Top 5 Test and Top 5 One-Day Internationals

[aussie]

Aus vs WI, 1999 in Barbados for me was more emotional than tha World Cup semi-final, when Lara smashed dizzy through cover for the winning runs i remember just falling to ground with disgust

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

can someone please tell me what happened in that match. Ive only been following cricket since 2002

There's a scorecard here: http://www.howstat.com/cricket/Statistics/Matches/MatchScorecard_ODI.asp?MatchCode=1566

Australia and South Africa had played a few days before in the final Super Six match, which Australia had to win to make the semi final. Australia got over the line with two balls to spare thanks to a brilliant century by Steve Waugh. They met again in the very next match in the semi final. Australia finished higher in the super six, so a tie or no result would get them through, as well as a win.

Australia lost the toss and were sent in, and they were in trouble early at 4/68. Steve Waugh and Michael Bevan had a big stand and Bevan was the 10th man out for 65, as Australia made a very gettable 213. Donald and Pollock finished with 9 wickets between them, and only three players aside from the half-century makers made it into double figures.

South Africa were cruising at a run a ball early on in reply and looked like they would win comfortably, before Warne came on and produced one of his trademark bowling displays like he had in the semi-final of the previous world cup against the West Indies. He came on inside the 15 overs, and his second ball bowled Gibbs with one of his all-time great deliveries. He took 4/29 off his 10 overs, and when he was done Australia were back on top. With 10 overs left, South Africa had stabilised and needed 69 off 60 to win with 6 wickets in hand. When Paul Reiffel got Jonty Rhodes out though, South Africa were 6/175 and needed 39 to win at more than a run a ball, when Lance Kluesener came to the crease. Pollock was bowled with a yorker, Boucher fell to a masterful effort from McGrath and Elworthy was run out coming back for a pointless two, and South Africa were left needing 16 with one wicket left when Allan Donald came to the crease in the 49th over. Kluesener hit it around and maintained the strike into the final over, with South Africa at 9/205 needing 9 to win. He was on 23 off 12 at this point, and with his big hitting South Africa looked like they would easily win it and knock Australia out of the world cup. He hit the first ball for four, and the second for four as well with one of the most amazing one day shots I can remember, off a yorker which looked impossible to get away. The scores were level with South Africa needing 1 off 4 to win, and Kluesener on 31 off 14. Next ball all the field was inside the circle with just a single needed to win. Kluesener hit it straight to a fielder (can't remember who) and called no, with Donald backing up way down the wicket. The fielder had an easy run-out chance to make it a tie, but missed the throw and Donald made it back. The next ball (4th of the last over) was a very low full toss, and Kluesener hit it straight to mid-off and tore off down the wicket for no apparent reason, while Donald was scrambling to get back into his crease at the non-strikers end remembering his near dismissal while backing up off the previous delivery. The result was that Donald never saw Kluesener coming until it was too late, and the ball was relayed to Gilchrist who ran Donald out by a mile and the game ended in a tie, with Australia making the final on the basis of having won in the super six.

Probably doesn't sound as incredible as it was when it is described, but it was a simply awesome match. From Donald and Pollock destroying Australia and Bevan and Waugh fighting back to manage a decent score, then Warne producing absolute magic to put Australia on top, and then Kluesener smashing South Africa to what seemed certain victory, before he had his brain explosion and decided to take a suicidal run when you would expect a great hitter on 31 off 15 to back himself to score a single off one of the last two deliveries. All this for Australian fans with the memory of coming back from the dead in the same way against the West Indies in 1996, only to be thrashed in the final by Sri Lanka.

 

[SquidAU]

Good lord! Where do I begin?

Test Matches:

1. Australia v West Indies, Adelaide, 1992/93
2. India v Australia, Chennai, 2001
3. Australia v Pakistan, Hobart, 1999/00
4. England v Australia, Lords, 1997
5. India v Australia, Nagpur, 2004

ODI matches (really too many to choose from):

1. Australia v South Africa, Edgbaston, 1999
2. Australia v New Zealand, Melbourne, 2001/02
3. Australia v Pakistan, Hobart, 1992/93
4. Australia v West Indies, Sydney, 1992/93
5. Australia v West Indies, Sydney, 1995/96

All classics and all games I will never forget.