Ali’s match reported has fizzed across the wires from Eden Gardens which is my cue to bid farewell.
Thanks for your company and comments, that was a stomach churning pleasure. Rob and Tanya will be back on Sunday to bring you the OBO of the 2023 World Cup final between India v Australia. Do join them for what promises to be a humdingin’ sporting occasion. Goodnight!
Australia captain Pat Cummins:
Being out in the middle is easier than being sat in the dugout! It was a nerve-wracking couple of hours but a great effort and a great game. The good thing is a few of us have been to finals before. The stadium is going to be packed and pretty one-sided but we’ve got to embrace it. The 2015 World Cup was a career highlight, so to be in a final in India, I can’t wait.”
South Africa captain Temba Bavuma:
It’s quite hard to put into words. Congrats to Australia, all the best to them in the final. They were outstanding for a large part of the game and thoroughly deserved victory.
Our character came through. It was a dog fight. The way we started with the bat and the ball was probably the turning point, we lost it quite badly there… They were ruthless… they really put us under pressure.
David Miller showed his mentality and what he can do as a player. We would have liked to have bowled better. Tabraiz Shamsi was terrific, we were competitive but we needed a lot to go right. We had chances - tough chances - but we put them down.”
Coetzee is a young guy and he was a warrior. There wasn’t much happening…. the wicket of Smith got us back into the game. He kept on going until he was cramping.
Quinton de Kock has had an outstanding tournament. He would have wanted to end on a different note but he’ll remember the fight we showed as a team. We’ve enjoyed playing with him, in South Africa he will go down as a legend of the game.”
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Travis Head is named Player of the Match for his two wickets in two balls and rapid fire fifty at the top of the order.
It’s hard to unpack all of that. A tense finish and an amazing game… we knew it was going to be a grind.
Head suffered a broken hand heading into the tournament and says that he didn’t believe he’d be here at all a few weeks ago, let alone steering his team into the final. He says India have an “unbelievable attack” – I presume he specifically means with the ball rather than bat but in truth he could mean either.
I never dreamed of being in a World Cup final.”
Well played Australia, they truly are masters of global tournaments and will face up against India at the 130,000 seater Narendra Modi stadium in Ahmedabad in Sunday’s final (their EIGHTH). The home side are clear favourites but the pressure of a World Cup final can do funny things. It promises to be an epic occasion.
Hats off to South Africa, they gave it their everything in the field and there were moments when it looked like they might pull it off, the wicket of Glenn Maxwell particularly. Those early wickets cost them dear in the end, not many sides recover from 24-4 and so it proved.
They fought bloody hard, this South African team. There's no dishonour in this loss. They came back, time and again. This one will hurt - just like the ones before - but it should not consume them. Many things went right. Just not enough. #SAvAUS #CWC2023
— Firdose Moonda (@FirdoseM) November 16, 2023
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AUSTRALIA WIN BY 3 WICKETS!
There it is! Pat Cummins crunches a short and wide ball away for four to book his side a place in the 2023 World Cup Final. South African hearts are broken in the semi-finals once again.
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47th over: Australia 211-7 (Starc 16, Cummins 9) Just a single off Markram so on we go. It is going to be Jansen to bowl again. Poor lad. The moment of victory can’t be far away!
46th over: Australia 210-7 (Starc 16, Cummins 9) It feels slightly cruel on Marco Jansen for him to be bowling here, he’s had a horrible game and looks utterly crestfallen. Four! That won’t help – a full ball is clipped through midwicket by Starc. Just three needed now for Australia. Still no sign of Rabada, Aidan Markram is going to bowl what could be the last over, the fight seems to have drained from South Africa now.
45th over: Australia 206-7 (Starc 12, Cummins 9) Markram continues. Two runs safely collected from it. Seven needed for Australia, two hits and they’ve done it. The tension is still palpable, the crowd are on their feet and the players are chewing their nails. Still no sign of Rabada, Marco Jansen is coming on to bowl.
44th over: Australia 204-7 (Starc 11, Cummins 8) Gerald Coetzee is bowling again but looks to be dead on his feet. I think Kagiso Rabada might have been a better bet here seeing as Coetzee looks barely able to stand. Whole hearted stuff from the bowler – who somehow manages to keep it to a single off the over. On we go – 9 needed for Australia – 3 wickets for South Africa.
43rd over: Australia 203-7 (Starc 11, Cummins 7) Markram sends down a leg side wide to gift the Aussies a freebie single. Close! A chip into the leg side almost carries to a diving David Miller! South Africa have their heads in their hands. Two runs off it, ten needed for Australia to book their place at the final in Ahmedabad on Sunday.
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42nd over: Australia 201-7 (Starc 11, Cummins 6) Here comes Coetzee, he’s given Australia the willies in the last half an hour or so. Bowling with a grunt and a snarl, sweat pouring off him. Four runs! Cummins keeps calm and steers through point for a very welcome boundary for his side. The ball slips from Coetzee’s sweat covered fingers like a bar of Imperial Leather in a hot shower and it is a waist high full toss – NO BALL – FREE HIT. Gah. Here we go with the freebie – bowled’ im! Starc tries a huge hoick and misses, the ball hitting the off stump and de Kock scrabbling to stop the single. 12 runs needed for Australia, Coetzee is out on his feet.
One hell of a spell from the youngster Coetzee – eight overs straight, still hitting 92mph and getting rid of both of the set batters.#CWC23
— Yas Rana (@Yas_Wisden) November 16, 2023
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41st over: Australia 195-7 (Starc 11, Cummins 1) Aidan Markram is on to bowl with a slip in place. South Africa on the hunt for these three historic wickets. Are we in line for a classic here? A full toss is worked away by Cummins to get off the mark and Starc prods down the ground to make it 18 runs to win for Australia.
40th over: Australia 193-7 (Starc 10, Cummins 0)
NOT OUT. The ball was smashing into the stumps but clearly pitched outside leg-stump. South Africa lose their final review. You hope that isn’t their Tim Paine 2019 Ashes at Headingley moment but that may well come back to haunt them. 20 runs needed, 3 wickets yearned for.
South Africa go up for a review for LBW against Pat Cummins!
WICKET! Inglis b Coetzee 28 (Australia 193-7)
Yorked him! Coetzee removes Inglis to keep South Africa in it. 20 runs needed for Australia and three wickets for South Africa. Pat Cummins is the new man.
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39th over: Australia 190-6 (Inglis 27, Starc 6) Maharaj finishes his ten overs with 1-24. He’s bowled magnificently with no scoreboard pressure to help his cause. Heads are starting to go down in the field, is this out of reach for South Africa now?
38th over: Australia 188-6 (Inglis 27, Starc 2) Coetzee steams in, headband pulled taut to his for’ead. He finds the edge… but the ball flies safe from Starc’s bat, wide of de Kock for four runs. Ouch, that hurts. Steve Finn on TMS thinks Bavuma needs to get his catchers in, there’s no point trying to save runs at this stage, wickets is the only currency for South Africa. Close! Starc is hopping on the crease and nearly plops a return catch to Coetzee in his follow through, the ball just flying wide and up to mid-on.
37th over: Australia 184-6 (Inglis 27, Starc 2) Tabraiz Shamsi finishes with 2-42 off his ten overs. He can’t find the crucial breakthrough off his final over though, five dots are followed by a clip for two from Inglis.
Good knock this from English
— Barney Ronay (@barneyronay) November 16, 2023
Arf.
36th over: Australia 182-6 (Inglis 25, Starc 2) Inglis pops the Proteas balloon by driving a full ball from Coetzee through the covers for four. The required total drops to 31 runs. Getting towards do or die time for South Africa. Maharaj still has one over up his sleeve. Shamsi too, and here he is to bowl it.
“Hi James”
Hello Colum Fordham.
“This has become an unexpectedly enthralling encounter. Whatever the result, Bavuma has marshalled his troops well defending a small total, with excellent bowling changes and aggressive fields.
Yes he’ stuck one in the eye to his detractors, not that they’ll skulk off if South Africa succumb.
“This ODI does resemble the last session of a gripping test match in some ways, in terms of the palpable tension. A couple of wickets and who knows?”
I’d snap your hand clean off for a couple, Colum.
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35th over: Australia 177-6 (Inglis 20, Starc 2) Gerald Coetzee has been a potent force for South Africa in this tournament and he celebrated the Smith wicket with proper gusto. He reminds me of a character from StreetFighter, maybe Ryu or Ken? Any Super Nintendo kids out there?
