Watch the highlights of Australia vs South Africa 6th Match Benson & Hedges World Cup 1992 - Benson & Hedges World Cup tournament of the 6th ODI match played between South Africa and Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney on 26th February 1992.
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| Kepler Wessels hit a unbeaten 81 © ICC / Cricket Australia |
A economical bowling figures by Allan Donald, Brian McMillan and Richard Snell before Kepler Wessels' unbeaten 81 and Peter Kirsten's 49 leads South Africa registered their historic first ODI win against Australia by a shocking 9-wickets in a one-sided game of the sixth match of a Benson and Hedges World Cup.
Australia scored 170-9 in the allotted 49 overs with top scorer by David Boon cracked a 27 off 32-balls including 4-fours.
Steve Waugh struck 27 off 51-balls including a boundary, Geoff Marsh scored 25 off 72-balls included a four, Dean Jones cracked a 24 off 51-balls contained a four and Ian Healy hit 16 off 24-balls with two-fours.
South Africa best bowler by Allan Donald picked up 3-wickets for 34-runs in 10-overs with economy rate of 3.40.
Brian McMillan captured 2-wickets for 35-runs in 10-overs with economy rate of 3.50 and Adrian Kuiper took 2-wickets.
South Africa chase down the target of 171 for 1 in 46.5 overs with top scorer by Kepler Wessels cracked a unbeaten 81 off 148-balls.
Peter Kirsten cracked a unbeaten 49 off 88-balls including a boundary and Andrew Hudson hit 28 off 52-balls included 3-fours.
Australia best bowler by Peter Taylor took one-wicket for 32-runs in 10-overs including a maiden with economy rate of 3.20.
Kepler Wessels named Player of the match for his match-winning superb unbeaten 81 off facing 148-balls including 9-fours.
This match reported by The Canberra Times Staff (Third Party Reference from The Canberra Times)
South African cricket captain Kepler Wessels scored an unconquered 81 in a triumphant World Cup debut by his side against Australia in Sydney, dumping the champions into despair.
South Africa won by nine wickets with 13 balls to spare, cruising past Australia's meagre 9-170 off 49 overs. Australia is now on the bottom of the World Cup ladder, with no points from two losses.
Wessels acted as South Africa's "been there-done that man" after his former role as Australia's opener during the 1980s.
South Africa and Australia had not met for 22 years and never before in a one-day match, but Wessels gave them a perfect start to their World Cup campaign.
Wessels' 81 brought him past 2000 one-day runs and was backed up in a clinical display reminiscent of Australia's recent performances by sensible innings from Andrew Hudson (28) and 37-year-old Peter Kirsten who was unbeaten on 49.
Australia's crash followed a 37-run loss to New Zealand in the tournament opener on February 22 and marked the first time the champions had lost two one-day matches in a row since the World Series Cup finals against the West Indies in January, 1989.
Since then Australia has won 43 of 55 games, with one tie. Wessels has played 58 one-day internationals, 54 more than almost all his team-mates, and he fired up for the World Cup with a 90 in South Africa's only previous one-day win against India earlier this season.
A small band of South Africans were in the crowd for their cricketers' first appearance at the SCG for more than 28 years, and the players emerged from the dressing room after celebrations to wave and thank them for the support.
Relations between the countries resumed with the chiefs of Australian and South African cricket, David Richards and Ali Bacher, briefly hugging as the sides wandered out at 2.30pm.
South Africa's first ball in a World Cup caused sensation. The delivery from pace-man Allan Donald appeared to scrape the edge of Geoff Marsh's bat.
The South Africans appealed wildly but celebrations were doused when New Zealand umpire Brian Aldridge turned down the shouts.
Australia's cause might have been helped had Marsh departed then because he laboured to 25 off 72 balls. Despite Marsh's poor start, fellow opener David Boon was in good touch, belting 27, including four boundaries, as Australia piled on 40 runs within 10 overs.
But fortunes turned around, as they so often do in the one-day game, with a run-
out.
Marsh played a ball in front of his feet and Boon backed up too far as Brian McMillan picked up the ball in his follow-through and sent the ball back to Hansie Cronje at the bowler's end.
Dean Jones was subdued and Australia added just 22 runs in the second 10 overs. Marsh fell to all-rounder Adrian Kuiper, caught behind by David Richardson with the total on 76, then next ball Australia slumped further as Kuiper swung a delivery through Allan Border and into the stumps.
Tom Moody made 10 and Jones was out for 24, while Steve Waugh joined Boon as equal top scorer on 27 before he fell to a lazy drive.
Wicketkeeper Ian Healy injured his leg on five and lashed out for 16 off 34 balls, but Australia lost its last eight wickets for 94 runs in the face of a tight South African attack.
Faced with a victory target of just over 3.5, the South Africans took the task easily, collecting runs at little risk.
By the 10th over, Wessels and Andrew Hudson had put on 30 runs and Australia had missed one chance for a breakthrough, Jones missing a throw at the stumps with Hudson stranded.
Wessels brought up the side's 50 with a pull through square leg, and gave his only chance next ball, edging a fullish delivery from Mike Whitney low towards the slips.
Replacement keeper Boon dived low and a long way to his left and appeared to have the ball almost under control, but it shuddered out as his arm hit the ground.
Hudson played a cautious knock spiced with three brilliant boundaries before he fell to the second ball from Australian spinner Peter Taylor.
Hudson, perhaps sensing he was unlikely to be stumped by Boon, charged at Taylor and was beaten by an off-spinner that crashed into the stumps.
Wessels was joined by 37-year-old Peter Kirsten who backed up his captain with a perfect, controlled innings, collecting runs with very little fanfare.
As South Africa pushed into the last five overs with just 21 runs needed, many of the 41,000-plus crowd began to file out, shocked at the world champions' impotence.
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