OWN CORRESPONDENT, Leeds | Sunday 8.00pm.
STEVE Waugh played yet another masterful innings to lead Australia into the semi-finals of the World Cup on Sunday, scoring an unbeaten 120 as his team reached 272 for five to beat South Africa by five wickets in a Headingley thriller.
The result means the two rivals will meet again in the semifinals, at Edgbaston on Thursday, while Pakistan will play New Zealand at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
After South Africa hit an impressive 271 for seven in their 50 overs, Waugh faced a seemingly impossible task when he went to the crease with Australia 48 for three in the 12th over.
But he put on 126 with Ricky Ponting (69) for the fourth wicket — escaping when on 56 when Herschelle Gibbs dropped the ball while too early trying to celebrate — and 73 for the fifth with Michael Bevan (27).
Tom Moody hit an unbeaten 15 and was with his captain at the end of a marvellous performance.
Earlier, Gibbs had rattled up 101, the first century by a South African in the tournament, as their top order sparked for the second successive match.
Gibbs and Darryl Cullinan put on 95 for the second wicket before Shane Warne bowled Cullingham for 50 and trapped Hanse Cronje lbw three balls later.
Jonty Rhodes, back to his best, was immediately into his stride and gave Gibbs admirable support with 39 from 36 balls.
Gibbs was eventually bowled by Glenn McGrath, only for Lance Klusener to enter the fray and duly smash a trademark 36 in 21 balls before being brilliantly caught by Warne in the final over. — Reuters
Scoreboard:
South Africa
G.Kirsten c Ponting b Reiffel 21 (Balls faced 46)
H.Gibbs b McGrath 101 (134)
D.Cullinan b Warne 50 (62)
H.Cronje lbw b Warne 0 (3)
J.Rhodes c M.Waugh b Fleming 39 (36)
L.Klusener c Warne b Fleming 36 (21)
S.Pollock b Fleming 3 (3)
M.Boucher not out 0 (1)
Extras (lb-7 w-8 nb-6) 21
Total (for seven wickets, 50 overs) 271
Fall of wickets: 1-45 2-140 3-141 4-219 5-250 6-271
Did not bat: Nicky Boje, Steve Elworthy, Allan Donald.
Bowling: McGrath 10-0-49-1, Fleming 10-0-57-3, Reiffel 9-0-47-1, Moody 8-1-56-0, Warne 10-1-33-2, Bevan 3-0-22-0
Australia
M.Waugh run out 5 (9)
A.Gilchrist b Elworthy 5 (7)
R.Ponting c Donald b Klusener 69 (110)
D.Martyn c Boje b Elworthy 11 (20)
S.Waugh not out 120 (109)
M.Bevan c Cullinan b Cronje 27 (33)
T.Moody not out 15 (16)
Extras (lb-6 w-7 nb-7) 20
Total (for five wickets, 49.4 overs) 272
Fall of wickets: 1-6 2-20 3-48 4-174 5-247
Did not bat: Shane Warne, Paul Reiffel, Damien Fleming, Glenn McGrath.
Bowling: Pollock 9.4-0-45-0, Elworthy 10-1-46-2, Donald 10-0-43-0, Klusener 10-0-53-1, Cronje 7-0-50-1, Boje 3-0-29-0
Result: Australia beat South Africa by five wickets