A Celebration of 5000 ODIs
A Celebration of 5000 ODIs Match 14: Waugh Survives Gibbs and Keeps Australia Alive at Headingley
Australia were 48/3 and facing World Cup elimination before Steve Waugh’s unbeaten 120, a crucial Herschelle Gibbs reprieve and a two-ball-to-spare chase changed everything.
Australia’s World Cup was 224 runs from extinction when Steve Waugh walked into the middle at Headingley.
The scoreboard read 48/3. South Africa had made 271/7. Adam Gilchrist, Mark Waugh and Damien Martyn were already gone, and defeat meant Australia would miss the semifinals.
Then came the moment that has followed Herschelle Gibbs for more than a quarter of a century.
Waugh, on 56, clipped Lance Klusener toward midwicket. Gibbs reached the ball and appeared to have completed the catch, but lost control as he began celebrating. Waugh stayed. He eventually walked off unbeaten on 120, Australia reached 272/5 with two deliveries remaining, and four days later these teams would meet again in an even more astonishing semifinal.
That sequence explains why this Headingley contest is Match 14 in A Celebration of 5000 ODIs. The series was created to preserve games where pressure, individual brilliance and one decisive moment changed ODI history. Few matches fit those criteria more completely.
TL;DR
- South Africa scored 271/7, led by Herschelle Gibbs’ 101 from 134 balls.
- Australia collapsed to 48/3 while chasing 272 in a game they needed to win to reach the semifinals.
- Steve Waugh rebuilt the chase with Ricky Ponting before finishing unbeaten on 120 from 110 balls.
- Gibbs failed to complete a catch when Waugh was on 56, creating the match’s most famous turning point.
- Ponting contributed a crucial 69 from 110 balls in a 126-run fourth-wicket partnership with Waugh.
- Australia won by five wickets with two balls remaining, securing a semifinal rematch against South Africa.
Australia vs South Africa 1999 World Cup: Match Information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | Australia vs South Africa, Super Six |
| Tournament | 1999 Cricket World Cup |
| Date | June 13, 1999 |
| Venue | Headingley, Leeds |
| Toss | South Africa won the toss and batted |
| South Africa | 271/7 in 50 overs |
| Australia | 272/5 in 49.4 overs |
| Result | Australia won by five wickets |
| Player of the Match | Steve Waugh, 120* from 110 balls |
| South Africa top scorer | Herschelle Gibbs, 101 from 134 balls |
| Australia top scorer | Steve Waugh, 120* |
| Best bowling figures | Damien Fleming, 3/57 |
| Turning point | Gibbs failed to complete Waugh’s catch on 56 |
| Tournament impact | Australia qualified for the semifinals |
The complete archived scorecard confirms Australia reached the target after 49.4 overs, while Waugh received the Player of the Match award.
Why Match 14 Belongs in A Celebration of 5000 ODIs
The context makes the chase far heavier than 272 normally sounds.
South Africa had already secured a semifinal place. Australia had not. Contemporary reporting described the equation in the simplest possible terms: victory sent Australia through, defeat sent them home.
Australia had already produced extraordinary World Cup escapes, including the recovery revisited in Match 12, when Shane Warne overturned West Indies at Mohali. Headingley demanded something different. This time their captain had to rebuild a large chase after the top order disappeared.
It also added another chapter to South Africa’s growing World Cup history of brutal turning points, following their rain-damaged 1992 semifinal in Match 11 of this series and Brian Lara’s knockout century against them in Match 13.
Herschelle Gibbs Builds South Africa’s 271
Gibbs spent almost the entire South African innings constructing the platform.
Gary Kirsten fell for 21, but Gibbs and Daryll Cullinan added 95 for the second wicket. Cullinan’s 50 from 62 balls gave the partnership enough tempo without forcing Gibbs away from his method.
Shane Warne then intervened.
Shane Warne Stops South Africa From Breaking Away
Warne removed Cullinan and Hansie Cronje within three deliveries, turning 140/1 into 141/3.
