CHASE THRILLER

The South Africans chased the mammoth Australian score of 434 on the day they entered their 117th year of existence as a Test-playing nation.

Wanderer8217;s run-waltz

The South Africans chased the mammoth Australian score of 434 on the day they entered their 117th year of existence as a Test-playing nation. That was March 12, 1889. Cut to 2006, and 438 looks more a Test score than the 84 the South Africans managed on their first morning as international players against England then. The Aussies have happy memories of Wanderers as they had hammered a humongous 359-2 in their 2003 WC final against India.

Brief Scores

Australia 434-4 in 50 overs
A Gilchrist 55, S Katich 79, R Ponting 164, M Hussey 81

South Africa 438-9 in 49.5 overs
Smith 90, H Gibbs 175, M Boucher 50 n.o., J van Der Wath 35; N Bracken 5-67

Bowlers in 6s and 7s

8226; Gibbs eclipsed Dhoni8217;s record for most runs in boundaries in a one-day innings, after his run-binge totaled 126 21215;4, 7s6. He also hit the most fours 21 in a one-day inning, bettering Viv Richard8217;s mark of 20.
8226; 14 sixes and 43 boundaries were struck when Sri Lanka bulldozed Kenya for the previous best score of 398 for 5. Australia tallied 14 sixes and 43 fours as well taking first strike on a stunning Sunday. South Africa hit two sixes less, but struck a four more, to finish with 12 sixes and 44 fours.
8226; Total boundaries: 26 sixes and 87 fours; that8217;s a stupendous 504 runs in 113 balls.
8226; Ponting, who had scored 140 in the WC final at the same venue with 64 coming through fours and sixes, topped his effort today, notching 164, with 106 registered in the 4s and 6s column.

Climibing Mount 434

How Safs chased an impossible target

10 overs: 77/1 RR: 8.25, Required: 8.80
20 overs: 168/1 RR: 8.40, Required: 8.9030 overs: 279/2
RR: 9.30, Required: 7.79
40 overs: 339/5 RR: 8.61, Required: 9.00
49.5 overs: 438/9 RR: 8.76

TRIVIA

8226; The only bright spot for bowlers on a nightmarish pitch: Nathan Bracken8217;s 5-67 are the best figures the only 5-for in a losing cause in the ten highest totals.
8226; Aussie Mick Lewis returned figures of none for 113, to finish with the most expensive bowling analysis in a 50-over one-day international. The previous record was 0-99 by Muttiah Muralitharan conceded against Australia in Sydney in the VB Series in February 2006.
8226; It took all that effort, but Australia finally conceded a head-to-head one-day series for the first time in four years.
8226; Shaun Pollock was named man of the series. He didn8217;t play the game on Sunday

The Pre-400 plus history

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8226; 398-5 50 overs Sri Lanka beat Kenya in Kandy/1996
8226; 397-5 44 overs New Zealand beat Zimbabwe in Bulawayo/2005
8226; 391-4 50 overs England beat Bangladesh in Nottingham/2005
8226; 376-2 50 overs India beat New Zealand in Hyderabad/1999
8226; 373-6 50 overs India beat Sri Lanka in Taunton/1999
8226; 371-9 50 overs Pakistan beat Sri Lanka in Nairobi/1996
8226; 368-5 50 overs Australia beat Sri Lanka in Sydney/2006
8226; 363-7 55 overs England beat Pakistan in Nottingham/1992
8226; 363-3 50 overs South Africa beat Zimbabwe in Bulawayo/2001