 8 in their 50 overs as South Africa triumphed by 160 runs. Off-spinner Pat Symcox was the best of the bowlers, capturing a miserly 2 for 22 off his 10 overs.
The victory left South African unbeaten after their groups games, a record matched by Sri Lanka in Group A, although the Sri Lankans had failed to play either Australia or the West Indies, who both forfeited their matches, because of bombings in Sri Lanka.
March 11 1996 vs the West Indies
South Africa faced the fourth-placed team from Group A
in the quarter-finals, the West Indies, who along the way had suffered a humiliating 73-run loss to minnows Kenya.
West Indian captain Richie Richardson won the toss and elected to bat and, unfortunately for the South Africans, they ran into an in-form Brian Lara. The classy left-hander smashed 111 from 94 balls to help his side to a competitive total of 264 for 8 off their 50 overs. Shivnarine Chanderpaul provided Lara with good support, making 56.
South Africa lost a wicket early on in their reply, but Andrew Hudson and Darryl Cullinan then put on 97 for the second wicket before Hudson fell for 54. Cullinan went on to make 69 and Cronje contributed 40, but a middle-order collapse left the Proteas struggling at 198 for 7. It proved an obstacle too big to overcome, and South Africa were eventually dismissed for 245 in the final over, 19 runs short of the West Indian total.
It was a bitter pill to swallow. Having obliterated all opposition they had faced in the
tournament, South Africa suffered their first loss of the competition against the West Indies, who by that stage had already lost three times - but South Africa was out of the World Cup.
Once more it was heartache for South Africa at cricket’s biggest tournament, and once more the fate they suffered would lead to a change in the format of the competition.
1999
South Africa arrived at the 1999 World Cup with their reputation enhanced as one of the leading limited-overs teams in world cricket. The side was again captained by Hansie Cronje, and showed few changes from the team that had competed in the previous World Cup. They were an experienced, formidable outfit.
South Africa was in Group A together with defending champions Sri Lanka, hosts England, Kenya, Zimbabwe and India. Group B comprised Scotland, Australia, New Zealand, the West Indies, Bangladesh and Pakistan.
This time round the teams would play their group matches as a
round-robin before the top three finishers from each group advanced to a Super Sixes stage. Teams would carry through points they had won against their fellow qualifiers for the Super Sixes, and then play against the teams from the opposite pool that they had not yet faced.
Once the Super Sixes were completed the semi-finalists would be determined from the top four finishers.
May 15 1999 vs India
South Africa kicked off their challenge against India at Hove. The Indians batted first and put together 253 for 5 in their turn at the crease. It looked to be a stiff challenge for Hansie Cronje and co.
The victory target looked even more imposing when South Africa lost Gary Kirsten and Herschelle Gibbs early on with just 22 runs on the board. Mark Boucher and Jacques Kallis steadied the innings, however, with Boucher making 34 and Kallis going on to 96 before he was run out. Hansie Cronje, Jonty Rhodes and Lance Klusener then took up the slack and hurried the
Proteas to victory by four wickets with 2.4 overs to spare.
May 19 1999 vs Sri Lanka
The South Africans took on defending champions Sri Lanka in their second match. Batting first, the Proteas struggled at the crease, slipping to 69 for 5, and but for a swashbuckling, unbeaten 52 from 45 balls by the powerful Lance Klusener, South Africa would have struggled to get anywhere near their eventual total of 199 for 9.
Sri Lanka, in reply, got off to an even worse start than South Africa, never recovering after being reduced to 14 for 4. Arjuna Ranatunga’s team eventually succumbed for 110 as Klusener and Kallis claimed three wickets apiece, the match ending in an 89-run win for South Africa.
May 22 1999 vs England
The next challenge was offered by England at The Oval. The English bowled well, restricting South Africa to 225 for 7 after Cronje’s team had got away to a good start, reaching 111 before their first wicket fell. The Proteas slid to 168
for 7, however, before Klusener again steadied the ship, this time smashing 48 not out off 40 balls.
England lost two early wickets, but looked to be getting their innings together before speedster Allan Donald came on as the second change bowler and destroyed their innings. He knocked over 4 for 17 as England crumbled to just 103 all out, leaving South Africa the winners by a 122-run margin.
May 26 1999 vs Kenya
Coach Bob Woolmer took his team to Amstelveen, the Netherlands, to face Kenya in their next game. Cronje won the toss and put Kenya in to bat. That decision looked to have backfired, however, as the lightly regarded Kenyans raced to 66 without loss, at over four runs an over, before South Africa finally claimed their first wicket.
