A Celebration of 5000 ODIs
A Celebration of 5000 ODIs Match 15: One Run, Two Stranded Batters and South Africa’s World Cup Collapse
Lance Klusener carried South Africa within one run of the 1999 World Cup final before confusion with Allan Donald completed cricket’s most painful tie.
Lance Klusener had already struck the first two balls of the final over for four. The scores were level, South Africa had four deliveries left, and Australia appeared to have exhausted every escape route.
Then time seemed to slow down at Edgbaston.
Klusener drove Damien Fleming’s fourth delivery toward mid-off and ran. Allan Donald remained at the non-striker’s end, watching the ball instead of his partner. By the time Donald reacted, Klusener had reached the same end and Australia had transferred the ball to Adam Gilchrist.
The wicketkeeper broke the stumps. Donald dropped his bat. South Africa’s World Cup ended with both batters stranded at the wrong end and one winning run still unclaimed.
Australia and South Africa had scored 213 each, but the tie sent Australia into the final because they had finished higher in the Super Six standings. That combination of pressure, confusion and irreversible consequence makes the 1999 semifinal an essential part of A Celebration of 5000 ODIs.
TL;DR
- Australia and South Africa tied after both teams were dismissed for 213.
- Australia advanced to the World Cup final because they finished higher in the Super Six table.
- Michael Bevan scored 65 and Steve Waugh made 56 after Australia slipped to 68/4.
- Shaun Pollock took 5/36, while Allan Donald claimed 4/32.
- Shane Warne earned Player of the Match honors after taking 4/29.
- Lance Klusener struck 31 not out from 16 balls before Allan Donald was run out with the scores level.
Australia vs South Africa 1999 Semifinal: Match Information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | Australia vs South Africa, second semifinal |
| Tournament | 1999 Cricket World Cup |
| Date | June 17, 1999 |
| Venue | Edgbaston, Birmingham |
| Toss | South Africa won the toss and fielded |
| Australia | 213 all out in 49.2 overs |
| South Africa | 213 all out in 49.4 overs |
| Result | Match tied; Australia advanced |
| Player of the Match | Shane Warne, 4/29 |
| Top Australia batter | Michael Bevan, 65 |
| Top South Africa batter | Jacques Kallis, 53 |
| Best bowling figures | Shaun Pollock, 5/36 |
| Turning point | Klusener and Donald’s run-out with the scores level |
| Tournament impact | Australia advanced to face Pakistan in the final |
The official ICC review of the 1999 World Cup confirms that Australia progressed because of its higher Super Six position.
Complete Match Scorecard
Australia Innings: 213 All Out in 49.2 Overs
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Gilchrist | c Donald b Kallis | 20 | 39 | 1 | 1 |
| Mark Waugh | c Boucher b Pollock | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Ricky Ponting | c Kirsten b Donald | 37 | 48 | 3 | 1 |
| Darren Lehmann | c Boucher b Donald | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Steve Waugh | c Boucher b Pollock | 56 | 76 | 6 | 1 |
| Michael Bevan | c Boucher b Pollock | 65 | 101 | 6 | 0 |
| Tom Moody | lbw b Pollock | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Shane Warne | c Cronje b Pollock | 18 | 24 | 1 | 0 |
| Paul Reiffel | b Donald | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Damien Fleming | b Donald | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Glenn McGrath | Not out | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Extras | 1 bye, 6 leg byes, 3 wides, 6 no-balls | 16 | |||
| Total | All out in 49.2 overs | 213 |
Fall of wickets: 3/1, 54/2, 58/3, 68/4, 158/5, 158/6, 207/7, 207/8, 207/9, 213/10.
South Africa Bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shaun Pollock | 9.2 | 1 | 36 | 5 |
| Steve Elworthy | 10 | 0 | 59 | 0 |
| Jacques Kallis | 10 | 2 | 27 | 1 |
| Allan Donald | 10 | 1 | 32 | 4 |
| Lance Klusener | 9 | 1 | 50 | 0 |
| Hansie Cronje | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
South Africa Innings: 213 All Out in 49.4 Overs
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gary Kirsten | b Warne | 18 | 42 | 1 | 0 |
| Herschelle Gibbs | b Warne | 30 | 36 | 6 | 0 |
| Daryll Cullinan | Run out (Bevan) | 6 | 30 | 0 | 0 |
| Hansie Cronje | c Mark Waugh b Warne | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Jacques Kallis | c Steve Waugh b Warne | 53 | 92 | 3 | 0 |
| Jonty Rhodes | c Bevan b Reiffel | 43 | 55 | 2 | 1 |
| Shaun Pollock | b Fleming | 20 | 14 | 1 | 1 |
| Lance Klusener | Not out | 31 | 16 | 4 | 1 |
| Mark Boucher | b McGrath | 5 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Steve Elworthy | Run out (Reiffel/McGrath) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Allan Donald | Run out (Mark Waugh/Fleming/Gilchrist) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Extras | 1 leg bye, 5 wides | 6 | |||
| Total | All out in 49.4 overs | 213 |
Fall of wickets: 48/1, 53/2, 53/3, 61/4, 145/5, 175/6, 183/7, 196/8, 198/9, 213/10.
