Aussies win series in thriller

“That was one of the sweetest victories I’ve ever been involved in,” said a jubilant Australian captain Steve Waugh. “That was a gutsy and determined win.”

South Africa had beaten them in their last six meetings, home and away, prior to last night’s loss at the Sydney Cricket Ground and were hot favourites when the best-of-three finals began.

But the loss of strike bowler Allan Donald with a strained left hip muscle derailed Hansie Cronje’s top class unit and revived Waugh’s recent comments about the Proteas choking in big games.

It was all a bit of deja-vu for the Africans, who won in Melbourne in the first final four years ago, as they did this year, before losing thenext two in Sydney.

They now have to regroup before the third and final Test starts in Adelaide on Friday. They are one-nil down and must win to save somthing from this tour.

SCOREBOARD

Australia: M Waugh b Klusener 21, A Gilchrist b McMillan 6, R Ponting c Richardson b Adams 76, D Lehman c Rhodes b Symcox 10, S Waugh run out 71, M Bevan not out 36, T Moody c Bacher b McMillan 0, I Harvey c Bacher b McMillan 1, P Reifel not out 11. Extras (lb-4, w-10, nb-1): 15. Total (for seven wkts, in 50 overs): 247.

Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-58, 3-79, 4-181, 5-210, 6-210, 7-212.

Bowling: Pollock 10-1-33-0, McMillan 10-0-47-3, Kallis 3-0-23-0, Klusener 10-0-59-1, Symcox 10-0-35-1, Adams 7-0-46-1.

South Africa: G Kirsten run out 3, A Bacher c Gilchrist b Reiffel 45, J Kallis hit wkt b Reiffel 14, H Cronje st Gilchrist b Warne 5, J Rhodes c&b M Waugh 29, S Pollock st Gilchrist b Bevan 28, L Klusener c S Waugh b Moody 46, P Symcox run out 22, B McMillan run out 15, D Richardson c Ponting b Reiffel 1, P Adamsnot out 15. Extras (b-3, lb-6, w-1): 10. Total (all out, 48.1 overs): 233.

Fall of wickets: 1-25, 2-63, 3-64, 4-72, 5-122, 6-139, 7-191, 8-202, 9-204.

Bowling: Wilson 10-1-55-0, M Waugh 6-0-31-1, Reiffel 9-0-40-3, Moody 9-1-26-1, Warne 9.1-0-43-1, Bevan 5-0-29-1.

Man-of-the-match: Ricky Ponting.

Man-of-the-series: Gary Kirsten.

Australia won by 14 runs to win the finals series 2-1.

Gilchrist shines

Australia sailed to an easy victory over a lacklustre South Africa on Monday to win the second Tri-Nation One-Day Final. It was a much improved Australia that passed the Proteas total of 228 for six with seven wickets and 8.1 over to spare.

Makeshift opener and man-of-the-match Adam Gilchrist was the star of the show, hitting a magnificent 100, his highest one-day score, to make a mockery of his critics who want to see Ian Healy back in the side.

To add to South Africa’s woes, pace spearhead Allan Donald, whose scintillating spell of fast bowling won the first final in Melbourne onFriday, retired with a strained hip muscle after bowling just three overs.

A swashbuckling 134-run partnership between Hansie Cronje and Jonty Rhodes had given South Africa a chance after they were reduced to 64 for four.

SCOREBOARD

South Africa: D Cullinan c Warne b M Waugh 3, G Kirsten c Gilchrist b Wilson 14, L Klusener c Harvey b Reiffel 31, J Kallis c Ponting b Reiffel 10, H Cronje c Bevan b Warne 73, J Rhodes not out 82, S Pollock lbw Reiffel 3, P Symcox not out 5. Extras (lb 4, w 3): 7. Total (six wickets, 50 overs): 228.Fall of wicket: 1-7, 2-35, 3-55, 4-64, 5-198, 6-211.

Bowling: Wilson 10-0-39-1, M Waugh 5-0-17-1 (w-1), Reiffel 10-1-32-3 (w-1), Moody 8-0-28-0, Warne 10-0-52-1 (w-1), Harvey 4-0-27-0, Lehmann 3-0-29-0.

Australia: M Waugh b Klusener 25, A Gilchrist b McMillan 100, R Ponting lbw Klusener 47, D Lehmann not out 17, I Harvey not out 27. Extras (b-4, lb-2, w-5, nb-2): 13. Total (for three wkts in 41.5 overs): 229.

Fall of wickets: 1-51, 2-177, 3-184.

Bowling: Pollock8-0-39-0, Klusener 10-0-57-2, Donald 3-0-17-0, Symcox 9-0-39-0, McMillan 8-0-45-1, Cullinan 2-0-17-0, Cronje 1.5-0-9-0.