- BATSMENRBM4s6sSR0.2 huge appeal and Waugh is gone for a duck! Oh wow, that's a start and a half for West Indies! Ambrose hits the deck hard outside off, but the ball barely gets up, scudding into the knee-roll as Waugh is pinned on the back foot in front of off. Signs of uneven bounce already, despite Australia's faith in what looked a good wicket, and well, that's set the cat among the pigeons! 0/13.5 bowled him! Outside off, Taylor tries to force a cut off the back foot, but merely chops a cramped under-edge into his off stump! Both openers are gone, and now Australia are in real strife! 7/24.5 hops across the crease and that's plumb! More nip back off the seam, and again the lesser bounce proves fatal as Ponting can't get his bat down in time. That's smashing middle and off, and this innings is in tatters! 8/39.1 bowled him! Bishop's World Cup is up and running, and no mistake! Another probing delivery just back of a length, and the steadfast Waugh is lured into an uncharacteristically loose back-foot waft. But the ball has kicked off the seam, kisses the inside edge, and back go his stumps! High fives all round for West Indies, who are utterly rampant right now! It's damage limitation from hereon in for Australia! 15/441.1 run out! Well, this pair were looking rock-solid so perhaps it was the only way they were going to be parted! Law is the fall guy, a poor call from Bevan, taking on Ambrose at the apparent danger end after a dab to backward point, but the pick-up was true, the shy was adequate, Law was back on his heels after completing his stroke, and Adams whipped off the bails with relish 153/544.3 crashed in the air, straight to extra cover! Bevan is livid with himself, the ball was there for his trademark inside-out flog over the off-side, but he didn't get under the shot as he usually does, and Richie Richardson's safe hands did the rest. It's been a fantastic innings, but how damaging will that be in the final push for 200-plus? 171/650 another crunching connection out to the leg side, they hurtle back for the second, as well they might, and though the throw is wide, Browne gathers well, unleashes from two metres behind the stumps, and pings off the bails! One run saved ... which could yet be crucial 207/747.3 back of a length, rising into the hips, and what a stunning bit of fielding from the gangly Walsh! He swooped on the loose ball as it rolled away from Reiffel's crease, and pelted in a fast flat shy on the turn, pinging down the non-striker's stumps with the batsman a good two feet short! That could change things for the final charge! 186/7Extras18 (lb 11, nb 2, w 5)TOTAL207/8 (50 Overs, RR: 4.14)Fall of wickets: 1-0 (Mark Waugh, 0.2 ov), 2-7 (Mark Taylor, 3.5 ov), 3-8 (Ricky Ponting, 4.5 ov), 4-15 (Steve Waugh, 9.1 ov), 5-153 (Stuart Law, 41.1 ov), 6-171 (Michael Bevan, 44.3 ov), 7-186 (Paul Reiffel, 47.3 ov), 8-207 (Ian Healy, 49.6 ov)
Player of the Match
Player of the Match
- BATSMENRBM4s6sSR41.2 Australia stay alive. Richardson has got stuck at one end, and Chanderpaul is taking risks here. After clearing mid-on in the last over, he fails to do so. Just gets too close to the pitch of the ball and doesn't get the elevation. Straight down mid-on's throat 165/36.1 and a wicket first ball. What a move. Not how he intended it but a wicket nonetheless. Seems like he has tried a flipper first up, but ends up with a long hop outside off. This one doesn't have the fizz off the surface that Warne's flippers are known for, and Browne is early into his intended punch down to long-off. Ends up hitting it in the air, and Warne takes a smart catch to his left 25/123 oh my word, what a comeback! Waugh's cleaned him up with an absolute zinger! Pitches outside off, grips the seam like a vice, snakes back towards the off bail, and Lara has been turned inside out, guts everywhere, as he plays completely down the wrong line! 93/243.3 McGrath has got two now. Taylor being proven right with his captaincy moves although the decision this time might not be the greatest. Harper shuffles right across to try to work this to leg, and is beaten. The line is good for lbw but he is on his toes when he is hit above the knee roll. Harper is a tall man. So that is a slightly harsh call to rule him out lbw. Richardson gets a change of gloves and a drink of water. The weight on his shoulders increases 173/444.1 just as he had done with his first spell, Warne gives Taylor a wicket first ball. Once again it seems like it is