Australia Bowling
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glenn McGrath | 10 | 0 | 51 | 1 |
| Damien Fleming | 8.4 | 1 | 40 | 1 |
| Paul Reiffel | 8 | 0 | 28 | 1 |
| Shane Warne | 10 | 4 | 29 | 4 |
| Mark Waugh | 8 | 0 | 37 | 0 |
| Tom Moody | 5 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
The figures and dismissals have been checked against the archived ESPNcricinfo scorecard.
Michael Bevan and Steve Waugh Rescue Australia
South Africa’s attack created the first crisis of the semifinal.
Mark Waugh fell for a duck, while Donald removed Ricky Ponting and Darren Lehmann. Kallis dismissed Gilchrist to leave Australia 68/4.
Steve Waugh and Michael Bevan responded with a 90-run partnership. Their approach suited the conditions: cautious against Donald and Pollock, selective against the supporting bowlers, and willing to preserve wickets while rebuilding the innings.
Waugh made 56 from 76 balls before Pollock removed him. Bevan remained until the final delivery of the innings, scoring 65 from 101 balls. Those runs gave Warne and Australia’s seamers a total they could defend.
The innings continued Australia’s survival story from Match 14, when Waugh’s unbeaten 120 kept their World Cup alive against South Africa.
Shaun Pollock and Allan Donald Take Nine Wickets
Pollock and Donald gave South Africa almost complete control of Australia’s innings.
Pollock claimed 5/36, dismissing both Waugh and Bevan while also removing Mark Waugh, Moody and Warne. Donald’s pace brought him 4/32, including three wickets during Australia’s two major collapses.
Australia fell from 158/4 to 158/6 and later from 207/6 to 207/9. South Africa’s bowlers had done enough to make 214 appear manageable, but their batters would face an equally influential spell.
Shane Warne Changes the Semifinal in Eight Deliveries
South Africa reached 48 without loss. Gibbs had struck six boundaries and appeared ready to continue the form that brought him a century against Australia four days earlier.
Warne bowled him for 30.
Eight deliveries later, South Africa were 53/3. Warne had also bowled Kirsten and removed Cronje for a duck. The chase that had begun with confidence suddenly required reconstruction.
Warne later dismissed Kallis for 53, completing figures of 4/29 with four maidens. His ability to attack while suppressing runs earned him Player of the Match and recalled his earlier knockout intervention in Australia’s 1996 semifinal escape against West Indies.
Jacques Kallis and Jonty Rhodes Rebuild the Chase
Kallis absorbed the pressure created by Warne and gradually repaired South Africa’s innings. Jonty Rhodes then brought urgency, making 43 from 55 balls during an 84-run fifth-wicket partnership.
Their stand lifted South Africa from 61/4 to 145/4.
Reiffel removed Rhodes before Warne claimed Kallis. Pollock’s 20 from 14 balls kept the chase moving, but another series of wickets left South Africa at 198/9.
Only Klusener and Donald remained.
Lance Klusener Brings South Africa to the Brink
Klusener had dominated the tournament’s closing overs and approached the semifinal with the same aggression.
He struck 31 from 16 balls, including four fours and a six. South Africa needed nine from Fleming’s final over. Klusener hammered the first two deliveries through the field, leveling the scores immediately.
The third ball produced no run and nearly caused a run-out when Donald wandered from his crease. Australia missed that chance.
On the fourth, Klusener drove toward mid-off and committed to the single. Donald did not respond until it was too late. The ICC’s reconstruction of the final over preserves the chaos that followed.
Why Match 15 Belongs in A Celebration of 5000 ODIs
The final run-out remains unforgettable, but the match deserves inclusion for much more than its last four deliveries.
Both teams recovered from four-wicket collapses. South Africa’s two leading fast bowlers shared nine wickets. Bevan and Waugh constructed a partnership under elimination pressure. Warne overturned a stable chase, Kallis repaired it, and Klusener nearly finished it.
The semifinal also deepened South Africa’s painful World Cup history. Rain had destroyed their opportunity in the 1992 semifinal against England, while Brian Lara ended their unbeaten 1996 campaign.
Readers can follow the complete sequence through the dedicated A Celebration of 5000 ODIs collection or explore current matches and historical analysis through The Sports Encounter’s cricket coverage hub.
What Happened Next
Australia faced Pakistan at Lord’s three days later. Warne took another four wickets as Pakistan were dismissed for 132, and Australia won by eight wickets to claim its second men’s World Cup title.
South Africa left Edgbaston without technically losing the semifinal. Ninety-nine overs had failed to separate the teams, yet a previous defeat to Australia determined who advanced.
That is the cruelty at the center of Match 15. South Africa reached the same score, stood one run from the final and still went home.