His 10 overs cost only 33 runs and brought two wickets, giving Australia control during a phase when South Africa appeared ready to push well beyond 280.
Gibbs eventually reached 101, with 10 fours and a six, before Glenn McGrath bowled him at 219/4.
Klusener and Rhodes Supply the Finish
Jonty Rhodes made 39 from 36 balls before Lance Klusener did what he had been doing throughout the tournament.
Klusener smashed 36 from only 21 deliveries, including four fours and a six. South Africa reached 271 despite Damien Fleming taking three late wickets.
Klusener would finish the tournament with 281 runs at an average of 140.5 and 17 wickets, earning Player of the Tournament honors.
Australia Collapse to 48/3
Steve Elworthy bowled Gilchrist for five. Mark Waugh was run out for five. Martyn fell for 11.
Australia had lost three wickets before reaching 50.
The chase now required two things: survival against Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock and Elworthy, followed by enough acceleration to keep the required rate under control.
Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh managed both.
Ricky Ponting’s 69 Gives Waugh Somewhere to Build
Ponting’s 69 from 110 balls looks restrained beside Waugh’s eventual strike rate.
In context, it was exactly what Australia required.
The pair added 126 for the fourth wicket, taking Australia from 48/3 to 174/4. Ponting absorbed pressure while Waugh gradually began attacking the gaps.
Without that partnership, the famous dropped chance probably never becomes historically important.
Steve Waugh: 120* With Australia’s Tournament on the Line
Waugh reached 50 from 47 deliveries.
Then Gibbs gave him the life that became inseparable from the match.
The official ICC retrospective records Waugh on 56 when he flicked Klusener toward midwicket. Gibbs gathered the ball but released it before completing control while attempting to celebrate.
A famous story later claimed Waugh told Gibbs that he had “dropped the World Cup.” The line became cricket folklore, but both men subsequently denied that exchange happened.
The innings itself needs no embellishment.
Waugh reached his century from 91 deliveries and finished with 120 not out from 110, hitting 10 fours and two sixes.
Michael Bevan and Tom Moody Finish the Chase
Ponting departed at 174, but Michael Bevan kept Waugh company with 27 from 33 balls.
South Africa found another opening when Cronje removed Bevan at 247/5.
Twenty-five remained.
Tom Moody joined Waugh and scored 15 from 16 deliveries. Australia finally reached 272 from the fourth ball of the final over.
Two balls remained.
Their World Cup remained alive.
Complete Match Scorecard
South Africa Innings: 271/7 in 50 Overs
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gary Kirsten | c Ponting b Reiffel | 21 | 46 | 3 | 0 |
| Herschelle Gibbs | b McGrath | 101 | 134 | 10 | 1 |
| Daryll Cullinan | b Warne | 50 | 62 | 4 | 1 |
| Hansie Cronje | lbw b Warne | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonty Rhodes | c Mark Waugh b Fleming | 39 | 36 | 2 | 2 |
| Lance Klusener | c Warne b Fleming | 36 | 21 | 4 | 1 |
| Shaun Pollock | b Fleming | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Mark Boucher | not out | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nicky Boje | did not bat | ||||
| Steve Elworthy | did not bat | ||||
| Allan Donald | did not bat |
Extras: 21
Total: 271/7 in 50 overs
Fall of wickets: 45/1, 140/2, 141/3, 219/4, 250/5, 271/6, 271/7.
Australia Bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glenn McGrath | 10 | 0 | 49 | 1 |
| Damien Fleming | 10 | 0 | 57 | 3 |
| Paul Reiffel | 9 | 0 | 47 | 1 |
| Tom Moody | 8 | 1 | 56 | 0 |
| Shane Warne | 10 | 1 | 33 | 2 |
| Michael Bevan | 3 | 0 | 22 | 0 |
Australia Innings: 272/5 in 49.4 Overs
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mark Waugh | run out (Boje/Boucher) | 5 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Adam Gilchrist | b Elworthy | 5 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| Ricky Ponting | c Donald b Klusener | 69 | 110 | 5 | 2 |
| Damien Martyn | c Boje b Elworthy | 11 | 20 | 1 | 0 |
| Steve Waugh | not out | 120 | 110 | 10 | 2 |
| Michael Bevan | c Cullinan b Cronje | 27 | 33 | 2 | 0 |
| Tom Moody | not out | 15 | 16 | 2 | 0 |
| Shane Warne | did not bat | ||||
| Paul Reiffel | did not bat | ||||
| Damien Fleming | did not bat | ||||
| Glenn McGrath | did not bat |
Extras: 20
Total: 272/5 in 49.4 overs
Fall of wickets: 6/1, 20/2, 48/3, 174/4, 247/5.
