Five classic Australia-South Africa ODIs

In anticipation of Australia's ODI matches against South Africa this week, we look back at five memorable 50-over matches between the sides

With South Africa's tour of northern Australia continuing this week for the three-match BKT Tyres ODI series, it will continue a 50-over rivalry that's produced its fair share of memorable encounters.

The three-game T20I series produced some memorable moments, so ahead of the 50-over format, we've taken a look back at five classic Australia-South Africa ODIs.

Aussies settle for silver

1998 Commonwealth Games gold medal match, Kuala Lumpur: Australia 183 (S.Waugh 90no, Pollock 4-19) lost to South Africa 6-184 (Rindel 67, Lehmann 3-14) by four wickets with 24 balls remaining.

The '98 Commonwealth Games represent an odd chapter in the South Africa-Australia 50-over rivalry, not least of all because the matches in the somewhat experimental competition weren't actually granted ODI status.

Featuring cricket for the first (and only) time in its history, the Games hosted by Malaysia saw the two rivals progress to the final, with gold medals on offer for the victors of a major cricket tournament for the first time since England defeated France in the 1900 Olympics.

Although India and Pakistan didn't send full-strength sides, and England refused to send one at all, the likes of Sachin Tendulkar, Anil Kumble, Shoaib Akhtar, Daniel Vettori and Mahela Jayawardena all featured in the Games.

The Proteas also sent a weakened team but scraped through to the tournament-decider with a one-wicket semi-final win over Sri Lanka.

In their way was a full-strength Australia team, led by a determined Steve Waugh with Glenn McGrath, Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting and Darren Lehmann in tow in the unfamiliar cricketing city of Kuala Lumpur.

They had steamrolled Canada, a Richie Richardson and Curtly Ambrose-led Antigua and Barduda (the West Indies weren't permitted to play under the same flag at the Games), India and then New Zealand in the semi-final.

But, in front of the biggest crowd for a cricket match in Malaysia's history, South Africa skipper Shaun Pollock dismantled Australia's top-order, removing Mark Waugh, Gilchrist and Ponting all within the first nine overs of the game.

Steve Waugh dragged his side to a defendable 183 with a dogged 90 not out, with Lehmann the next top-scorer with 26.

Skippers Shaun Pollock and Steve Waugh shake hands // Getty

Despite a late flurry of wickets, the Proteas edged home with four wickets and 24 balls remaining.

Waugh's downcast charges, who'd thrown away their chance to add a gold medal to their more traditional cricketing achievements, could only watch on as the giddy South Africans ascended the podium to collect their unusual, but treasured mementos.

The photo of the Australian squad clutching mascots and 'celebrating' their silver medals says it all.

Gibbs drops the World Cup

1999 World Cup Super Sixes, Leeds: South Africa 7-271 (Gibbs 101, Cullinan 50, Fleming 3-57) lost to Australia 5-272 (S.Waugh 120, Ponting 69) by five wickets with two balls remaining.

Gibbs' World Cup brain-fade

'You've just dropped the World Cup, mate.'

Perhaps the most remembered non-quote in cricketing history, Steve Waugh's fictitious sledge lives on in the sport's folklore, the turning point from a classic World Cup battle.

It's often forgotten that the enigmatic Herschelle Gibbs, the recipient of Waugh's bogus jibe, had earlier constructed a vital century to help South Africa post an imposing 271 in front of a packed Headingley crowd.

That total looked even more daunting when Waugh strode to the crease with his side at 3-48 in the 12th over.

The Australian skipper, along with his eventual successor Ricky Ponting, kept their side's tournament hopes alive with a dominant partnership.

And then, that fateful moment. Waugh clips, Gibbs moves effortlessly to his right and, in literally the blink of an eye, he both takes the catch and drops it in one go.

Just as Shane Warne, albeit to the amusement of his teammates, predicted could happen in Australia's pre-match meeting, the talented Protea fieldsman's exuberance proved his downfall.

Waugh went on to make an unbeaten 120, setting up a semi-final showdown with … South Africa.

The '99 World Cup semi-final classic

1999 World Cup semi-final, Birmingham: Australia 213 (Bevan 65, S.Waugh 56, Pollock 5-36, Donald 4-32) tied with South Africa 213 (Kallis 53, Warne 4-29)

Highlights from the '99 World Cup semi-final

Having played out such a thrilling match four days earlier, Birmingham locals could have been forgiven for expecting a fizzer in the ensuing encounter between the two teams.

This time Australia batted first but again found themselves in early trouble, Pollock and Allan Donald running rampant through their top-order.

Steve Waugh and Michael Bevan, two men practically born for batting recoveries, helped their side reach a respectable, though below-par 213.

In a tournament where he'd struggled to make an impact, what a moment it was for Warne to find an extra gear.

The leg-spinner had battled with injury and form throughout the tournament but here, as he so often did, he delivered when his team truly needed him.

Having comfortably dealt with the new ball pair of Glenn McGrath and Damien Fleming, that man Gibbs again loomed as South Africa's key.