Klusener on this occasion left his mark on the match with a devastating bowling performance, picking up 5 for 21 in 8.3 overs as Kenya were bowled out for 152.
It wasn’t a difficult target for the South Africans
to chase against the non-Test playing country, and they duly won the match by seven wickets with nine overs in hand. Kallis and Cullinan eased the Proteas to the win, sharing in an unbroken stand of 67, scoring 44 and 35 respectively.
With only one match left in group play, South Africa had won four games in four starts.
May 29 1999 vs Zimbabwe
The South African’s final group match was against neighbours Zimbabwe who had beaten Kenya and India but lost to England and Sri Lanka. The Zimbabweans elected to bat first after winning the toss, and former Natal opener Neil Johnson played a fine innings to tally 76 in his side’s total of 233 for 6.
South Africa, in reply, suffered a terrible start to their innings. Led by Johnson and Heath Streak, the Zimbabweans reduced the fancied South Africans to 40 for 6 in the twelfth over. This time Klusener couldn’t save the Proteas. Nonetheless, he hit 52 off 58 deliveries and Shaun Pollock managed 52 off 81 balls, but
it was too little too late as South Africa stumbled to 185 all out and a 48-run defeat.
It was to prove a costly loss. Zimbabwe, having beaten South Africa and India, carried four points into the Super Sixes, while South Africa, who had lost only to Zimbabwe, carried just two and India none. In Group B, Pakistan, who finished top of the table, carried forward four points, second-placed Australia took nothing through with them, and third-placed New Zealand, thanks to a five-wicket win over the Australians, went through with two points.
June 5 1999 vs Pakistan
South Africa’s first Super Sixes contest was against Pakistan, who like the South Africans had suffered only one unexpected loss, going down by 62 runs to Bangladesh. Unlike South Africa, though, the shock defeat hadn’t cost them two points in the Super Sixes.
Heading into the game, South Africa had Pakistan’s number, having beaten their Asian opponents in 12 consecutive matches. It became 13 in a
row at Nottingham, but it was a tight contest.
Pakistan totalled 220 for 7 in their knock, but undid much of their hard work by having three of their batsmen run out – with Jonty Rhodes, in an echo of 1992, getting rid of the dangerous Inzamam ul-Haq. Wicketkeeper Moin Khan was superb for the Pakistanis, showing great innovation in an innings of 63 scored off only 56 deliveries. Steve Elworthy sparkled for the Proteas, nabbing 2 for 23 in 10 overs.
With South Africa at the crease, the much-hyped fastest bowler in the world, Shoaib Akhtar, made early inroads into the South African innings, getting rid of Herschelle Gibbs and Hansie Cronje with only 19 runs on the board. In the twentieth over the South Africans found themselves in deep trouble as they slipped to 58 for 5. Jacques Kallis and Shaun Pollock then set about repairing the innings and put on 77 for the sixth wicket before Pollock was out for 30.
Klusener joined Kallis at the wicket and they took the score to
176 before Kallis fell for 54. That was the signal for Klusener once again to take charge. He proceeded to belt three sixes and three fours, blasting 46 from 41 deliveries, to see South Africa to victory with an over remaining in the game.
June 10 1999 vs New Zealand
A superb opening partnership by Herschelle Gibbs and Gary Kirsten propelled South Africa to a convincing 74-run win over New Zealand in their second Super Sixes showdown. Kirsten hit 82 and Gibbs made 91 as the Western Province opening pair shared in a stand of 176. Kallis weighed in with a brutal 53 off 36 balls and Cronje cracked 39 from 22 deliveries as South Africa totalled 287 for 5.
In their turn at bat, New Zealand never managed to get their challenge going. Stephen Fleming’s 47 was the Black Caps’ best effort, but they were pegged back by tight South African bowling and fielding. Kallis claimed 2 for 15 in six overs which, when combined with his hard-hitting 53, was enough to win him
the man of the match award.
June 13 1999 vs Australia
South Africa faced Australia in their final Super Sixes match. Cronje won the toss and chose to bat, and it appeared to be a good decision. Gibbs played a superb innings to make 101, receiving good support from Cullinan with 50, while Rhodes and Klusener contributed 39 and 36 respectively, Klusener’s coming from just 21 deliveries.
Australia’s run chase started poorly as they lost their openers with only 20 runs on the board. With only 48 runs scored they lost their third wicket, but that brought together Ricky Ponting and captain Steve Waugh. They added 126 for the fourth wicket before Ponting departed for 69.
