On this day in 2006 – South Africa pull off a run-chase for the ages against Australia
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On this day (March 12), 15 years ago, South Africa and Australia played out a match for the ages on a batting beauty at the Wanderers Stadium in Johannesburg. Record after record was shattered as the ODI turned out to be one that defied all beliefs and odds. It was a match that had to be seen to be believed. A once in a lifetime ODI.
The match in Johannesburg was the final and deciding match of a hotly contested five-match series. Both teams had to play without their star bowlers – Shaun Pollock for South Africa and Glenn McGrath for Australia. The stacked Australian batting lineup with the likes of Simon Katich, Adam Gilchrist, Mike Hussey and Andrew Symonds and led by the charismatic Ricky Ponting made merry and piled up the runs to reach a total once could never have dreamt of back then: 434. The previous highest score had been 398.
The South Africans had more than a mountain to climb. Nobody would’ve believed they could pull it off. Herschelle Gibbs, their star batsman was in bad shape and had gotten so drunk the previous night that he had a terrible hangover. The South African staff even considered dropping him from the side. They ultimately chose not to and what a wise decision it proved to be!
South Africa pull off the impossible
In the chase, the South Africans sensed that they had no choice but to go after the bowlers on each and every delivery. They did exactly that. Graeme Smith and Mark Boucher hit explosive half centuries. The hungover Gibbs was the hero of the match scoring a whopping 175 runs of just 111 balls.
The Australians kept chipping away with wickets however and the match boiled down to the last two balls with 1 run required for South Africa who were 9 wickets down. Mark Boucher dispatched the delivery for a four and sealed victory for the South Africans. The South Africans invaded the field in celebration and they had every right to do so. They had just clinched the unlikeliest of wins and created history. The Australians’ record for highest score in an innings stood for barely 4 hours. The Aussies were in disbelief and so was the whole world.
The late Tony Greig commentating the match said “The Bullring has seen the best ODI ever played”. Because of the gravity of the match, the era, the circumstances and the craziness that unfolded on the pitch, this match will forever be remembered. It proved more than anything that if one believes, nothing is impossible.
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Nevin Clinton
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