On June 17, 1999, Steve Waugh-led Australia met Hansie Cronje-led South Africa to book a final spot in the 2019 World Cup. South Africa won the toss and left Australia reeling at 68/4 in 17 overs.Mark Waugh, Ricky Ponting, Darren Lehman and Adam Gilchrist - all were back in the pavilion. Allan Donald, Shaun Pollock and Jacques Kallis wreaked havoc in the middle.Before the Proteas could run away with the match, Steve Waugh and Michael Bevan joined forces to forge a 90-run wicket partnership for the fifth wicket. Steve Waugh did the bulk of the scoring before departing for 56 off 76 balls. He was Pollock's second victim in the match.The right-arm pacer later picked three more wickets to finish with figures of 5/36 in 9.2 overs. Donald also picked four wickets for 32 runs in 10 overs. But Bevan stood tall and scored 65 off 101 runs to take South Africa past 200 and help them post 213
In reply, star South Africa pacers Herschelle Gibbs and Gary Kirsten gave South Africa a solid start. They forged a 48-run partnership for the first wicket before Shane Warne picked their wickets in successive overs.After dismissing Gibbs in the 13th over, Warne dismissed Kirsten on the first ball of the 15th over. Two deliveries later he helped his team get rid of Hansie Cronje who departed for duck. An excellent fielding effort from Bevan forced Daryll Cullinan also to walk back in the pavilion. The South Africa scorecard suddenly read 61/4 in 21.2 overs.South Africa looked all set to register a famous win over Australia even after Pollock's stump was cleaned by Damien Fleming. At the time when Pollock departed, South Africa needed 31 runs off 25 balls with Mark Boucher and Lance Klusener in the middle, and Steve Elworthy and Allan Donald still to come.The equation boiled down to 18 off 12 at the end of 48 overs. Glenn McGrath did what Warne did on previous two occasions in the match to bring back Australia in the game.Sixteen was needed off eight balls when Klusener slammed the ball towards long-on where Reiffel dropped the catch and fended the ball over the boundary rope for a six. With Klusener on strike, South Africa needed nine off the final over. Back-to-back boundaries from the star all-rounder brought South Africa on cusp of their maiden World Cup final. South Africa needed just a single off the last three balls. No run was scored on the third delivery. On the fourth delivery, Kulsener hit the ball past the bowler and set off for a single and comfortably reached the danger end, however, Donald did not run at all! By the time he realised, an underarm throw from Fleming was collected by Gilchrist who whipped off the bails to seal Australia's spot in the final where they defeated Pakistan.14 years later, South Africa are still looking to book their maiden spot in a World Cup final.
