| |
|
|
|
Aussies triumph Steve Waugh rescues Australia to advance to semifinals
Posted: Sunday June 13, 1999 11:36 PM
LEEDS, England (AP) -- Captain Steve Waugh's outstanding innings of 120 not out against South Africa on Sunday enabled Australia to pull off a dramatic five-wicket victory and snatch a World Cup semifinal place at Headingley. Chasing South Africa's 271 for seven, Waugh came to the crease when his side was down 48 for three in the 12th over. Under his charge, Australia recovered to score 272 for five in a thriller that ended in 49.4 overs -- or with two balls to spare. Needing eight runs to win off the 50th over, bowled by Shaun Pollock, Tom Moody (15 not out) hammered a two off the first ball. The next ball was dispatched to the boundary and the third produced a single, which gave Waugh the strike. He hit the winning run: a single that edged past wicketkeeper Mark Boucher. Waugh rated his innings "up there" amongst the best and said the pressure was on South Africa in the next match. He said the victory was "psychologically ... good for us," but added that "it doesn't count for too much." "You have to be aware if you lose the next game you're out," he said. The victory placed Australia, with a net run rate of 0.36, second in the Super Six table behind Pakistan. It will play South Africa again in the second semifinal at Edgbaston, Birmingham on Thursday. All three teams finished with six points each. Pakistan, which finished at the top with a net run rate of 0.65, will take on the fourth placed New Zealand (-0.52) in the first semifinal at Old Trafford, Manchester on Wednesday. Australia's win eliminated Zimbabwe, which could have made it only if South Africa had won. Waugh, a 266-match veteran, upstaged South African opener Herschelle Gibbs' 101 with only his second one-day century. Waugh shared 126 runs off 135 balls for the fourth wicket with Ricky Ponting (69). Waugh's 110-ball innings included two sixes and 10 boundaries while Ponting who hooked Steve Elworthy for a couple of sixes, also hot five boundaries off 110 balls. Waugh on 56 was dropped by Gibbs when Australia was on 152 for three. Gibbs, whose 134-ball innings set up the big run chase, had caught the ball from a miscued shot in the 31st over well but dropped it while trying to throw the ball in the air. It was a remarkable turnaround in fortunes for Australia after its loss to Pakistan in a May 23 Group B match when it fell 10 run short of Pakistan's 275 for eight.
Waugh and Ponting turned the game in Australia's favor between 25-35 overs, taking 78 runs off skipper Hansie Cronje and left-arm spinner Nicky Boje. Boje, South Africa's first change in eight matches, went for 29 runs in three overs, one of them yielding 17 runs. Boje was brought into the side for paceman Jacques Kallis who is suffering from abdominal strain. Waugh said his side was capable of chasing any total but its bowling was causing concern. "We bowled on both sides of the wicket and we've definitely got some work to do." Cronje said the result has given Australia the momentum but also put pressure. "They have to beat us twice to get to the final," he said. It was Australia's fifth straight win in the competition and Waugh said his team would be partying all night. Cronje agreed the lack of a fifth bowler cost South Africa the match. "When you lose Jacques you lose two players -- a batsman and a bowler. "Those are very big shoes to fill," he said. Cronje felt the dropped catch was the turning point and said his side will have to lift 10 percent in the next match. "That's the man you've got to get in a run chase," Cronje said, referring to Waugh. "He has played a lot of good innings against us. Thursday we'll try and get on top of them," he said. Australia's run-chase began disastrously when it lost both openers -- Adam Gilchrist and Mark Waugh -- with just 20 runs on the board. When Ponting miscued a pull to Allan Donald off Klusener, Australia was 174 for four. But Steve Waugh found a perfect ally in Michael Bevan, regarded as one of the best one-day player's and the pair added a further 73 for the fifth wicket. Bevan was dismissed for 27 off 33 balls. Earlier, South Africa's batting exposed Australia's lack of a specialist fifth bowler as Paul Reiffel, Tom Moody and Michael Bevan went for 123 runs in 20 overs between them conceding 88 runs in the last 10 overs. Against Pakistan, Australia conceded 108 runs in the last 10 overs in a defining moment of the match. Still, the South Africans' batting depth was also clear as they built their total around Gibbs' second one-day century in his 34th match and useful contributions from Darryl Cullinan (50), Jonty Rhodes (39 off 36 balls) and Klusener (36 off 21). Gibbs, nursing a bruise on his fingers hit by a Damien Fleming delivery, added 95 for the second wicket with Cullinan and followed it up with another 78 with Rhodes after a double-wicket over by leg spinner Shane Warne. Warne put behind a modest performance in the tournament - 10 wickets at an average of 26.60) -- to take 2-33 in 10 overs and appeared to rekindle his dwindling form.
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | |||||||||||||||||||||
Copyright © 1999 CNN/SI. A Time Warner Company. Terms under which this service is provided to you.
| |||||||||||||||||||||