Shamsi is recalled by Bavuma and he has six balls at Mitchell Starc. The big leftie bowler manages to clip the fourth ball for a single and the unflappable Inglis returns the strike with the same.
STEVE SMITH IS OUT! ❌
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) November 16, 2023
HUGE from Coetzee! Smith top edges it high into the air and De Kock takes the catch 🧤 pic.twitter.com/u6nwLNn9ce
Hadouken!
34th over: Australia 175-6 (Inglis 19, Starc 1) Smith bent double over his bat after that catch was taken, he hung his head and trudged off slower than a tractor on a country lane. He can’t believe what he’s done – it was an unneccesary cross batted swipe at a short ball. The Aussies are determined to keep giving South Africa a glimpse of the World Cup final.
Huge pressure on Josh Inglis and new batter – Mitch Starc who collects one with a drive into the off side.
“Can’t believe someone as experienced as Smith would even consider hitting anything up in the air - so many overs left!” You and the Smudger himself, Dean Kinsella.
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WICKET! Steve Smith c de Kock b Coetzee 30 (Australia 174-6)
Smith sends up a skier and de Kock takes a tumbling catch. Stand by your beds! 39 runs plays four wickets.
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33rd over: Australia 174-5 (Smith 30, Inglis 19) Rabada replaces Maharaj – perhaps Bavuma is keeping him back for one over if a wicket does fall. Big If. Tidy over from Rabada, keeping the pressure on, just two singles off it.
32nd over: Australia 172-5 (Smith 29, Inglis 18) Gerald Coetzee continues and Steve Smith edges through the vacant slip region for four. South Africa need to make a breakthrough – this Maxwell moment seems a while back now -
MASSIVE MOMENT!! 👀
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) November 16, 2023
That celebration from Shamsi tells you how BIG that wicket is for South Africa 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Rxgezd7Xsx
31st over: Australia 165-5 (Smith 24, Inglis 17) Maharaj into his penultimate over, three runs worked off him and the partnership between Smith and Inglis goes to 28 runs, the Aussies were teetering like a drunk on a trampoline when Maxwell was bowled. Less than 50 needed now for Australia, South Africa need to go BANG and then BANG.
South Africa fans (and @FirdoseM) right now … #AusvSA pic.twitter.com/tPHREM8tfn
— Andrew Miller (@miller_cricket) November 16, 2023
Quite.
30th over: Australia 162-5 (Smith 22, Inglis 16) A big change as Bavuma takes Shamsi off and brings the pace of Coetzee back, it doesn’t go to plan as Inglis uses the extra pace to glide for four wide of slip. Every boundary, nay run, is a wounder for South Africa. 51 needed for Australia, we were firmly in it, but maybe we are now heading out of *SBT?
Squeaky bum time pic.twitter.com/uGQXbXIxOQ
— Bryan’s Gunn (@bryansgunn) March 19, 2023
Yes, I am trying to tempt fate.
29th over: Australia 155-5 (Smith 21, Inglis 12) Maharaj into his eighth over, he’s shown why he is the numero uno ODI bowler on the planet today – he has 1-19 so far. He’d dearly want a couple more in the wickets column, just a single off the over.
28th over: Australia 155-5 (Smith 21, Inglis 11) Australia are recovering well here, five runs off the over, Inglis plays a nice looking drive for four to calm a few nerves. 58 more runs needed for the Green n Gold. Five scalps for the Proteas. Where’s your moolah?
27th over: Australia 150-5 (Smith 21, Inglis 6) It’s all or nothing here for South Africa, they have to make some further breakthroughs with the spinners. Inglis nudges a couple and four runs are pocketed off the over. The keeper/bat has had a quiet tournament but all will be forgiven if he can get Australia to the final here.
26th over: Australia 146-5 (Smith 19, Inglis 4) The ball is spinning sharply, Shami and Maharaj have nine overs left between them. This is the key part of this match, if Steve Smith can see them off then Australia have plenty of time to get these runs. Wickets is the crucial equation in the next few overs. A couple more and it is into the tail.
25th over: Australia 141-5 (Smith 19, Inglis 4) Just a single off Maharaj as everybody catches their breath.
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24th over: Australia 140-5 (Smith 16, Inglis 2) Inglis clips for two to leg. The crowd are rocking in Eden Gardens. I am twitching on my sofa in south London.
“This is beginning to remind me of another game...” Says James Male.
“Whatever you call it. No one can say South Africa is choking.” chirps up Arul Kanhere.
No. But I might be Arul.
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WICKET! Maxwell b Shamsi 1 (Australia 137-5)
Shamsi bowls Maxwell and the atmosphere is electric in Kolkata. A shorter ball that skids on and evades Maxwell’s short arm jab across the line. The Big Kahuna departs the scene and Josh Inglis arrives at the crease.
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GLENN MAXWELL IS OUT!
The game is alive.
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23rd over: Australia 134-4 (Smith 14, Maxwell 0) MY DAYS. Another eardrum splitting appeal from South Africa as de Kock thinks Maxwell has edged behind off a reverse-sweep. The umpire says not out and the replays back it up, clear daylight between bat/glove and ball. Great decision under huge pressure by Umpire Nitin Menon. DO NOT GO ANYWHERE.
WICKET! Labuschagne lbw b Shamsi 18 (Australia 133-4)
Marnus fluffs a reverse-sweep and is given out LBW! He sends for the review but it doesn’t save him. Do South Africa have a sniff here? They need to get rid of the incoming batter almost immediately – his name? Glenn Maxwell. Gulp.
HUMONGOUS APPEAL FIRST BALL TO MAXWELL… GIVEN NOT OUT. No edge. No dice. South Africa feel this is their moment though. The ball is spinning like BillyO.
22nd over: Australia 133-4 (Smith 12, Maxwell 0)
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21st over: Australia 130-3 (Smith 12, Labuschagne 18) Marnus sweeps Maharaj in front of square for four. Australia working their way towards the target in more sedate fashion than when Head was going ballistic earlier.
NICHE STAT ALERT: Markram & Maharaj both hit the stumps with their first delivery today - only the third time in ODIs (where ball-by-ball data available) that two bowlers from the same team have bowled out an opponent with their first ball; first time two spinners have done it.
— Andy Zaltzman (@ZaltzCricket) November 16, 2023
Zaltz doing his thing.
20th over: Australia 124-3 (Smith 11, Labuschagne 13) Shamsi continues and overpitches, Marnus pouncing on it and driving away for a welcome boundary. 89 more needed for Australia.
19th over: Australia 119-3 (Smith 11, Labuschagne 8) Maharaj looks so dangerous here, he beats Marnus with a beauty that turns off the straight. Australia only need another 94 runs, what South Africa would give to have taken those dropped chances and to have made another 40 runs more in their innings. Shoulda Woulda Coulda.
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18th over: Australia 118-3 (Smith 11, Labuschagne 7) Shamsi gets BIG TURN and the ball jags back into Steve Smith who has had a quiet start to the innings. The King of the Nuggets very much in watchful mode, as is his protege down the other end. ANOTHER DROP! Shamsi finds Smith’s edge with a lovely looping delivery but de Kock can’t cling on behind the stumps. I make that three spilled chances for South Africa. Their impression of the great Julie Walters is not going to help their chances of reaching the World Cup final.
Two Soups.
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17th over: Australia 116-3 (Smith 10, Labuschagne 6) A quiet over to start us off again, Maharaj is getting some drift and turn, changing up his speeds. Difficult, difficult, lemon difficult. Just two runs off the over, you might be asking yourself why in the name of the Lord in high heaven did Bavuma not summon his prize left-armer until the 14th over. I know I certainly am.
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16th over: Australia 114-3 (Smith 9, Labuschagne 5) Potentially a HUGE moment in this chase as Shamsi spins one into Labuschagne with the batter hanging back in the crease. The ball hits the pad and South Africa very much like the look of it! It is given Not Out on the field but they send it upstairs immediately. Close! The ball was smashing into the stumps but Marnus survives on umpires call as the ball just hit him outside the line of off stump as he shuffled across his stumps. A frenetic first hour of this chase and the players take drinks. Make mine a double! (Alas, tea).
