Extra time
Best and Worst moments - Lance Klusener─── 09:08 Fri, 12 Sep 2014
Isn’t it rare that your worst day can also become your best day at the same time? Your best and worst moments both happen in one day? How often does that happen?
Well, I guess it does, but it’s just that you remember the worst more, forgetting that something magical also happened that day.
One of the best all-rounders we have ever seen in cricket, Lance Klusener, knows what we are talking about. The 1999 ODI World Cup Cricket was his tournament.
Klusener, affectionately known as Zulu because of his fluency in that language, is amongst the top 10 best finishers in cricket history.
He is known for his powerful left hand batting and right hand swing bowling. He is that guy who has the unique delivery stride. Even the best do experience funny and worst moments, and Zulu is no different.
Photo: Gallo Images
This is his five (5) best moments in that World Cup:
#1 taking 17 wickets and scored 250 runs including two half centuries in matches.
#2 winning four man of the match awards out of nine matches South Africa played in the tournament
#3 his outstanding performance throughout the tournament which nearly took SA to the final
#4 guiding SA to the semifinal where they faced Australia
#5 being voted player of the series
Can we say this is the worst or funny moment? Not all, we have those moments. DOES IT RING THE BELL??
So, it was in the second semifinal match of the 1999 ODI World Cup Cricket, between South Africa and Australia and the two men at the crease were Klusener and Allan Donald.
With SA at 205/9, needing just nine runs to win with only one wicket in the final over, Klusener hit consecutive fours in the first two balls of the over, levelling the scores and leaving SA with only 1 run to win in 4 balls with him on strike.
The third ball was a dot, and the fourth saw Klusener mis-hit his shot to mid-wicket fielder Mark Waugh. Klusener then went for the run, although chances of a run-out were high.
However, Donald at the other end, keeping his eyes on the ball, didn’t see Klusener sprinting down the pitch, let alone hear the call to run.
Klusener was almost at the bowler's end by the time Donald (who had also dropped his bat) began running.
This is what happened.
However, a tie meant that Australia progressed to the final since they had beaten South Africa in the group stages of the tournament.
Happy belated birthday to you Lance on September 4!
Compiled by Lee Khotlele.
