5 Forgettable moments for South Africa in the World Cup

If you are a South African fan, better visit your cardiologist before the World Cup begins.South Africa, despite playing in the least number of World Cups (among the Top 8 teams) has produced the most number of memorable (forgettable for the team) moments for cricket fans.Here’s a look at the Top 5 forgettable moments for South Africa in World Cups:

#5 Malingas four in four in 2007

In a Super Eights match in Guyana, South Africa restricted Sri Lanka to 209 thanks to Charl Langeveldt’s 5 for 39. In the run chase, South Africa were cruising at 206 for 5 needing only 4 runs in more than 5 overs with 5 wickets in hand. A South African win seemed only a formality.

Lasith Malinga had different ideas. With the penultimate ball of the 45th over, he bowled out a well-set Shaun Pollock. Pollock played inside the line to a slower ball yorker and lost his leg stump. The next ball was a yorker on middle stump and the new batsman Andrew Hall could only lob a straightforward catch to Upul Tharanga at cover.

Vaas bowled a brilliant 46th over to new man Robin Peterson keeping Jaques Kallis (in his 80s) away from the strike. Malinga returned for the 47th over running in to bowl his hattrick ball. He had Kallis (attempting a square drive) caught behind to get his hattrick. He then sent the middle stump of tail-ender Makhaya Ntini for a walk with a wonderful yorker, becoming the first man in the history of international cricket to take four wickets in four consecutive deliveries.

Unfortunately for Malinga, his next ball missed the off stump of No. 11 Charl Langeveldt narrowly and South Africa went on to win the match as the last partnership survived a tense few overs before getting home with an edge to the third man fence.

#4 Duckworth-Lewis miscalculation in 2003

South Africa have always been popular for the manner of their World Cup exits. In 2003, they managed to outdo themselves in their final group game against Sri Lanka.

In a do-or-die game for both teams, Sri Lanka posted 268 with Marvan Atapattu scoring a ton. Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs got South Africa off to a strong start before the Lankan spinners brought them back into the match. Mark Boucher and captain Shaun Pollock, though, quickly wrestled back the upper hand.

Pollock’s run out and Lance Klusener's arrival at the crease coincided with a deterioration in the weather. South Africa realized they needed to keep pace with the DL target. South Africa's 12th man Nicky Boje had run on to the pitch to inform Boucher about the DL scores. South Africa’s DL par score at the end of 45 overs read 229 (assuming no further wickets fell). Due to some unknown mis-communication, the message to Boucher was that South Africa needed 229 to win.

Boucher smashed the penultimate ball of the 45th over for a six over long-on and punched the air in elation as the score read 229. He then safely defended the last ball of the over before play was called off.

However, South Africa’s delight soon turned into despair as they realized they had only tied the match by scoring 229 and did not get the required win to proceed to the Super Six.

#3 Rain Rule in 1992 semi-final

The 1992 World Cup saw a huge number of innovations in cricket rules. It was the first World Cup with coloured clothes, day-and-night matches and white balls. One new introduction that skipped everyone’s notice initially was the Rain Rule. By the time the tournament ended, it really made its presence felt.

In the semi-final at SCG, England, put into bat by South Africa, scored 252 for 6 in their 45 overs, the innings curtailed as South Africa had bowled their overs slowly. South Africa’s chase was pedestrian till Jonty Rhodes got them back on track.

With 22 required off 13 balls, the match had to be stopped because of heavy rain. When it resumed after twelve minutes, the scoreboard displayed that South Africa’s target had been adjusted to 22 off 7 balls, and then moments later, 22 off 1 ball (which should in fact have been 21 off 1) thanks to the Rain Rule. According to the rule, the least productive overs for the side batting first were to be eliminated in case of interruptions; South Africa were left ruing the two maiden overs bowled by Meyrick Pringle.

In the end, both teams left the field with dull faces – South Africa furious with the defeat and England embarrassed by the manner of victory.

#2 Youve just dropped the World Cup

In the last Super Six match in 1999, Australia desperately needed a win to qualify to the semis while South Africa went in with the ambition to top the Super Six phase.

At a team meeting before the match, Shane Warne had jokingly warned his mates not to walk if they happened to hit a catch to Herschelle Gibbs as he has a tendency to flick the ball in the air before accepting it properly.

After winning the toss and batting first, South Africa posted a formidable 271 for 7 with Gibbs scoring a majestic hundred. The ruthless South Africans then quickly reduced Australia to 48 for 3. Steve Waugh counter-attacked with a 47-ball 50.

On 56, with the score on 152, he flicked a Lance Klusener delivery to short midwicket. Gibbs took the catch, but in his haste to celebrate by hurling the ball up, lost control of the ball. Waugh's response has gone on to become the most oft-quoted phrase in the history of the game.

It proved to be a massive turning point with Australia going on to win the match (with Waugh scoring a match-winning hundred) and meet South Africa in the semis to produce one of the all time classics.

#1 Last ball of the 1999 semi-final

The 1999 semi-final between Australia and South Africa in Birmingham is unquestionably the greatest game in ODI cricket history. Capturing all the aspects related to the game and taking a fan through an emotional roller-coaster, it is the greatest classic cricket has ever seen.

Alan Donald gave South Africa the early advantage before Steve Waugh and Michael Bevan fought back. Shaun Pollock and Donald then steamrolled the Australian lower order to put South Africa in front at innings break.

South Africa carried the momentum in the run-chase with Herschelle Gibbs and Gary Kirsten laying a solid foundation before Shane Warne spun his magic to rattle the Proteas. Jonty Rhodes and Jacques Kallis hit back only to see Warne come back even stronger. That was the moment when the hero of the tournament Lance Klusener took it upon himself to win South Africa the match.

He brought it down to 9 needed off the last over with one wicket in hand. The next two balls raced to the fence through cover and long-off of Klusener’s bat. He hit the balls so hard that he could get boundaries even 10 metres on either side of the fielders. With scores level, Donald, the non-striker, survived a run out chance next ball as Darren Lehmann missed the stumps from 10 feet distance.

The next ball saw the unthinkable happen as Klusener hit the ball straight to mid-off and set off for the winning single only to find Donald standing rooted to the non-striker’s end, losing his bat in a late attempt to run and ultimately getting run out.

Well, South Africa faltered at the close but produced the most iconic moment not only in World Cup but also possibly in the history of the game with glorious uncertainties.