His leg is before the wicket. https://t.co/cVlH8z0uAo
— Cameron Ponsonby (@cameronponsonby) November 16, 2023
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15th over: Australia 109-3 (Smith 9, Labuschagne 2) Marnus replaces Travis Head and with his departure and the arrival of these two it will be death by a thousand nurdles for South Africa unless they keep taking wickets. Maharaj looks dangerous, just three singles collected off his over. Australia need 104 runs, South Africa need 7 wickets.
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WICKET! Head b Maharaj 62 (Australia 106-3)
Head is toppled! Maharaj strikes with his first ball. Hope, is that you?
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14th over: Australia 104-2 (Head 62, Smith 8) Tabraiz Shamsi is given the nod, strangely no sign of Maharaj yet. Me either. Drop! Another drop! Shamsi takes the edge off a poke from Head and the ball bursts through the hands of Klaasen in the slips. Gah! South Africa cannot afford these missed chances. 100 up for the Aussies.
13th over: Australia 98-2 (Head 55, Smith 7) Head flays Markram through the covers for four. Six off the over, nearly a hundred up for Australia – looking terminal for the Proteas.
12th over: Australia 92-2 (Head 54, Smith 2) Coetzee comes on to replace Rabada. His first ball is short and outside off stump, Travis Head clubs in the air and is DROPPED*. Noooooo! You cannot do that Reeza Hendricks. Tricky chance but Hendricks got two hands to it diving forwards. They are always the hardest to take but my South Africa needed that. Salt meet Wound. Head then muscles the next three ball for consecutive fours! The Walrus tach’d opener is seeing it like a beachball – bunting down the ground and hacking through mid-wicket. FIFTY for Travis Head – off just 40 balls.
*Talking of drops – we’ve all been there – haven’t we? This is a lovely piece that has just gone online, originally in The Nightwatchman.
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11th over: Australia 77-2 (Head 40, Smith 1) Markram continues and gets away with just three singles off the over. Steve Smith gets a lucky inside edge off a full ball to get off the mark.
David Warner today goes past Michael Bevan to 6925 ODI runs. Now only behind the Waughs, Clarke, Gilchrist and Ponting for Australia - in miles fewer matches, at a much better average and strike rate. pic.twitter.com/Za070RycZS
— Geoff Lemon Sport (@GeoffLemonSport) November 16, 2023
Batted, Davey.
10th over: Australia 74-2 (Head 38, Smith 0) Power play complete. At this stage South Africa were 18-2. Ahh. Head drives Rabada down the ground for four and then scampers a single to point. Steve Smith is then beaten on the outside edge by Rabada but there’s nay wood on it.
9th over: Australia 68-2 (Head 33, Smith 0) Markram is given another over after making the crucial breakthrough last over. Head drops to his knees (and toes, and toes. Sorry.) and sweeps powerfully for… SIX! Head is going to keep taking it on, if he bats for a few more overs in this vein then Australia will be near enough even if he gets out.
8th over: Australia 61-2 (Head 26, Smith 0) Steve Smith is the new batter. Are we going to see something unbelievable here? Two more quick wickets would make this preety preeety interesting.
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WICKET! Mitchell Marsh c van der Dussen b Rabada 0 (Australia 61-2)
WHAT A CATCH. Rassie van der Dussen leaps full length at short cover and plucks a full blooded back foot drive from Marsh out of the air! South Africa hit back!
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WICKET! David Warner b Markram 29 (Australia 60-1)
Well now, Bavuma tosses the ball to Aidan Markram and it brings the wicket! Warner went back to a full ball and the ball scudded through him and into the stumps. Australia were going at ten an over there. Mitch Marsh is the new batter and he pats back a maiden. A wicket maiden. What a ridiculous sport.
7th over: Australia 60-1 (Head 17, Marsh 0)
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6th over: Australia 39-0 (Head 17, Warner 18) Travis Head and David Warner are marmalising South Africa at Eden Gardens. A huge 21 runs are slammed off the over, Kagiso Rabada the chastened man as Warner slogs him for six back over his head and it turns out the bowler has overstepped in the process – FREE HIT. Yep – Warner slots the freebie for SIX. Warner jumps across the crease like a man who has trodden on a dogs tail in a pub beer garden and scoops the full delivery for a maximum into the stands. Rabada tries a scrambled seam delivery and it is picked up early by Head who dispatches it over cow corner for another SIX.
Next stop Ahmedabad and India for the Aussies, barring something truly ridiculous.
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5th over: Australia 39-0 (Head 17, Warner 18) Cripes. Things are unravelling quickly here for South Africa. Marco Jansen is slapped for 15 runs off the over, Travis Head clubs two fours down the ground but the real gut punch is David Warner’s dismissive flick for SIX off a length ball. Jansen looks like he could cry. Brutal.
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4th over: Australia 24-0 (Head 9, Warner 11) Warner smites Rabada high and long over square leg for a huge six! The TV clocks it as 87 metres but it looked double that from my vantage point on a sofa in south London. Rabada does well to limit the damage to just seven runs off the over.
Here’s me old mucka Mark Beadle:
“Afternoon James, is this a good time to remind everyone that it wasn’t that long ago that Afg had Aus 91-7? How soon do we think spin will play its part?”
South Africa have the number one ranked ODI bowler in the word in the shape of Keshav Maharaj, i’d be turning to him very soon to try and make something happen here.
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3rd over: Australia 17-0 (Head 8, Warner 5) Marco Jansen is feeling the heat here, he’s carved over point for four by Warner and then sends down three gigantic wides that de Kock does remarkably well to prevent gifting three boundaries to the Aussies. The SA keeper throwing himself around behind the timbers like a greased up Peter Bonetti. One for the kids. South Africa already almost desperate for a wicket.
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2nd over: Australia 10-0 (Head 8, Warner 1) Rabada lifts one into Warner’s bat handle, the ball squirts to gully and they take a single. Close! Head flashes at a length ball and the edge flies wide of the slips and away for four. Live and die by the sword eh Trav.
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1st over: Australia 5-0 (Head 4, Warner 0) Travis Head shows his intent from the off, throwing the kitchen sink, toaster, kettle and fridge at a wide-ish delivery from Jansen’s second ball that lands just inside the rope. Jansen hangs his head but his teammates give him a gee up. Head tries the same to the next ball but connects only with fresh air. Close! Jansen jags one back that misses the stumps by the width of a Rizla. A very wide ball down the leg side gifts Australia another run. Five off the first over.
Ben Bernards is on the wires:
“I don’t think either SA nor AU are really *that* good and as a Kiwi, I would not say NZ were worth any more than another quite satisfactory semi-final finish. Conclusion? a) Yes, SA could absolutely roar back from here and win the game. B) Whoever wins is surely just cannon fodder in the final for the only side that in any way deserves the mantle of World Champ.”
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These first overs are HUGE. The players are heading out to the middle, Warner and Head in canary yellow with bat in hand, the lissom-limbed Marco Jansen in dark green with the new white orb. Big Marco owes his team a wicket or two after his first ball duck to… Travis Head during the Proteas innings. PLAY!
Thanks Rob and hello everyone. Now, call me a misty eyed buffoon if you must BUT I have a feeling in my bones that this might turn into a thriller. Early wickets are key of course but after having South Africa 22-4 and then 119-6 the Aussies find themselves with one of those pernicious little run chases on their hands in a World Cup semi-final.
If Travis Head sets off like bullet train rather than an Avanti West coast and Australia have taken a decent chunk of the total down in the power play overs then it’s Goodnight Viennetta… but I just have a feeling*.
*And obviously the sort of ego that will force me to go back and delete this in an hour or so, professional reputation and all that.
**Update** – Reader, I didn’t delete it. No need. It was kind of close. Kind of a thriller.
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Jim Wallace is waiting to be tagged in for Australia’s runchase, so I’ll leave you with another gem from the ever reliable Andy Zaltzman. Thanks for your company and emails – bye!
Miller's century is the first by someone batting 6 or lower in a men's World Cup knockout match. https://t.co/rooAfGOyTm
— Andy Zaltzman (@ZaltzCricket) November 16, 2023
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David Miller’s verdict
It’s really great to get a hundred, but only half the game is done. We fought at the end and got a … a decent score.
We know the pitch would be slower and it would turn. We were always on the back foot after losing four wickets in the Powerplay but we managed to salvage something at the back end.
Hopefully we can get a couple of early wickets, get that run-rate up as quick as possible and then put some under pressure with our spinners. I do think it’s a defendable score.
