GRANT SHIMMIN & OWN CORRESPONDENT, Johannesburg | Sunday 6.30pm
LANCE Klusener was again the hero, smashing an unbeaten 52 in his 87 partnership with Mark Boucher, as South Africa won Sunday’s final one-day international to seal the ”revenge” series 2-1 against Australia.
Needing to better Australia’s 205 all out, Boucher smashed a four for SA to reach 209/6 in his unbeaten 55 to win the game by four wickets with 13 balls remaining. Klusener, named man-of the-match for his 52 off 50 balls and 2/45, was also named man-of-the-series.
It was a jubilant win in South African cricket’s blackest week, after former captain Hansie Cronje was sacked in disgrace when he admitted accepting money from a bookmaker.
For new caption Pollock it was a fitting end to his 100th one-day cap, especially to win such an important series at such a troubled time.
Klusener, who joined Boucher when South Africa had slumped to 122 for six in pursuit of 206 for victory, smashed nine fours as he raced to his half century off just 49 balls, finishing unbeaten on 52 as South Africa won with 13 balls to spare.
Boucher finished off the match off with two fours off medium pacer Ian Harvey in the 48th over, the first taking him to his half century off 85 balls.
”Lance and Mark showed great character. We really needed to fight there and they came through for us,” said Pollock.
”It’s been a hard week but I think it’s done a lot to pull the boys together, because we all have a lot of respect for Hansie (Cronje).”
South Africa lost openers Gary Kirsten and Herschelle Gibbs with only 19 on the board but Jacques Kallis and the recalled Andrew Hall consolidated and then took the score from 36 for two after 13 overs to 91 for two after 19 with some exhilarating strokeplay.
Shane Warne was hit for three fours by Kallis off his first four deliveries, eventually conceding 13 in the over.
However, just as quickly as the run spree had started it shuddered to a halt. Hall steered the first ball of Warne’s third over to extra cover to be dismissed for 46, ending a partnership with Kallis of 72 off 80 balls.
Two more wickets fell in the next over to plunge South Africa into trouble at 91 for five. Kallis fell to paceman Brett Lee for 30 and three balls later Nicky Boje was beaten for pace by Lee and trapped leg before.
Jonty Rhodes uncharacteristically faced 42 balls for just four runs before holing out to mid-on off Warne after a 31-run partnership with Boucher which took 10.5 overs.
For Klusener — who finished the series with 90 runs and 2/72 for 20 overs — the victory sweetened the disappointment of the dramatic World Cup semi-final loss in Birmingham last year, where tue star all-rounder ran his last wicket partner Allan Donald out needing just one run to win the tied match. Australia went on to beat Pakistan after finishing higher in the previous Super Six round.
Earlier, Australia had done well to get to 205, Pollock taking two wickets, of Shane Warne and Brett Lee, in the final over to finish with four for 37.
Australian captain Steve Waugh, whose stuck an essential half century, called the deciding one-dayer ”an excellent game of cricket. South Africa were just too good today”.
The series was tied 1-1 after South Africa won the opening game at Kingsmead by six wickets and Australia claimed the second at Newlands by five wickets.
More than 31500 fans packed into the Wanderers to see the ”revenge” series, and were not disappointed as Sunday’s game moved into high drama — when Klusener was given the benefit of the doubt in a close lbw decision.
Ian Harvey (38) and Warne (32) made sure Australia posted a competitive total on what appeared to a difficult batting pitch at the Wanderers.
They added 52 for the eighth wicket after Australia had struggled to 149 for seven, following the dismissal of captain Steve Waugh for 51.
Pace pair Pollock and Mornantau Hayward removed top-order Adam Gilchrist (10), Mark Waugh (9) and Damien Martyn (6) in quick succession to reduce Australia to 37 for three. Martyn hit half-centuries in the first two games.
Michael Bevan (33) and Steve Waugh each survived a chance in quick succession off Makhaya Ntini as they fashioned a fourth partnership of 45.
Waugh looked shaky early on but reached his 50 off 81 balls with four fours. He fell when an attempted cut off Hayward failed and his middle stump was uprooted. — Reuters