Watch the highlights of England vs South Africa 28th Match Benson & Hedges World Cup 1992 - Benson & Hedges World Cup tournament of the 28th ODI match played between South Africa and England at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne on 12th March 1992.
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| Alec Stewart scored a match-winning 77 © ICC / Digital Cricket TV |
Seventies from Alec Stewart, Neil Fairbrother and Chris Lewis' quick-fire 22-ball 33 carried to England registered their historic first ODI win against South Africa by a tense 3-wickets in a rain-hit game of the 28th match of a Benson and Hedges World Cup.
South Africa scored 236-4 in 50 overs with top scorer by Kepler Wessels cracked a 85 off 126-balls including 6-fours.
Andrew Hudson struck 79 off 115-balls including 7-fours, Jonty Rhodes scored 18 off 23-balls without a boundary and Adrian Kuiper hit a unbeaten 15 off 12-balls contained a boundary.
England best bowler by Graeme Hick captured 2-wickets and one for Phil DeFreitas.
England chase down the target of 226 for 7 in 40.5 overs - due to rain revised target of 226 from 41-overs - with top scorer by Alec Stewart struck 77 off 88-balls.
Neil Fairbrother cracked a unbeaten 75 off 83-balls including 6-fours, Chris Lewis hammered a 33 off 22-balls included 4-fours with strike rate of 150 and Ian Botham scored 22 off 30-balls contained a boundary.
South Africa best bowler by Richard Snell picked up 3-wickets for 42-runs in 7.5-overs and Brian McMillan took 2-wickets.
Alec Stewart named Player of the match for his match-winning superb 77 off facing 88-balls including 7-fours.
This match reported by The Canberra Times Staff (Third Party Reference from The Canberra Times)
A fearless onslaught by stand-in skipper Alec Stewart and Neil Fairbrother carried England to a sensational win in the World Cup match against South Africa at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
After rain robbed England of 43 crucial minutes of its innings, Stewart and Fairbrother carried their side to a three-wicket Victory with two contrasting but equally dynamic hands.
South Africa tallied 4-236 from its 50 overs and the reduction for rain left England requiring 226 from just 41 overs under rules weighted heavily in favour of the side batting first.
Stewart, pushed up to open the innings in the absence of captain Graham Gooch, smashed 77 from 88 deliveries and Fairbrother worked the ball brilliantly for an unbeaten 75.
All-rounder Chris Lewis then put the icing on the cake with 33 from 22 deliveries, and England finished at 7-226 with one ball to spare when Phil DeFreitas pushed a single to point from Richard Snell.
The winning run was not struck until 10.45pm, despite a rule which says all matches must end by 10.15 so the lights can be off 15 minutes later but another rule allows shortened matches to be completed.
England remains undefeated with five wins and one washout from six matches (11 points) and South Africa (8 points) needs a victory in its last match against India in Adelaide on Sunday to be assured of a semi-final berth.
England was 0-62 from 12 overs before the interruption and needed a further 164 from 29 overs when Stewart resumed on 40 with lan Botham at the other end.
Stewart quickly faced a crisis as three wickets fell for one run within seven balls at the other end, but then Fairbrother stayed with him for a 68-run stand in under an hour.
As the target drew closer, it was South Africa that cracked, and its fielding became increasingly ragged in the closing overs.
Earlier, South African captain Kepler Wessels settled into his favourite sheet-anchor role to lead his side to 4-236 from its 50 overs after being sent in to bat.
Needing one more win to reach the final four, Wessels made a typically stodgy 85 from 126 deliveries, hitting six boundaries.
The former Australian opener shared a 151-run opening stand with Andrew Hudson, whose 79 was his highest one-day score.
The South Africans became the first side to bat through their full 50 overs against England in this tournament, but the 236 tally was probably disappointing as just 62 runs came from the last 10 overs, wasting the platform the openers provided.
Wessels and Hudson gave their side the perfect start with their stand of 151 in 35 overs a record for any wicket for the Republic in one-dayers.
Hudson was first to his half-century from 81 deliveries, compared with 92 for his captain, and had reached 79 before they were parted.
The Natal-born opener tried to drive Graeme Hick through mid-off but gave a return catch, bringing Peter Kirsten to the wicket.
Kirsten opened his scoring with a straight drive for six off Richard Illingworth, but failed for the first time with only 11, lofting Phil DeFreitas to Robin Smith at deep square-leg.
After the loss of Kirsten, the South Africans lost their way slightly in the last 10 overs as Wessels departed and the new batsmen could not collar the bowling.
England was initially asked to score 5.74 an over for victory and was cruising at 0-62 from 12 overs.
The South Africans no doubt expected Botham to swing a heavy blade, but the onslaught from Stewart took them by surprise.
The Surrey batsman scored a half-century against Sri Lanka from just 32 balls earlier this week, the second fastest in World Cup history, and he allowed Botham to find his eye against the lightning pace of Donald.
Botham was bowled by Brian McMillan trying to drive, and ace batsman Robin Smith fell for a duck in the same over, cutting at a wide ball and edging a catch to keeper David Richardson.
Hick snicked Richard Snell to Richardson and Neil Fairbrother joined Stewart as the last of the recognised batsmen.
The injury-hit England side suffered another setback during the night when Dermot Reeve feel heavily in his third over and was forced to leave the field with what appeared to be a hamstring injury.
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