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Australia’s players walk off proudly after a terrificperformance in the field. Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood shredded the top order in helpful conditions, reducing a spellbound South Africa to 24 for four. But Heinrich Klaasen (47) and David Miller counter-attacked after a short rain break, with Miller making a truly brilliant 101. The other 10 batters scored 100 between them.
South Africa’s total feels light, but they would have taken it at 24 for four, and they will be encouraged by some extravagant turn for Australia’s occasional offspinners Glenn Maxwell and Travis Head.
Before South Africa’s spinners enter the contest, Marco Jansen and Kagiso Rabada need to resist the inevitable onslaught from Head and David Warner. If South Africa take early wickets, the match could develop into an epic.
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WICKET! South Africa 212 all out (Rabada c Maxwell b Cummins 10)
Rabada pumps Cummins to long-on, where Maxwell swoops to make a difficult catch look routine. Australia need 213 to win. You what now?
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49th over: South Africa 209-9 (Rabada 9, Shamsi 0) A mark of Miller’s innings is that he has outscored all teammates 101 runs to 92. That doesn’t happen often in a World Cup semi-final, certainly not in a completed innings.
The last time it happened, I think, was when Sachin Tendulkar made 65 against Sri Lanka in 1996. Technically that innings wasn’t completed, but I doubt Vinod Kambli, Anil Kumble and Ventakesh Prasad would have made another 20 between them. Kambli was a fine player, I know, and Kumble could bat too, but India were in such disarray that why the hell am I speculating on what might happened in a World Cup semi-final 27 years ago when there’s a real-life one going on right now.
Besides, South Africa aren’t done yet. Rabada hooks Starc high over backward square leg for six and takes a leg-bye to keep the strike for the final over. Starc ends a big-game spell with figures of 10-1-34-3.
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48th over: South Africa 203-9 (Rabada 3, Shamsi 0) Cummins greets Shamsi with a nasty short ball, then almost cleans him up with a yorker that just misses off stump. Shamsi survives the over, which is the best he can do.
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WICKET! South Africa 203-9 (Miller c Head b Cummins 101)
David Miller falls trying to hit his sixth six. He fetched a short ball from Cummins towards deep midwicket, where Head took a nonchalant catch on the boundary edge. That’s a huge wicket for Australia, potentially the difference between a target of 204 and 230.
It was a glorious innings from Miller: 101 from 116 balls, having come to the crease with South Africa 24 for four and in danger of losing all hope and dignity.
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DAVID MILLER HITS A MARVELLOUS CENTURY!
47.1 over: South Africa 202-8 (Miller 101, Rabada 3) David Miller becomes South Africa’s first World Cup semi-final centurion in style, hauling Cummins into the crowd at cow corner. That’s his fifth six.
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47th over: South Africa 196-8 (Miller 95, Rabada 3) Starc nails his yorker to keep Miller to a single. Rabada plays his part, ignoring a wide and clipping a couple of runs to leg. Most importantly of all, he gets nothing off the final delivery, which means Miller will have strike at the start of the next over. He probably needs to deal in even numbers from here. Apart from the last ball of the next over obviously.
“Like you said, the balance of power and disparities in teams’ levels mean that a ‘perfect’ World Cup format probably doesn’t exist at the moment,” says Matt Dony. “So why not try and level the playing field, and go full Krypton Factor? Sure, Kohli might be the greatest ODI batter ever, but can he land a plane in the simulation? Warner is in a destructive vein of form, but how’s his general knowledge? The England side would probably have excelled at the obstacle course, pushing them up a few places. We’d all watch that!”
For our non-British readership, this is what the hell Matt Dony is talking about.
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WICKET! South Africa 191-8 (Maharaj c Smith b Starc 4)
Starc replaces Zampa, who is nursing figures of 7-0-55-0. He’s too crafty for Maharaj, who toe-ends a wide delivery high in the air to mid-off. South Africa have 22 balls remaining, and if they get a run a ball it’ll take them to [WILL YOU SHUT UP ABOUT THE 1999 SEMI-FINAL – ed].
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46th over: South Africa 190-7 (Miller 94, Maharaj 4) Miller’s score is the highest by a South African in a men’s World Cup semi-final, passing Faf du Plessis’ 82 against New Zealand in 2015.
He moves into the nineties with a ferocious, beautifully placed pull for four off Cummins. It’s been an exemplary innings, one that will become career-defining if South Africa find a way to win. And cricket is a funny old game, because Miller was very close to being caught at slip for a golden duck.
“Keeping well old bean?” says David Bowen. “I was just speaking to a customer who is South African and he was hopping with rage. ‘From not knowing the Duckworth Lewis rule correctly to dropping catches, they always freeze at the semi-finals. They can’t seem to get it over the line despite playing well in the group’. I replied, ‘South Africa are the Tottenham Hotspur of cricket’. The response suggested I’d probably overstepped the customer-supplier boundary (no pun intended, unless you like it, in which case it is intended).”
45th over: South Africa 182-7 (Miller 88, Maharaj 2) Zampa continues, a fascinating decision for which he’ll be heavily criticised if Australia lose. Miller heaves the first ball for four, but once again Zampa pulls the over back impressively: 420101.
44th over: South Africa 174-7 (Miller 81, Maharaj 1) Oh good lord, we’ve got another addition to South Africa’s World Cup tales of woe. Coetzee didn’t glove the ball at all – it hit his arm before being caught by Inglis.
Coetzee did discuss a review with Miller but neither player was sure. And because Marco Jansen wasted an earlier review, they decided not to risk the last one.
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WICKET! South Africa 172-7 (Coetzee c Inglis b Cummins 19)
Cummins ends a good seventh-wicket partnership of 53. After a number of slower balls, he rammed in a sharp bouncer that Coetzee, trying to hook, gloved down the leg side.
That’s a useful wicket because Coetzee was playing a good supporting role.
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43rd over: South Africa 171-6 (Miller 79, Coetzee 19) A brave move from Pat Cummins, which is an odd thing to say when he is recalling his best bowler. But David Miller has an exceptional ODI record against Adam Zampa – 150-odd runs, no dismissals – so it’s a risky move, even if Zampa is brilliant at making batters fall on their sword.
Miller launches a flat straight six, his fourth off Zampa in this innings, but the rest of the over is really good. Seven off it in total.
42nd over: South Africa 164-6 (Miller 72, Coetzee 19) Starc off, Cummins on. Miller smacks two to deep cover, where Warner again fields like a 20-year-old. Cummins goes to his slower balls, three in a row, and Miller can’t get them away. Four from the over.
Since you asked, Australia were 165/6 at this stage in 1999. Come on, that’s pretty eerie.
“For T20 WCs, they tend to have a ‘pre-tournament’ for the lesser lights, but which is technically still part of the wider thing,” says Patrick Brennan. “Why not have:
8 automatic qualifiers (always including host/s)
2/4 remaining spaces decided by pre-qualifying, in which the next eight highest-ranking teams are split into two groups of four, play each other and the winners/top two qualify
10/12 teams in the main World Cup, with two groups of five/six. Top two of each group qualify for the semi-finals.
“Total – 35/45 games; max five and a half weeks (40 days or so).”
With Mickey Rourke and Kim Basinger narrating the official videeo. Your plan would almost certainly make for a better tournament, but it feels a bit Nations League. For no particular reason I like World Cups that are neat and symmetrical.
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41st over: South Africa 160-6 (Miller 69, Coetzee 19) Miller and Coetzee collide while taking a single, but thankfully for South Africa it doesn’t descend into farce, with both men on all fours in the middle of the pitch, Miller trying to crawl past Coetzee to ensure he isn’t the man who is run out.
Four singles from Head’s over. He and Zampa both have five lieft.
“In Nasser’s analysis of England’s performance (I know this isn’t about them but please bear with me) he suggested that they were exhausted after a gruelling home summer particularly the Ashes,” says Digvijay Yadav. “Well, surely that should also afflict the Australians? Since they have the same coach and captain in this format.
“Athers suggested that England struggle to prioritise both red ball and white ball cricket simultaneously. Again, from 2019-21, NZ reached the final of both white ball global events and won the WTC. This year we might have the same finalists for both the WTC and the WC. Again, why should that be an issue?”
It’s partly because England play more cricket, though that doesn’t explain why it’s such a recurring problem. It was the same when Eoin Morgan’s ODI team and Michael Vaughan’s Test team excelled. Even when England dominated Test cricket in the 1950s, they didn’t win a single white-ball match.
