Top 5 series deciders in one-day cricket

1. Australia vs South Africa, 5th ODI at Johannesburg, 12th March, 2006.

The greatest ever series decider was played between Australia and South Africa on 12th March 2006. The match alone had records tumbling one by one and is still remembered as the greatest ODI match ever played.

Australia and South Africa have had some fierce rivalry over the years with the audience witnessing some of the greatest matches, including the 1999 World Cup semi-final. South Africa, in the five-match series had won the first two matches quite comfortably. Australia had clawed their way back to win the next two.

Australia had started the fifth one-day tremendously well. A mammoth opening partnership by Gilchrist and Katich followed by the run-machine Ricky Ponting's century had put Australia on the driver's seat. The late rally by Hussey and Symonds had left South Africa chase 435 which in itself had to be the record-breaking chase in order to win the series.

South Africa, chasing 435 had started weakly by losing Dippenaar in the second over itself. The partnership between Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs had set the tone for the remaining overs to come. Both of them put on almost a double-century partnership to revive the innings. Australia got an important breakthrough in the form of the skipper Smith when he departed for 90. Gibbs, still being there now shared substantial partnerships along with Kallis and de Villiers. Gibbs had departed in the 32nd over for an outstanding innings of 175.

Mark Boucher and Johan van der Wath combined with Telemachus had kept the boundaries and the runs coming. The match was down to the final over with South Africa requiring seven runs with two wickets in hand. The first four deliveries fetched six runs for South Africa and a wicket for Australia in the third delivery.

With one run requiring from the final delivery, Boucher hit a boundary to win the series and the greatest match of all.

Glenn McGrath and Shaun Pollock were sorely missed by Australia and South Africa respectively, resulting in a run-fest. Ricky Ponting and Herschelle Gibbs were awarded the joint winners for the man of the match.