With a good score, Gibbs can help Safs settle a score

Herschelle Gibbs gets a chance to make amends for the spilled catch off former Australian captain Steve Waugh that led to South Africa’s ouster from the 1999 semi-final.

Herschelle Gibbs gets a chance to make amends for the spilled catch off former Australian captain Steve Waugh that led to South Africa’s ouster from the 1999 semi-final. Gibbs spilled an easy catch off Waugh, who went on to post a match-winning century that helped Australia enter the 1999 World Cup semi-final — a rematch between the same opponents.

The semi-final ended in a tie, but Australia advanced to the final as the tournament rules stipulated that the result of the previous encounter between the two teams would be taken into account. Waugh’s comment to Gibbs that he had “dropped the World Cup”

has become an issue between the two teams. Although Waugh has retired, on Wednesday South Africa get a chance to settle that score when the two teams meet in another World Cup semi-final.

“You talk about ’99, how many guys get a second chance?” South Africa captain Graeme Smith said Monday after his team’s training session at Beausejour Cricket Ground. “Herschelle’s looking forward to the opportunity, I really believe he’s up there for Wednesday.

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“I think Herschelle is one guy that Australia would fear. He’s unpredictable, has shots all around the wicket and he’s played well throughout the tournament … He looks very determined going into this game.”

South Africa’s tied semi-final encounter in 1999 was the closest any country came to stopping Australia’s unbeaten World Cup streak that has stretched to 27 matches and featured two title triumphs. Since that match they have won 21 World Cup games in a row.

By contrast, South Africa, who hosted the 2003 World Cup, were eliminated during the preliminary round that year and have never reached the final. Smith said the missed chance and tied semi-final of 1999 were not playing on his mind, even if people might be drawing parallels. “It doesn’t get mentioned much within this setup,” he said.

“We had a conference the other days to gear up the guys, with the guys who were part of that game. Even they say it wasn’t such a big issue as people are making it up to be.

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“The 1999 game was a game in history, an incredible game of cricket. It was obviously disappointing for South Africa as we finished on the losing side, but it’s a game that you learn from and move forward.”

Four members of the current South African team—Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Shaun Pollock and Mark Boucher—were part of the Proteas’ squad who featured in that tied match of 1999.

They are not only out to reverse that result but atone for their 83-run loss to Australia in the group phase a month ago. Smith said the semi-final was a tough game, but separate to any other match.

“What’s happened before means nothing, the fact is that you’re here for an important day,” he said. “We have the opportunity to win the game and move into the World Cup final.”

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Smith said Australia were formidable rivals who had played good cricket throughout the World Cup. But South Africa wanted to call the shots in this match.

“We’re going into this game looking to execute the way we want to play the game, we’re not sitting expecting them to play a bad game,” said Smith, who is confident of shaking off a knee injury to play in the game. “We’re not blocking and hoping that Australia plays a bad game, we’re hoping to beat the best Australian team. Hopefully we can make our luck Wednesday, we certainly can create it by playing good cricket.”