40th over: South Africa 156-6 (Miller 67, Coetzee 18) Maxwell shakes his head ruefully after being Miller again. He ends another handy spell with figures of 10-0-35-0.
At this stage of the famous 1999 semi-final, the team batting first were 158 for six. Maybe we misinterpreted the big man earlier in the day.
39th over: South Africa 154-6 (Miller 66, Coetzee 17) Mitchell Starc replaces Maxwell, who has one over remaining. He starts arond the wicket to Coetzee, who lasers a drive through extra cover for four. That’s a terrific shot.
The length of South Africa’s tail in this tournament has probably been overplayed. Coetzee, Maharaj and Rabada can all bat. It helps that they are playing all three today; in some games they have had two No11s in Shamsi and Ngidi. Afternoon Ollie.
38th over: South Africa 149-6 (Miller 66, Coetzee 12) Miller drags Maxwell over midwicket for another four, a good shot rather than a poor ball. In his two World Cup semi-finals he has scored 115 runs off 104 balls, so he’s exempt from any criticism.
So, for the time being, is Coetzee, who is playing a sensible supporting role. South Africa are inching towards a competitive score.
37th over: South Africa 141-6 (Miller 60, Coetzee 10) A statbox shows that Head, a part-time finger-spinner, is getting 4.3 degrees of turn, the most at this World Cup. Just two singles from Head’s fourth over.
The way it’s turning means South Africa are still in this contest. I think.
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36th over: South Africa 139-6 (Miller 59, Coetzee 9) Maxwell undoes a terrific over with a half-tracker that Miller belabours through midwicket for four. He screams with frustration at giving away such a cheap boundary.
The other concern for South Africa is that, whatever target they set, the ultra-aggressive pair of Travis Head and David Warner could end the contest before the spinners on. It’s a fascinating struggle; we’re at the sweet spot where it’s possible to envisage a crushing win for one team, a nerve-shredding win for the other or anything in between.
35th over: South Africa 134-6 (Miller 55, Coetzee 8) A flighted half-volley from Head is spanked to the cover boundary by Coetzee. Later in the over Miller is beaten by a ripper, the kind of delivery Muttiah Muralitharan would have happily called his own. If Travis Head is doing that, Keshav Maharaj – the world’s No1 bowler – should have exceedingly moist lips.
“What’s the best format possible for a World Cup?” says Arul Kanhere. “Given it should ensure enough jeopardy and an increased number of teams while finishing in under 30 days.”
I would start with the ideal that no team should be able to lose more than two games and still win the competition, then work back from there. I guess that would mean four groups of four, which will never happen for obv£io$ reasons. And even four groups of four is not ideal. As in rugby, the current balance of power makes it very difficult to find a good format.
34th over: South Africa 129-6 (Miller 55, Coetzee 3) With Coetzee getting his eye in, Maxwell hurries through another over. One ball turns sharply to hit Coetzee just outside the line; the next goes straight on to take the edge and fly past Inglis for a single. It’s spinning out there.
33rd over: South Africa 125-6 (Miller 54, Coetzee 2) Travis Head skids one past Coetzee’s outside edge. Two from the over, which was completed in about two minutes. That’s drinks.
32nd over: South Africa 125-6 (Miller 53, Coetzee 1) Now Maxwell gets one to rag past Miller’s outside edge. There’s a stumping referral after good work from Inglis, but Miller’s back foot went nowhere. South Africa have two proper spinners plus Aidan Markram, so even a modest score of around 200 might be competitive. They’ll regret it forever if they fold for 150-odd.
Their best hope of reaching a half-decent score is David Miller. He lashes Maxwell through extra cover for four to reach an aggressive, fiercely determined half-century from 70 balls.
31st over: South Africa 119-6 (Miller 48, Coetzee 0) Coetzee survives the hat-trick ball, another big offbreak. Head turned it more in that over than Zampa and Maxwell combined, which suggests Keshav Maharaj will be South Africa’s key bowler.
Klaasen will be filthy about his dismissal. He’s such a good player of spin and had spanked 25 off the previous 13 deliveries. And then he went and spoiled it all by doing something stupid like missing a straight one.
Jansen pushed outside the line of a big offbreak that hit him on the kneeroll in front of off stump. He reviewed apologetically, almost sheepishly, and replays confirmed what he already knew: it was hitting leg stump and South Africa lose a review. More to the point, Travis Head is on a World Cup semi-final hat-trick!
WICKET! South Africa 119-6 (Jansen LBW b Head 0)
Marco Jansen has gone first ball! He’s reviewed it but this looks plumb.
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WICKET! South Africa 119-5 (Klaasen b Head 47)
Good captaincy from Pat Cummins, who decides to save Adam Zampa’s last five overs in the hope that one or both of these batters will have buggered off by the time he returns.
One of them is buggering off as we speak! Heinrich Klaasen smashed the occasional offspinner Travis Head for consecutive boundaries but then played defensively down the wrong line and was cleaned up. A peculiar shot to end an excellent innings of 47 from 48 balls.
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30th over: South Africa 111-4 (Klaasen 39, Miller 48) “There’s so many complaints from Joe Punter about the tournament format,” says Ben Bernards. “Would some of those complainers like to put in writing their preferred format, and which ills it would remedy? There are at any given moment six teams – at best – who have any realistic chance of winning the big cup, and we saw here that England and Pakistan were never at the races.
“With such a miserable diet of ODI cricket being played, you can’t realistically base a two-group stage on rankings or you could quite feasibly end up with your big guns lumped into the same side of the draw. It’s grumbling for the sake of it IMO until some bright spark shows me the light of their superior proposal.”
If you can find a time machine I’ll go back to 2003 and ask Martin Williamson. I agree that the balance of very good/good teams makes this awkward, but the league stage is too long and doesn’t have enough jeopardy. Dammit, man, give me jeopardy.
29th over: South Africa 108-4 (Klaasen 37, Miller 47) Smith misses a run-out chance. Klaasen took a dodgy single to mid-off and was just short when Smith’s throw flashed past the stumps. Klaasen collided with Zampa afterwards, and there’s a short break in play while he receives treatment. He’s fine.
Zampa, not so much. He bowls a high full toss that is blootered over midwicket for six by Miller. Zampa has been unusually ragged, probably because he’s conscious of his poor head-to-head records against Klaasen and Miller. Figures of 5-0-40-0 won’t improve it.
28th over: South Africa 100-4 (Klaasen 36, Miller 40) Maxwell changes ends and is milked for five runs. It’s interesting that South Africa are going after the specialist spinner rather than the second in command. I suppose they have happy memories of batting against Zampa.
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27th over: South Africa 95-4 (Klaasen 35, Miller 35) Zampa replaces Maxwell, who raced through a spell of 3-0-4-0 – and Klaasen jumps all over him with successive sixes. Both deliveries were only slightly short, but Klaasen rocked back to maul them over midwicket.
This is an admirable response to extreme adversity from Klaasen and Miller, who have added 71 in 15 overs.
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26th over: South Africa 81-4 (Klaasen 22, Miller 35) Cummins switches around the wicket to Miller, who clatters a couple through the covers. Batting looks more comfortable now, and South Africa will constantly be revising what they think is a competitive score.
“Rob, why is it you dislike ODIs as a format?” says Isaac Forster. “For me they strike a good balance between the ridiculous T20 and Hundred thrash and the more circumspect aspects of Tests. If a bowler is on a tear an ODI has enough time to allow the batters to defend and rebuild later. Similarly as bowlers have more overs to use, the skipper can match their bowlers up more effectively with an opposition’s individual batters, to limit their damage. The only format change I would make is to ditch the two new balls and go back to one, to reintroduce reverse swing at the back end of an innings.”
Sorry, I meant I dislike the World Cup format in which all the teams play each other. A good ODI, whether a festival of boundaries or a sub-250 dogfight, can be a joy. I like Ricky Ponting’s idea re: the balls. Use two new ones to maintain the hardness but switch to a single ball after 35 overs to enable reverse.
25th over: South Africa 79-4 (Klaasen 22, Miller 33) “That 1999 semi-final has informed the general psyche of all Australian sporting teams,” writes Chris Paraskevas. “I have replayed the final over endlessly on You Tube, rather than the final - which is the game I actually watched as a kid... an underrated win which set the template for Australia’s ruthlessness in the format.