But the stage was set for Warne. His eighth ball dipped, ripped, then clipped Gibbs' off-stump to Warne's almost-furious delight.

Three more wickets from the King of Spin set player-of-the-tournament Lance Klusener (and No.11 Allan Donald) up with final-over date with Damien Fleming.

Donald reflects on '99 World Cup disaster

The equation for South Africa's last wicket pair: Klusener on strike, nine to win, six balls left. Advantage Australia?

Not after Klusener nearly puts holes in the cover boundary's advertising hoardings off the first two balls of the over.

But after Lehmann spectacularly missed a golden chance to run out the non-striker Donald, the South Africa quick notoriously didn't run when Klusener set off the next ball, handing Australia an impossible victory.

Miracle at The Wanderers

Fifth ODI, Johannesburg: Australia 4-434 (Ponting 164, Hussey 81, Katich 79, Gilchrist 55) defeated by South Africa 9-438 (Gibbs 175, Smith 90, Boucher 50, Bracken 5-67) by one wicket with one ball remaining.

Remembering one of the greatest ODIs of them all

While breaking the 400-run barrier in a 50-over match may have been generally predicted as an inevitability by some observers ten years ago, the chances of that mark being comfortably surpassed twice in a single match appeared as thin as the air at the high-altitude Wanderers Stadium.

Yet, in 2006, that's exactly what happened at the Johannesburg ground when sparring partners South Africa and Australia faced off in one for the ages.

If the two sides' classic encounters during the '99 World Cup had been defined by individuals thriving or falling in key moments, then their equally memorable '06 clash will be remembered for sustained periods of scarcely-believable dominance.

Ponting pummeled a 105-ball 164, Gilchrist a 44-ball 55 and Mike Hussey a 51-ball 81.

It's remarkable to think Simon Katich managed to, comparatively, nick and nudge his way to 79 off 90 balls like a Segway on the Autobahn, and Australia still racked up a world-record 434.

As fans back in Australia, satisfied they'd seen the best of the contest at its halfway point, turned off their TV sets hopeful to be well-rested for Monday morning, some of the South Africa players must surely have thought the same.

But Gibbs, again a central figure in a major Australia-South Africa ODI moment, set about continuing the carnage, continuing the game's brutal pace.

He found an ally in captain Graeme Smith (90 off 55 balls), and even when Gibbs departed for a devastating 111-ball 175, the Proteas kept on wreaking havoc, Australia quick Mick Lewis conceding 0-113 from his 10 overs; still the worst figures in ODI history.

As Mark Boucher pumped Brett Lee over mid-on to seal an astonishing victory, the dazed Wanderers crowd, and the few Aussies who'd stayed up to watch, knew one-day cricket had been changed forever.

Cricket's indoor experiment

2000 second ODI, Docklands Stadium: South Africa 8-226 (Rhodes 54, Boucher 51, Gillespie 3-40) tied with Australia 9-226 (M.Waugh 48)

Melbourne is home to some of the country's most passionate sports fans but only the most dedicated cricket enthusiasts would have envisaged international cricket being played in their city in August.

The construction of a 50,000-plus capacity stadium in the Docklands, complete with a retractable roof, in 2000 made that pipe-dream a reality, as Australia hosted South Africa for three ODIs at the brand-new venue.

After Steve Waugh and Bevan notched the first two 'indoor' ODI centuries in the first match of the three-game series, half-centuries to Boucher and Jonty Rhodes in the second match helped set Australia 227 for a second consecutive victory in the three-match series.

Warne appeals during the 2000 tied ODI against South Africa // Getty

And at 1-105 in the 24th over, that looked like a walk in the park but Australia's middle-order failed to fire, crucially denied Michael Bevan's middle-overs mastery as he'd broken his knuckle while fielding.

Batting at No.8, Bevan came and went, leaving Warne and McGrath needing nine off the final over. Sound familiar?

This one too finished in a tie, with cricket's indoor trial a relative success, though the venue, now home to the Melbourne Renegades, hasn't hosted an international match since 2006.

BKT Tyres ODI Series - Australia v South Africa

August 19: First ODI v South Africa, Cazalys Stadium, Cairns, 2:30pm AEST

August 22: Second ODI v South Africa, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, 2:30pm AEST

August 24: Third ODI v South Africa, Great Barrier Reef Arena, Mackay, 2:30pm AEST

Australia ODI squad: Mitchell Marsh (c), Xavier Bartlett, Alex Carey, Cooper Connolly, Ben Dwarshuis, Nathan Ellis, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Josh Inglis, Matthew Kuhnemann, Marnus Labuschagne, Adam Zampa

South Africa ODI squad: Temba Bavuma (c), Corbin Bosch, Matthew Breetzke, Dewald Brevis, Nandre Burger, Tony de Zorzi, Aiden Markram, Kwena Maphaka, Senuran Muthusamy, Keshav Maharaj, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Lhuan-dre Pretorius, Kagiso Rabada, Ryan Rickelton, Tristan Stubbs, Prenelan Subrayen

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