South Africa Bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shaun Pollock | 9.4 | 0 | 45 | 0 |
| Steve Elworthy | 10 | 1 | 46 | 2 |
| Allan Donald | 10 | 0 | 43 | 0 |
| Lance Klusener | 10 | 0 | 53 | 1 |
| Hansie Cronje | 7 | 0 | 50 | 1 |
| Nicky Boje | 3 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
The Turning Points
Warne Removes Cullinan and Cronje
South Africa were 140/1 before Warne dismissed Cullinan and Cronje within three balls. It prevented the first innings from escaping Australia.
Australia Fall to 48/3
Elworthy’s opening spell placed Australia close to elimination before Waugh and Ponting began rebuilding.
Ponting and Waugh Add 126
The fourth-wicket partnership restored control and forced South Africa to search for wickets instead of simply defending 271.
Gibbs Gives Waugh a Life on 56
No single moment carries more historical weight. Waugh had already begun counterattacking, but South Africa had the opportunity to remove Australia’s captain with more than 200 runs still on the board.
They did not get another chance.
Man of the Match: Steve Waugh
There was no realistic alternative.
Gibbs made a century. Warne bowled superbly. Ponting played the innings Australia needed beside his captain.
Waugh carried the tournament.
His unbeaten 120 came with Australia staring directly at elimination, against one of the strongest bowling attacks of the era, after three early wickets and through a chase that lasted until the final over.
The ICC still ranks the innings among Australia’s greatest World Cup centuries.
Four Days Later, the Story Became Even Bigger
Australia’s victory pushed them into the semifinals.
Their opponent?
South Africa.
At Edgbaston, the teams produced a tie that remains one of the defining matches in World Cup history. Australia advanced because they had finished higher in the Super Six standings, a position secured by what happened at Headingley.
That makes Match 14 inseparable from what followed.
Australia would eventually beat Pakistan at Lord’s and win the World Cup, beginning an era of dominance that stretched through the 2003 and 2007 tournaments. Readers following the evolution of Australian ODI cricket can also revisit their first World Cup triumph in Match 7 and the extraordinary one-run escape against India in Match 6.
For the complete historical collection, visit the A Celebration of 5000 ODIs hub or follow current matches, features and analysis through The Sports Encounter Cricket Hub.
FAQs
Who won Australia vs South Africa in the 1999 World Cup Super Six?
Australia won by five wickets, reaching 272/5 with two balls remaining.
How many runs did Steve Waugh score?
Steve Waugh scored an unbeaten 120 from 110 balls with 10 fours and two sixes.
What happened with Herschelle Gibbs’ catch?
Gibbs appeared to take Waugh’s catch when the Australian captain was on 56 but lost control of the ball while beginning his celebration, so the dismissal was not completed.
Did Steve Waugh really tell Gibbs, “You’ve just dropped the World Cup”?
The line became famous cricket folklore, but both Waugh and Gibbs later denied that the exchange occurred.
Who scored a century for South Africa?
Herschelle Gibbs scored 101 from 134 balls.
Who was Player of the Match?
Steve Waugh was named Player of the Match for his unbeaten 120.
Why was the match so important for Australia?
Australia needed victory to qualify for the semifinals. Defeat would have eliminated them from the tournament.
What happened after Australia won?
Australia met South Africa again four days later in the semifinal at Edgbaston. The match ended in a tie, but Australia advanced because of their superior Super Six position and later won the World Cup.