“The run-out speaks to everything that underpins the mythology of our sporting spirit: playing to the final whistle and believing the ball will bounce in your favour, especially against the mathematical odds. It wasn’t just that SA melted down epically: an image of the Aussies circling like sharks around the stumps should be (and probably is) on display permanently display in the National Museum of Australia...”
It’s fascinating that half the Australian players didn’t even know they had gone through. They just knew they hadn’t lost, and that was enough of a reason to go mad.
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24th over: South Africa 77-4 (Klaasen 21, Miller 32) There are echoes of past semi-finals elsewhere. Right now Heinrich Klaasen and David Miller are playing Steve Waugh and Michael Bevan in 1999, trying to rebuild after the loss of four early wickets. That pair added 90; Klaasen brings up the fifty partnership here by cutting Cummins decisively over point for four.
The pitch, as Ricky Ponting notes on commentary, is playing better now. I thought South Africa were gone at 22 for four but this pair have given them a chance.
23rd over: South Africa 71-4 (Klaasen 16, Miller 31) Maxwell screams in vain for LBW when Miller is late on defensive push. It was definitely pad-first but he was outside the line. Another tight over from Maxwell, one from it.
22nd over: South Africa 70-4 (Klaasen 16, Miller 30) Klaasen mistimes a pull off Cummins that lands well short of deep midwicket. Miller, who looks busier and is batting with more rhythm, steals a run on the off side.
“Not that the ICC are like this,*” begins Andy Flintoff, “but like FIFA, they’re choosing a format for the World Cup with lots of games in the group stages to reduce the chances of the big teams failing to qualify, which means there are lots of games that don’t have much riding on them.
“The only interest in this tournament that persisted was the fact that it was suddenly discovered that only the top seven would qualify for some almost-meaningless ODI not-World Cup in the next cycle, so there was a possibility that big teams (and England) wouldn’t make it.
“ * They are definitely like this.”
I blame the millions of cricket fans who dined out on schadenfreude when India lost to Bangladesh in 2007.
21st over: South Africa 68-4 (Klaasen 15, Miller 29) Maxwell replaces Zampa, who was Millered for 18 from his three overs. A quiet over, just one from it. Maxwell has an outstanding economy rate in this tournament, just below five an over.
20th over: South Africa 67-4 (Klaasen 14, Miller 29) Cummins replaces Hazlewood at the Let The Pitch Do The Work End. Klaasen, hitherto restrained, drives a simple single into the off side. Miller is the one doing the heavy lifting at the moment, and he moves to 29 with an emphatic clip through midwicket for four.
This pair have added 43 either side of the rain break. There’s still a long way to go but they’ve made a start. Perhaps the rain delay helped them more than Australia.
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19th over: South Africa 62-4 (Klaasen 13, Miller 25) One more wicket would break this open for Australia. While the No7 Marco Jansen is a dangerous death hitter, I’m not sure he’s a 70/5 man.
Miller drives Zampa handsomely over wide long-on for six more, a brave and decisive stroke. South Africa have to take a piece of somebody if they are to win this game – Zampa isn’t the easiest man to attack, but it looks like Miller is going after anything tossed up.
“Just read that Wisden report of the Australian go-slow vs West Indies in 1999,” says Pete Salmon, “and I have to say that the final line - ‘and victory came from a no-ball’ – is one of the funniest I’ve ever read. Already thinking of the wonderful bathos I can add to any situation by quoting it – at a crime scene, or at the end of a bad date the moment she leaves. Or perhaps at the end of this match?”
Or an episode of EastEnders, a millisecond before the doof-doofs kick in.
18th over: South Africa 55-4 (Klaasen 12, Miller 19) Even the algorithms are trolling South Africa: the official score predictor reckons they are on course to make 213, a very evocative number in this fixture.
It looks like South Africa have decided to see Hazlewood off unless he bowls a rank bad ball, which he won’t. It’s another maiden, this time to Miller, who is hit painfully on the glove by a short ball. Hazlewood has stunning figures of 8-3-12-2; they don’t flatter him.
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17th over: South Africa 55-4 (Klaasen 12, Miller 19) Miller muscles Zampa over long-on for the first six of the match. South Africa aren’t quite out of this, but they need Klaasen and Miller to bat for at least the next 15 overs.
“I’m struck by how poorly Bavuma is playing in this World Cup,” writes Nick, “particularly given he was in good form against Australia just prior. My question: of teams that have reached the semi-finals of a World Cup, is this the worst performance by a batting captain?”
I’m afraid that dubious honour goes to another South African, Hansie Cronje in 1999. His scores were 27, 8, 16, 4, 4, 39, 0 and 0, though he was wrongly given out in the semi-final.
16th over: South Africa 46-4 (Klaasen 11, Miller 11) Selfless stuff from Pat Cummins, who replaces himself with Josh Hazlewood. He knows that Hazlewood, having had half an hour’s rest, is the most dangerous bowler in these conditions. It sounds obvious but there are plenty of bowling captains would have wanted a piece of the pie for themselves.
Klaasen pushes nervously, feet stuck in cement, and is beaten outside off stump. An immaculate maiden from Hazlewood.
“Wouldn’t it be lovely if SA finished around 250-280, setting up a good ol’ fashioned ODI chase for Aus under lights?” says Anand. “As someone who watched a lot of cricket in the 1990s, there is a certain allure to those ODI chases.”
Better still, why not set them 214 on a turning pitch?
15th over: South Africa 46-4 (Klaasen 11, Miller 11) Zampa immediately skids one past Miller, pushing nervously outside off stump. Two from the over.
South Africa need to bat their 50 overs, not just to get as many runs as possible but to increase the (admittedly small) chance of the game being washed out.
Here we go again. The players are back out on the field, and Adam Zampa is coming on to replace Mitchell Starc.
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“It’s such a shame that while this tournament has featured some genuinely exhilarating play (Maxwell, Gurbaz, de Kock, everything India has done), so little of it has coincided with the other side also playing well,” says Mike Jakeman. “I know you’re a bit more forgiving of this format than I am, but I think it is pretty sad that we now have a single game left in which we might see a genuine thriller.
“One of the weaknesses of T20 is that the games are so compressed that there is a large element of randomness as to which team wins on any given day. ODIs are supposed to have a bit more breathing space and ebb-and-flow. But we’ve seen so little of that. Having said all that, if India win the toss and bat against Australia on Sunday, the first ten overs will be gripping, even if the rest of the match is not.”
It’s been the poorest World Cup I can remember apart from 2007. I’ve grown to dislike this format, and I wonder if we have a rose-tinted view of 1992 because England did so well and Pakistan were so exhilarating. Ultimately the league stage of that competition was pretty predictable as well – New Zealand and England cruised through and South Africa clinched their place with a game to spare (I think).
In 2027 there will be two groups of seven, which isn’t great either. We’ve been having this discussion for as long as I can remember. During the 2003 World Cup, my Wisden.com editor Martin Williamson came up with a format that seemed perfect. Neither of us wrote it down, and neither of us could remember it when the subject next came up.
“Look at it this way,” says John Starbuck. “Your article in today’s Big Paper will benefit from the idiocies of today’s match, whoever wins/loses, and you’ll be able to reproduce it as a podcast too. The rain not even raining properly is just an extra element added for spice.”
It’s weird – I’m a neutral but I find the end of that 1999 semi-final almost chilling in its intensity and cruelty, much more so than the 2019 final. The depth and breadth of South Africa’s World Cup trauma might be unprecedented in elite sport, and this could be another new twist: the unseasonal Kolkata weather that turned a toss South Africa were so desperate to win into a good toss to lose.
Play will resume at 9.25pm AEDT/10.25am BST
The covers are coming off and, unless it rains again, the match will resume in just over 10 minutes.
“Hi Rob,” writes Paul Walsh from Kolkata. “Still a little rain in the air, very unseasonal. Catching up with street chowmin from next to Crow Field, our rugby pitch on the Maidan!”
If it does rain for the next 36 hours, it’ll be karmic payback for Old Trafford South Africa will go through. Imagine if, after all that brilliant cricket and all those heartbreaking near misses, they finally reached a World Cup final after being sliced and diced by Australia’s new-ball bowlers.