the flipper. Yes it is the flipper, bouncing on Gibson who is looking for the cut. There is a big shout from Healy for an outside edge, and is upheld by umpire Venkat. Gibson, though, doesn't look too convinced. And once again, I am not sure he has edged it 178/546.3 oh a desperate desperate shot, and Warne is accurate enough to capitalise. He is shaping up to sweep, but realises this is full and fast, so he ends up playing across the line without getting down on a knee. On to him before he realises, and he is trapped right in front. Hit on the toe. Australia believe some more 183/647.4 Australia are favourites now. Richardson has no specialist batting allies left. Arthurton backs away - this is the first time he is facing Fleming tonight - to try to swipe him over midwicket. All he manages, though, is an outside edge through to Healy 187/748.2 Warne stands with arms aloft in the middle of the pitch. He feels like the king of the world right now. After the big ripped legbreak comes the flipper, and Umpire Venkat wastes no time in shooting the index finger up. It hits his pad way before the bat comes down. They are not watching him out of his hand. Trapped in front. Now they have only Ambrose and Walsh to go 194/849.2 seems like a slower ball outside off, and Richardson is taking the single off the inside edge. I would have expected Richardson to not go for a single leave alone a tight one. This has gone only slightly to the left of Healy, and they have set off. His underarm flick has even hit the stumps directly, and we are going to the third umpire. And despite his long strides and levers, Ambrose is caught slightly short of his crease. How do you beat a team that refuses to go down? Australia are just not ready to lose this game 202/949.3 it's all over. What a beauty from Fleming. He has hit the top of the stumps, which is what you need to do with tailenders. Richardson is left stranded at the non-striker's end. This is a wicked offcutter. Pitches outside off, turns back in, and beats an expansive drive from Walsh. Might have been better off with a lower back lift. That is an atrocious shot under the circumstances. It doesn't matter now. Australia have won a game that was lost long ago. They just refused to accept defeat 202/10Extras8 (lb 4, nb 2, w 2)TOTAL202 all out (49.3 Overs, RR: 4.08)Fall of wickets: 1-25 (Courtney Browne, 6.1 ov), 2-93 (Brian Lara, 22.6 ov), 3-165 (Shivnarine Chanderpaul, 41.2 ov), 4-173 (Roger Harper, 43.3 ov), 5-178 (Ottis Gibson, 44.1 ov), 6-183 (Jimmy Adams, 46.3 ov), 7-187 (Keith Arthurton, 47.4 ov), 8-194 (Ian Bishop, 48.2 ov), 9-202 (Curtly Ambrose, 49.2 ov), 10-202 (Courtney Walsh, 49.3 ov)
Bowling O M R W Econ WD NB GD McGrath 10 2 30 2 3 0 1 DW Fleming 8.3 0 48 2 5.64 1 0 SK Warne 9 0 36 4 4 1 0 ME Waugh 4 0 16 0 4 0 0 SR Waugh 7 0 30 1 4.28 0 0 PR Reiffel 5 0 13 0 2.6 0 1 MG Bevan 4 1 12 0 3 0 0 SG Law 2 0 13 0 6.5 0 0
Match Details
Series
Toss
Australia , elected to bat first
Player Of The Match
Series result
Australia advanced
Match number
Season
Match days
14 March 1996 - day/night match (50-over match)
TV Umpires
Match Referee
Match Notes
- SG Law and MG Bevan, 138 for the 5th wicket, 2nd highest 5th wicket partnership for Australia in ODIs, 11th highest 5th wicket partnership for any country, 3rd highest 5th wicket partnership in the World Cup.
- Australia innings: 1x7 ball over (42nd over, bowled by JC Adams, called by umpire BC Cooray)
- SK Warne took a wicket with his first ball (CO Browne).
- West Indies innings: 1x7 ball over (18th, bowled by PR Reiffel, called by umpire BC Cooray)
- RB Richardson struck umpire BC Coorey in the head with a sweep to square leg.
- KLT Arthurton 2 runs from 5 dismissals in the 1996 World Cup.
- S Chanderpaul 50 runs in 95 balls.
- West Indies lost their last 8 wickets for 37 runs.
- 1st time West Indies have lost a World Cup semi final.
- RB Richardson's last ODI
Match Coverage
All Match NewsRetroReport - Shane Warne conjures win out of nowhere as Australia sneak into World Cup final
Needing 43 from 52 balls with eight wickets in hand, West Indies suffered one of ODI cricket's most dramatic collapses
RetroPreview - Feisty rivals set for era-defining clash as World Cup final beckons
A year after losing their unofficial world Test crown to Australia, West Indies have revenge on their minds
'How the bloody hell did we win that?'
West Indies had the 1996 semi-final against Australia in the bag. Then they found a way to throw it away




