Klusener carnage in an all Green contest

World Cup Classics: Pakistan v South Africa - Super Sixes, Trent Bridge, Nottingham, 5 June 1999

Leaders of their respective groups met in a high intensity super six match and produced a thriller which at one point was comfortably in Pakistan’s bag. It boiled down to a tussle between the two fastest men, one with the ball versus the one with the willow in hand.

Wasim Akram chose to bat and his team starting in slow motion lost Saeed Anwar in the 14th over at the score of 41. Abdul Razzaq who was given the role of controlling the game at number 3 in that world cup played cautiously blocking one end. Just when Wajahatullah Wasti’s painstaking inning of 17 off 56 balls was ended by Donald, Pakistan got some impetus into the innings through Ijaz Ahmed and crossed 100 in the 30th over. In an effort to increase the tempo of the game Pakistan lost wickets in a heap including two run outs and were reduced to 150 for 6 with little over 6 overs remaining. At this moment Moin Khan lifted Pakistan by playing in his customary eccentric style with quick running and brutal hitting. He scored 63 off 56 balls with 6 fours and 2 sixes before becoming the third run-out victim of the innings. He looted 15 from a Donald over which included a stunning straight six. Pakistan finished with 220 for 7 and were all but out of the game considering their incredibly strong bowling attack. For the Proteas Steve Elworthy took 2 for 23.

Pakistan fast bowlers ran through the South African top order and after 20 overs half of their side had gone to pavilion for just 58 on the board. Wasim Akram and Azhar Mahmood used the swing and seam brilliantly while Shoaib Akhtar bowled with ferocious pace touching 95 mph to skittle the cream of their batting and leaving South Africa staring at a crushing defeat except for a miracle. Jacques Kallis halted the slide adding crucial 77 runs with Shaun Pollock for the 6th wicket. Klusener joined Kallis after Pollock’s fall and though he struggled against the pace of Shoaib he kept picking the singles and the South African hopes alive. When Kallis departed after making a vital 54 off 98 balls, South Africa still needed 45 runs off 34 balls.

The tables turned during the 46th over bowled by Shoaib. They required 41 runs off 27 balls when Shoaib decided to bowl body-line short deliveries. Klusener swung at a rising leg side bouncer and top edged for a four. Next ball Shoaib tried to kill a bruised Klusener with a similar delivery but Klusener had the guts and courage to make room and loft him forcefully 20 rows back into the crowd over the deep square leg boundary. A visibly shell-shocked Shoaib then tried to bowl the delivery which he should have bowled earlier but his toe-crushing yorker went for four leg byes to round off a match-turning over. Now the target was only 27 runs in the last four overs which they got an over earlier through continued battering by Klusener whose prized scalp Pakistan’s bowlers could not get despite all efforts.

Man of the match Klusener remained not out for a whirlwind yet a calculated 46 off 41 balls with 3 fours and as many sixes. For Pakistan Azhar was the pick of bowlers with 3 for just 24 while Shoaib despite getting two crucial wickets and troubling all batsmen with his pace and guile went for 51 in his 9 overs in the end thanks to the hero of the day, Lance Klusener.