This thread makes the assumption the last year's epic was the best ODI ever. In truth, a while ago here at CW, a thread was started asking what the best ODI ever was. Since you have so many posters from so many different countries here at CW, many different ODI's were listed. But one match was on nearly every single list, the '99 WC semi final.
When C4 asked it's viewers what the top 100 sporting moments of the 20th century were, cricket was poorly represented. Botham's Ashes made it, and not suprisingly since it has such a special place in English cricket folklore. But no English ODI's made it... in fact only one ODI made that list - the '99 World Cup semi final. That says something of that match that an English viewing public would rank that match as significant when England weren't part of that match.
And it has such a great backstory:
*South Africa in form and favourites to win
*Australia lacking form. People doubting Steve Waugh and Shane Warne
*Australia lose to Pakistan and New Zealand and only just beat Scotland.
*South Africa go undefeated until they have a shock loss to Zimbabwe. Those two points prove to be vital.
*Hershille Gibbs drops Steve Waugh while Waugh hits the ODI innings of his life, starting the choker tag. Australia win an unlikely game.
The semi final itself:
*South Africa look even more impossible to beat. Pollock and Donald flog the Aussie batting. Australia make 213 (I think) on a 260 pitch. They need early wickets.
*Early wickets don't come. SA 0-40 in no time flat. Surely a team with such batting depth can knock off an easy 170. The game seriously was like that, you felt SA only needed 170 to win.
*Warne comes on and deliveries the best one-day performance of all time in my opinion. Rips apart Hershille Gibbs with a brilliant delivery and inspires Australia with his magic, charisma, flair, gift for leadership etc.
*SA don't wanna touch Warne, they know he's having a great day. Takes three quick wickets and suddenly Australia are galvanised.
*After nine overs Warne has three wickets for 13 off nine overs. His stats don't show how good he really was because he went for 14 off his last over when Paul Riefel dropped a simple catch that would've given Warne figures of 4-13.
*Lance Klusener comes in and everybody gets a chill down their spine as he was by far the man of the tournament and in the best form I've ever seen an ODI player. He can steal the games. He honestly had a Viv Richards like presence in those days.
*Paul Riefel drops another catch, this time it was Klusener, and it rebounds off his hands for six! SA back in it. Such a dramatic twist.
*Klusener needs to steer SA home. He hits two fours off the last over.
*Steve Waugh is crushed, he thinks all is lost. The only time I've seen Waugh dejected and unable to lead.
*Darren Lehman misses a run-out chance to win it for Australia. Yet another desperate miss. Australia look to have choked. Two dropped catches and a missed run-out.
*Klusener runs himself out in a moment of insanity. Starting this great rivalry between two nations. It's a draw.
*Lastly, the match prolciamed the resurance of Warne. Who went on to demolish Pakistan in the final.
The interesting result:
*Both Australia and SA finished the super 6's on 6 points. Because Australia beat SA in the previous game, they go through. Had SA not had their fluke loss to Zimbabwe, they'd be through. At the time it was comparable to their recent loss to Bangladesh - just a fluke occurance.
*Australia had to win every game on to win the World Cup. Technically they did it, despite the loss.
Just everything about it was great - the drama, the backstory, the cruel fate, the ironic twists, the stage was set and the game delivered. At the time, characters like Steve Waugh, Shane Warne, Lance Klusener, Shaun Pollock etc made it even more special. It was just a period where the characters made the games so special.
