-
Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.
You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!
If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.
WC Semi-Final '99 vs 438
- Thread starter Bees
- Start date
pup11
International Coach
Lol @ Matt
Anyways the 99 semi is quite comfortably the best ODI ever for me, i think the 438 game is a bit overrated, of course its a memorable game if you are a Saffie fan, but otherwise it was just a slog-fest with almost every second ball flying to the boundary, i would rather watch a low scoring ODI being played on a sporting track, compared to watching a high scoring ODI on a placid track.
Anyways the 99 semi is quite comfortably the best ODI ever for me, i think the 438 game is a bit overrated, of course its a memorable game if you are a Saffie fan, but otherwise it was just a slog-fest with almost every second ball flying to the boundary, i would rather watch a low scoring ODI being played on a sporting track, compared to watching a high scoring ODI on a placid track.
Migara
Cricketer Of The Year
Jono
Virat Kohli (c)
99 is easily better, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy plugging in my taped highlights of the 434 chase and sitting there in disbelief at how awesome Herschelle Gibbs' knock was.
People who didn't enjoy the 434 chase are snobs. It wasn't a bad game, it just wasn't the best ever which the marketing says it is. But hey, they're trying to sell DVDs of the game, its no different than the 05 Ashes being marketed as the greatest series ever. It may be, but it depends on the viewer.
People who didn't enjoy the 434 chase are snobs. It wasn't a bad game, it just wasn't the best ever which the marketing says it is. But hey, they're trying to sell DVDs of the game, its no different than the 05 Ashes being marketed as the greatest series ever. It may be, but it depends on the viewer.
dontcloseyoureyes
BARNES OUT
I don't see why it can't be classed as the best game ever. The game is likely to never be repeated. So the bowlers got smashed? So what? The game was ****ing amazing and jaw dropping to every single cricket fan on the planet, IMO, that makes it the best ODI in history.
Jono
Virat Kohli (c)
Yeah nah fair enough, I think it was more the point I was saying. Its probably not the best ODI IMO (99 holds that for me because of all the stories involved in that game).
But more to the point, if you don't think its the best ever, you can still absolutely love the match.
GIMH
Norwood's on Fire
Aye, who cares if the track was flat, boundaries were short, bowlers got annhilated etc, fact is that for a side to chase down that score is amazing. And as a cricket fan, I don't see how you can't enjoy such a feat (unless you were supporting the losing side, but it seems that most of the Aussies enjoyed this one anyway).
Certainly, agree with Jono, only snobbery could prevent you enjoying such a match. Was it the best match ever? Dunno, but like Smitteh certainly agree with people's right to call it as such.
Richard
Cricket Web Staff Member
The only reason I enjoyed the 434-plays-438 match was because SA won. They not only won, they staved-off what appeared mind-numbing inevitability after they'd been 2-0 up and lost a tight encounter the previous game then conceded 434. They defied so much of what appeared to be being "supposed" to happen. SA are supposed to lose in those situations so people can brand them "chokers". But they didn't. They defied everything. They broke rules. That made the game special to a SA supporter.
I still look back at the '99 WC semi and think "what a brilliant game" despite the fact that the team I wanted to win for all The World didn't win. And didn't win because of something as easily avoidable as me stepping onto a bomb placed outside my door with "I'M A BOMB" written on a sign. That SA lost was utterly gutting, but I still think the game was brilliant.
But had the 434-plays-438 game been between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, I honestly wouldn't be particularly fussed about ever seeing it again. It'd be vaguely interesting as a novelty, but that's it.
I still look back at the '99 WC semi and think "what a brilliant game" despite the fact that the team I wanted to win for all The World didn't win. And didn't win because of something as easily avoidable as me stepping onto a bomb placed outside my door with "I'M A BOMB" written on a sign. That SA lost was utterly gutting, but I still think the game was brilliant.
But had the 434-plays-438 game been between New Zealand and Sri Lanka, I honestly wouldn't be particularly fussed about ever seeing it again. It'd be vaguely interesting as a novelty, but that's it.
ozone
First Class Debutant
And had the scenario in WC99 semi-final been played out between Kenya and Bangladesh in a one off game in 2001, it wouldn't have been half the game it was. Fact is, it was Australia and South Africa that played the game and that added to the drama of it.
However, I will always enjoy watching the WC99 semi-final, for all the reasons people have argued the 434-438 game was better. The short-boundaries and flat-track may have made for great entertainment at the time but the fact is, there was better balance between bat and ball in the WC semi-final, and, for me, that makes it more enthralling cricket.
Richard
Cricket Web Staff Member
Of course it was. But the parochial element was also added, which is the important thing. I'm not arguing about any circumstance changes.
PhoenixFire
International Coach
AWTA so much. Annoys me when you get people on their high-horse saying how it couldn't possibly be the best game because it wasn't an even contest ect.
ozone
First Class Debutant
I think I disagree with this. Although I see your meaning that the WC game will have attracted far more attention because of it occurring in the world cup, I think the whole cricketing world looked at the 434-438 game and thought 'Wow'.
Harry Harrison
Banned
Very strange. Perhaps it was the only competition of the history where there was just 1 semi final. What a stupid thread it is. About which semi final of 99 you are talking about? Perhaps it is your first and the last thread.