Current mood in SA dressing room #AusvSA https://t.co/DFBXx3XhzW
— Andrew Miller (@miller_cricket) November 16, 2023
It’s still raining, so I’m off to grab a coffee. Be back in a bit. Meanwhile, here are some more of your emails.
“Being an Australian in a wet, cold, rural Somerset is sometimes not much fun,” writes Cath Hanley, “but I think my day is brightening …”
“At the alliteratively appealing 44-4 off 14 (to which for good measure my brother added ‘FFS’ in his text),” begins Brian Withington, “where does this fit in the pantheon of great tosses to lose?”
“Hello Rob,” says Krishnamoorthy V. “Looks like it will be a T20 game even without the rain!”
“It occurs to me that if Australia wanted to be really cruel, like a cat toying with its prey, having bowled SA out for say, 50, they could slowly accumulate the 51 required to win at one run per over, for 49 overs, with two runs from the final over, perhaps even the final ball,” says Kim Thonger. “Do they have that sadistic streak in them? Hmmm.”
It has happened before, sort of.
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“I’m sure I’m not the only one thinking, ‘Are Australia in danger of pulling out the perfect game one match too soon?’” says Scott Probst. “A bit like the English beating the All Blacks in the rugby World Cup in Japan and then going down to South Africa without a great showing in the next game? Thoughts?”
My first thought is that the sporting psyches of the two countries are very different. Historically, Australia are more likely to follow a perfect performance with an even better one.
“Been a bit late checking the scores today,” says Anand. Has anyone blamed anyone else for changing the weather for this match?”
1992 World Cup draft
These podcasts are lots of fun to record. If you’re a cricket nerd, you’ll like them. And if you’re not, just vote for somebody to get our poll moving.
Right, time to vote for the winner of our 1992 CWC draft. Remember, players should be judged solely on their performance and impact at the tournament. The first team was lovingly selected by @garynaylor85 pic.twitter.com/McLcAgcGwh
— Nessun Dorma Podcast (@nessundormapod) November 15, 2023
“G’day Rob,” writes Chris Paraskevas. “Only catching my first glimpses of this because Australia v Bangladesh has had prime slot on the tele till now (for clarification: that’s a game of football). Is it fair to say that Australia are doing their best nationalmannschaft impersonation and peaking at precisely the right moment? Starc in particular is so adept at timing his rhythm and buildup at major tournaments - his consistency in the big games is unreal. He and Hazlewood don’t click anywhere near enough at ODI level, but when they do... few pairs are better.”
The intensity of this performance has been mildly frightening – not just the bowling but also the brilliant, aggressive fielding of Warner and Labuschagne. They saved five or six boundaries between them.
Rain stops play
It doesn’t seem too bad so hopefully it will only be a short stoppage. South Africa will hope it rains for the next 36 hours: if there’s no result they will go through on a vile technicality by virtue of finishing higher in the league stage.
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14th over: South Africa 44-4 (Klaasen 10, Miller 10) Pat Cummins replaces Hazlewood, who bowled a masterful Test-match spell of 6-1-12-2. His first ball is driven crisply through extra cover for four by Klaasen, who then steals a second run on the leg side. That kind of controlled positivity is South Africa’s only chance of getting back into this match.
Miller, who looks understandably nervous, chips Cummins just short of Hazlewood at mid-on, with the ball bouncing past him for four. Time for drinks. South Africa need a stiff one.
“It’s easy to say with hindsight that Bavuma shouldn’t have batted first in muggy overhead conditions but perhaps it wouldn’t have taken that much foresight to have imagined the consequences of facing Starc, Hazelwood and co in this context,” says Colum Fordham. “I am rooting for South Africa but unless Miller and Klaasen play special innings, this match is virtually over. The Proteas’ woes are being compounded by the Australian’s stunning fielding.”
It was a fiendishly difficult decision because South Africa are so much better batting first. And although it’s muggy, you never know how much the ball will move until you get out there. I still think he made the right decision at the time, though I appreciate that sounds absurd at 40-odd for four.
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13th over: South Africa 32-4 (Klaasen 3, Miller 5) Klaasen chips Starc just short of cover. This is Starc’s seventh over, apparently the longest spell of his ODI career. He’s starting to tire a little and will probably be replaced after this over.
“Baby it’s cold outside,” says Sarah Bacon. “but I’m feeling all gooey and warm from the marvellous start Oz has made this morning. I really do need to leave – have to drop the car in to be serviced – but with South Africa’s run-rate hovering around TWO after 12 overs, it’d be churlish to depart, amirite? And FOUR wickets down is just ... staggeringly good.”
They’ve been magnificent.
12th over: South Africa 28-4 (Klaasen 1, Miller 4) David Miller edges his first ball just short of slip, with the ball bouncing through for four runs. Just as in the 2007 semi-final, Australia have surely won the game with the ball in the first hour.
Australia’s bowling has been relentless. People will talk about South Africa bottling another semi-final, but even India would struggle cope with this. It was another immaculate delivery from Hazlewood that van der Dussen, pushing defensively, edged straight to second slip. He fought desperately hard to survive, but the drip-drip effect became too much.
WICKET! South Africa 24-4 (van der Dussen c Smith b Hazlewood 5)
My days, this is brutal.
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11th over: South Africa 22-3 (van der Dussen 5, Klaasen 0) Mitchell Starc has figures of 6-1-14-2, and I don’t know what else to say.
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Markram sliced an impatient drive to backward point, where Warner held a sharp two-handed catch to his left, threw the ball up and did a jaunty little dance on the spot. Australia have been fantastic.
WICKET! South Africa 22-3 (Markram c Warner b Starc 10)
David Warner does a silly little jig of delight after catching Aidan Markram at backward point. South Africa are in all sorts.
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10th over: South Africa 18-2 (van der Dussen 5, Markram 6) Hazlewood is bowling so well that Cummins will extend his first spell for as long as possible – even though he must be itching for a crack himself.
Markram is too early on a pull and gloves the ball into the off side. The next ball, a beauty, jags back to cut him in half. This is a merciless test of South Africa’s mettle.
9th over: South Africa 17-2 (van der Dussen 5, Markram 5) Labuschagne saves three with a marvellous diving stop at extra cover. That’s four great stops in the covers now, each contributing to the asphyxiation of South Africa.
If South Africa lose another wicket now, their heads could go completely. Markram has a wild slap across the line and is beaten on the inside – but he then takes advantage of a freebie on the pads, clipping over square leg for four. That’s the first boundary of the game from the 52nd delivery.
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8th over: South Africa 10-2 (van der Dussen 4, Markram 1) Hazlewood beats van der Dussen again, prompting Cummins to bring in a third slip. Van der Dussen tries to something, anything, by walking down and across to clip a single to mid-on. As a neutral this is grimly compelling, but it must be a horrible experience for any South African fans.
“The thing is that it wouldn’t have been a case of dropping Bavuma,” says Tim Doyle. “It would have been a case of of leaving him out because he’s not fit. Just as New Zealand left Kane Williamson out of several games because of his leg and then finger injuries. A World Cup semi-final against Australia is no place for an injured opener and it suggests a leadership team reluctant to make the tough calls.”
I think, admittedly from afar, that it’s more complicated than that. Pat Cummins would have played today if he was 90 per cent fit. Don’t get me wrong, I do think South Africa would probably be a better team right now with Hendricks opening, but it’s an extremely delicate situation. Had they dropped their captain and then lost, they’d have been savaged for panicking and overthinking. I wouldn’t have fancied Hendricks’ chances in these conditions either.
7th over: South Africa 8-2 (van der Dussen 3, Markram 0) Van der Dussen is beaten three times in the course of a brilliant over from Starc. Warner’s third excellent diving stop ensured it was also a maiden. Look, this isn’t Johannesburg 1999, but conditions are much tougher for batting than South Africa would have expected. All they wanted was to bat first on a dry, flat, hard pitch.
Helpful bowling conditions are all well and good but you have to take advantage of them. Australia have been intimidatingly good both with the ball and in the field.
“Is it time,” says Stephen Cottrell, “for the giant from Twin Peaks yet?”
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6th over: South Africa 8-2 (van der Dussen 3, Markram 0) Aidan Markram is beaten by his first ball, a nasty lifting legcutter. Hazlewood, who has bowled forensically in helpful conditions, has figures are 3-1-3-1.
