GRAHAM GRIFFITHS, Birmingham | Friday 11.20am.
AUSTRALIA reached the World Cup final in the most dramatic finish in the competition’s 24-year history when they tied their semi-final with South Africa at Edgbaston on Thursday.
Both teams were each dismissed for 213 within their 50 overs but Australia went through because they finished above South Africa in the final standings of the Super Six second stage.
Australia, winners in 1987, play Pakistan in the final at Lord’s on Sunday.
Their semifinal reached a pulsating climax with nine needed off the final over and the last pair, Lance Klusener and Allan Donald, together.
The irrepressible Klusener, whose thunderous hitting has caught the imagination during the tounament, looked set to win the game for South Africa as he smashed each of the first two balls from Damien Fleming for four.
No run came from the third delivery, then Klusener straight drove the fourth and ran for what would have been the winning single.
But crucially, Donald was rooted to his crease watching the ball being fielded by Mark Waugh, who flicked it to Fleming. The bowler threw it on to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist who broke the stumps with Donald, having belatedly set off, well short of his ground.
Steve Waugh and his Australians celebrated joyously before the field was engulfed by thousands of spectators who had been captivated by a match that was even more compelling than Australia’s five-wicket win against the odds over the same opponents in their Super Six encounter last Sunday.
Skipper Waugh was the hero on that occasion. This time Shane Warne was the inspiration after his side set out to defend a modest total of 213 in 49.2 overs which they had made after being put in to bat in overcast conditions that subsequently gave way to cloudless skies when South Africa began their reply.
South Africa’s smooth start to their innings offered no hint of the trouble to come as Gary Kirsten and Herschelle Gibbs put on 48 in 12 overs, but the introduction of Warne shifted the balance as he snapped up three wickets in eight balls. — Reuters