During Waugh’s innings one of the pivotal moments of the entire World Cup occurred when the Australian captain, with his score on 56, spooned a catch to Gibbs. The normally brilliant fielder attempted to throw the ball in the air as he caught it, but in his haste to celebrate he lost control of
the ball and dropped it, and Waugh survived.
Some newspaper reports later claimed that Waugh told Gibbs: “You’ve just dropped the World Cup, son”, but Waugh denied ever saying that. However, the gritty right-hander went on to record his highest one-day international score, finishing with 120 not out off 110 deliveries. His innings guided Australia to an unlikely win with only two balls to spare. A loss would have seen his team eliminated.
Pakistan topped the Super Sixes, followed by Australia, South Africa and New Zealand. Those finishing positions meant that South Africa would face Australia again in the semi-finals.
June 17 1999 vs Australia
Skipper Hansie Cronje won the toss at Edgbaston and boldly put Australia in to bat. It turned out to be a good move. Led by fast-bowling stars Shaun Pollock and Allan Donald, South Africa kept the Australians on the back foot throughout their innings, dismissing them for 213 in the last of the 50 overs. Pollock
knocked over 5 for 36 and Donald captured 4 for 32.
Steve Waugh again held his team’s innings together, making 56 and sharing in a 90-run partnership with Michael Bevan for the fifth wicket.
The Proteas started well in their run chase, reaching 48 in the thirteenth over before losing their first wicket following the introduction of leg-spinner Shane Warne. Warne removed openers Gibbs and Kirsten within five runs of one another to pull his side back into the match.
Cronje then fell without another run being added, the unfortunate victim of a poor umpiring decision when he was given out caught after the ball deflected off his boot. Seven runs later, with the score on 61, Cullinan was run out for six and the contest was really on.
Jacques Kallis and Jonty Rhodes made it advantage South Africa when they put on 84 for the fifth wicket, taking the total to 145 before Rhodes was out for 43. Kallis was out on 175 for 53, Warne’s fourth victim of the innings. With
5.1 overs remaining, the Proteas needed another 39 runs to win with four wickets in hand.
Pollock contributed a quickfire 20 off 14 deliveries, but was bowled by Fleming with the total on 183. Glenn McGrath bowled Mark Boucher for five, but South Africa’s ace, Lance Klusener, remained out in the middle. In the penultimate over, number 10 batsman, Steve Elworthy was run out for one with South Africa’s total on 198. That left Allan Donald and Klusener to get the 16 runs needed for victory.
In the same over, Klusener smashed a ball from McGrath low and hard towards the boundary. Damien Fleming managed to get under it, but the powerfully struck ball burst through his fingers and over the boundary for a six.
Fleming bowled the final over with South Africa needing nine runs for victory. Klusener was facing. He powered Fleming’s first ball square of the wicket on the off for four. Klusener then laid into the next delivery, smashing it through extra cover, rocketing the
ball along the ground at express speed for another boundary. The crowd exploded. That lusty blow had drawn the teams level, and it appeared that South Africa was about to claim its place in the final.
The Natal all-rounder dug out a Yorker from Fleming next ball, and Donald was nearly run out backing up as the tension cut the air.
Fleming ran in for the third-last delivery of the match. Klusener played another full-pitched ball back past the bowler and called for the quick single that would win the match for South Africa. Donald failed to hear him in the din and turned back towards his crease, seeking safety after having nearly been run out the previous ball. When he looked up he saw Klusener barrelling down on him. The shock was so great that Donald dropped his bat as he started to run to the other side. He was run out by a long way.
The Australian players went wild. The match had ended in the most dramatic of ties on the biggest stage of all, but by virtue of
Australia’s victory over South Africa in the Super Sixes they advanced to the World Cup final.
For the third time the South Africans experienced World Cup heartbreak - this time even harder to swallow.
2003?
In 2003 South Africa hosts the World Cup and has an opportunity to win the tournament on home soil. Since the 1999 World Cup, Australia has established itself as the number one team in the game, but South Africa remains a powerful limited-overs outfit. Playing at home, they will be hard to beat.
The South Africans have additional motivation to win the World Cup this time round - they want to do it for former South African captain Hansie Cronje. Tragically, Cronje died aged 32 in an air crash on 1 June 2002.
Despite the fact that he had been banned from cricket because of his part in a match-fixing scandal, he remained a close friend of the South African team, as well as a popular figure with South African cricket fans.
The Proteas say they want to win the cricket’s biggest prize for their former teammate and leader.
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