This is a huge wicket. The pressure of dot balls finally got to de Kock, who crashed the ball miles in the air back over Hazlewood’s head. Cummins backpedalled urgently from mid-on to take a brilliant two-handed catch above his head – and he held on as the force of the blow knocked him off his feet. It was almost identical to Kane Williamson’s catch to dismiss Rohit Sharma yesterday. But this is an even bigger wicket: de Kock has gone for 3 from 14 balls.
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WICKET! South Africa 8-2 (de Kock c Cummins b Hazlewood 3)
Pat Cummins takes an immense catch to get rid of Quinton de Kock!
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5th over: South Africa 8-1 (de Kock 3, van der Dussen 3) There’s a bit of swing for Starc – nothing extravagant, but enough to make the batters wary. Van der Dussen tries to land the first counter-punch, walking across to crack a drive that is brilliantly stopped by the diving Warner in the covers. Warner does it again next ball, this time diving to his left. He’ll start his innings on 8 not out.
Van der Dussen eventually gets a back-foot drive past him for a couple of runs. The score doesn’t look great for South Africa, and that’s an understatement, but it’s essential they survive this new-ball spell. We know they can catch up later on.
“Good morning Rob from a sunny Cape Town,” writes Trevor Tutu. “I was half-minded to stay at home and watch the match on telly, but my conscientiousness kicked in and I set out for work, safe in the knowledge that the OBO would keep me informed.
“And what happens when I turn to the OBO? Bavuma is out before he was even in! You are going to have to pull your socks up Rob, if the Proteas are to get to the 350 they need to make this match safe.”
350 indeed.
4th over: South Africa 6-1 (de Kock 3, van der Dussen 1) Winning the toss should have been a huge advantage; instead, on a sweaty pitch, it looks like a mixed blessing. South Africa were affected by the weather when they were eliminated in 1992, 2003 and 2015, but they probably thought they were safe in Kolkata.
Hazlewood continues to bowl as if it’s a Test match. He goes up on his own for caught behind after beating van der Dussen with an extravagant legcutter, and another terrific over ends with van der Dussen inside-edging a single. Had he missed that he would probably have been LBW.
3rd over: South Africa 4-1 (de Kock 2, van der Dussen 0) de Kock is beaten, chasing a wide outswinger from Starc, and the only runs from the over are a leg-bye and a wide.
These are dangerous times for South Africa. If they lose de Kock – who has already made four centuries at this tournament, including a tremendous 109 against Australia in Lucknow – the ghosts of World Cup past will be screeching.
“Just the start we didn’t need!” writes Duncan Bonnett. “Temba should not have been in the side today anyway – still not 100 per cent fit, by his own admission, and woefully out of form in the World Cup. Reeza Hendricks would definitely have been a better pick, with Markram as skipper.”
I know what you mean, and Hendricks batted superbly against England, but it would have been an extraordinary call to drop the captain for a World Cup semi-final. Is there any precedent for that? I feel really sad for Bavuma, who came into this tournament in spectacular form but hasn’t got past 35.
2nd over: South Africa 2-1 (de Kock 2, van der Dussen 0) Josh Hazlewood’s first delivery lifts and seams to beat de Kock, who then edges wide of slip for a single. The new batter Rassie van der Dussen keeps out a good nipbacker and is cut in half by a jaffa.
That’s a fantastic start from Hazlewood. The overhead conditions are a bit of a gamechanger, and Australia are on the prowl. South Africa need to treat the first 10 overs like a Test match.
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1st over: South Africa 1-1 (de Kock 1, van der Dussen 0) We’ve all been talking about 1999 this week but there’s another precedent South Africa will be mindful of – their shambolic, overeager batting performance against Australia in the 2007 semi-final.
Temba Bavuma has gone for a fourth-ball duck. It was a fine delivery from Starc – tight line, just back of a length – and Bavuma snicked a defensive push through to Josh Inglis. Not quite the perfect start for Australia, because they’ve have preferred to dismiss Quinton de Kock, but it’s not far short.
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WICKET! South Africa 1-1 (Bavuma c Inglis b Starc 0)
Goddim!
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Mitchell Starc will open the bowling. He hasn’t had a great tournament – 10 wickets at 44 – but it’s overcast and the new ball should swing. This is his chance.
ICYMI South Africa are about to play Australia in a World Cup semi-final, and it is gargantuan.
May the best team meet India in the final on Sunday.
“Re: your comment about a reserve day,” begins Jonathan. “Are all 20-over match thrashes or just this hypothetical one? I fear the T20 purists would object to such a word.”
So would anyone with a half-decent command of language, but I’d just stumbled out of bed and my brain only presented me with a couple of options. I reluctantly concluded that ‘20-over thrash’ was preferable to ‘desperate 20-over arsenipper’.
“Well here we are, Rob,” says Guy Hornsby. “What’s par on this pitch? SA winning the toss is massive (which is a shame really, as was yesterday) and they’ll want to go big so will Australia be happy chasing anything over 320? I’d assume not. And that SA will want to bat them out of the game, with 350+.
“Also a big shout to Marnus, who having been left out of the squad, is now a lock. I’m not sure he and Smith together is great in a chase (or generally) and while it feels like heresy, I’d have picked Stoinis over the great man, who doesn’t seem who he once was in the short format. Everything ends in the end, I guess.”
Have you been watching Six Feet Under again? I’ve no idea what a par score is, as I don’t have a great view of the pitch from my office in Bruton. But my instinct, based on the experts’ views, is that it’s between 280 and 320. The first 10 overs are vital for South Africa because the new balls should do a bit. It’s important they don’t lose early wickets plural.
Trigger warning
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Ricky Ponting says Adam Zampa is Australia’s most important player. The stats back him up. In ODI victories he has taken 121 wickets at 20.83; in defeats his record is 41 at 48.97.
Pitch report Matthew Hayden, once again wearing his magnificent pink fedora, thinks there will be plenty of turn as the match progresses. He also says South Africa need a minimum score of 300.
Ali Martin’s preview
Team news
Temba Bavuma says he isn’t 100 per cent fit, though he was never going to miss this game. South Africa bring in Tabraiz Shamsi for Lungi Ngidi, which means the feisty Gerald Coetzee keeps his place. Bavuma didn’t specify whether Ngidi was injured or omitted.
Australia bring back two big guns, Mitchell Starc and Glenn Maxwell, for Sean Abbott and Marcus Stoinis. That means they’ve kept the middle-order insurance of Marnus Labuschagne.
South Africa de Kock (wk), Bavuma (c), van der Dussen, Markram, Klaasen, Miller, Jansen, Coetzee, Maharaj, Rabada, Shamsi.
Australia Head, Warner, Marsh, Smith, Labuschagne, Maxwell, Inglis (wk), Cummins (c), Starc, Zampa, Hazlewood.
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South Africa win the toss and bat
Temba Bavuma humours Mike Atherton by saying he considered bowling first because of the conditions. Pat Cummins would also have batted, though he doesn’t seem too disappointed. The new ball should swing given the overhead conditions.
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The covers are off and it looks like we’re going to start on time.
Seven of the likely Australian XI were part of the squad that won the 2015 World Cup. This is their last dance.
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Glenn Maxwell came into this World Cup as a handy bowler who used to bat. It’s fair to say that is no longer the case.
The covers are on in Kolkata, so the start is likely to be delayed. The forecast for rain adds another layer of intrigue to this game. Both teams will surely bat first if they win the toss – South Africa because they want to, Australia because South Africa want to – but a reduced runchase would muddy those particular waters.
There is a reserve day if necessary, though the umpires will make every attempt to finish the match today, even if that means a 20-over thrash.
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Preamble
Look, it was always going to be like this. As the penny dropped, in the first fortnight of the World Cup, that South Africa were serious contenders, the cricket world instinctively understood that they would have to beat Australia at some stage. Not in the league stage – though they did that handsomely – but in the knockouts, when it really counts.
One statistic tells the story of this game. South Africa are hoping to reach their first World Cup final; Australia expect to reach their eighth. This is a humdinger of a semi-final between two teams who have more in common than they would ever dare admit – and fundamental differences that South Africa need to overcome.
The history of this fixture is simple: Australia win the games that really matter. In that context, South Africa’s outstanding run of 16 wins in the last 20 ODIs against Australia is almost ominous, because none of those games were anywhere near as big as this.
But they have a proven template to beat Australia, and everyone else for that matter: win the toss, bat first, bat big, ideally huge. They are too good not to crack this thing eventually. We’re about to find out whether today is the day.
