It was an amazing performance

It was an amazing performance by a team that appeared to be beaten a number of times, but they were revived by a vintage Shane Warne spel...

It was an amazing performance by a team that appeared to be beaten a number of times, but they were revived by a vintage Shane Warne spell and as Steve Waugh said after the match, 8220;we love playing for Australia.8221;

The first sign of trouble for Australia came early when Mark Waugh was out in Shaun Pollock8217;s first over and the situation worsened when Adam Gilchrist, who had put up a staunch defense rather than his normal resolute attack, perished via a skied cut to third man. It was Allan Donald who pouched the catch near the boundary rope and he had a big influence on Australia8217;s deteriorating position.

Warne succeeded in not only breaking South Africa8217;s momentum but also firing up his own team and they then got a big break when Hansie Cronje was adjudged caught at slip. The ball came off Cronje8217;s boot and this left a dejected South African captain in a sorry plight, but his hopes would8217;ve been revived by a good partnership between Jonty Rhodes a 70 fit Jacques Kallis.

Just as the match again appeared to be moving South Africa8217;s way Warne struck with his second last ball to get rid of Kallis. The leg-spinner had bowled magnificently spinning the ball a long way and curving it through the air, just like old times. This meant it was once again down to Lance Klusener and the ice cool all-rounder played brilliantly, flaying the ball through the off-side with enormous power and hitting one so hard it burst through Paul Reiffel8217;s hands and went over the boundary rope.

Two more fours meant Klusener had four balls to score one run in the final over, but Donald, who was nearly run out off the third ball was left stranded when the burly left-hander unexpectedly attempted a suicidal run following a Damien Fleming block-hole ball.

This incredible tied match was enough to see Australia through to the final. It8217;s now a matter of whether they have enough petrol left in the tank to beat Pakistan, after an amazing six-match sequence of survival. In Lahore three years ago, the effort of beating the West Indies in the semi-final appeared to leave them drained and it will take all their amazing resolve to ensure it doesn8217;t happen again at Lord8217;s.