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Gillespie, Harvey shine in Aussie win despite Klusener's heroics
JOHANNESBURG: Lance Klusener returned to form with a majestic 83 but his knock was not able to save South Africa from a defeat as Australia went on to win the first One-day International of the seven-match series here at the Wanderers by 19 runs.
Chasing 224 runs to win the match, the hosts lost both the openers by the third over and would never have crossed 150 had it not been for Lance Klusener. The left-hander, who faced 77 balls, was in brilliant form and before getting caught at the boundary in the 45th over, hit eight fours and two huge sixes.
The hosts were defeated by a disciplined Aussie attack which not only outclassed some world class performers like Gary Kirsten (2) and Jacques Kallis (8) but also managed to take wickets at regular intervals. Apart from Klusener, Boeta Dippenaar (51 runs off 65 balls) was the other star performer of the low-scoring game. He came in at number three and made the most of a dropped catch in the twelfth over as he went on to score 51 runs before falling to Nathan Hauritz (2/31) who shone as an off-break bowler on his One-day International debut.
Dippenaar found an able partner in Lance Klusener who took over the role of the senior batsman after his departure. Klusener, along with Boje, batted slowly for most of their innings, but when the former got lose with some powerful hitting, he lost Boje through a silly run out in the 39th over. Klusener was the last man to be dismissed in the 45th over and would have steered his side to victory had the upper and middle-order batsmen batted sensibly.
Earlier, pacers Makhaya Ntini, Roger Telemachus and Jacques Kallis helped South Africa restrict Australia to 223 runs for the loss of eight wickets. Ricky Ponting won the toss on his debut as skipper of Australia and immediately decided to bat first. His side was off to a flying start as his deputy Adam Gilchrist, who scored 37 runs off 44 balls, collected 26 runs off Roger Telemachus' first three overs. But the loss of quick wickets including that of Ponting brought the hosts back into the match.
Darren Lehmann also chipped in with 37 valuable runs while Andy Bichel (19 runs off 21 balls) and Jason Gillespie (11 not out off 12 balls) saw the Australians past their final score. The two added 28 runs off 17 balls before Bichel was dismissed caught by Telemachus at long off boundary on the last ball of the innings.
For South Africa, Makhaya Ntini bowled well and finished with 3/24 from his 10 overs. Recalled fast bowler Roger Telemachus grabbed 2 wickets for 45 runs from his seven overs while Jacques Kallis managed to take a couple of wickets for 48 runs.
Jason Gillespie was declared Man of the Match for his brilliant bowling which saw him take 3/39. South Africa and Australia will now play each other on Sunday at Centurion.
March 22, 2002 - 1335 GMT
Dippenaar steadies SA after Gillespie's triple-strike
JOHANNESBURG: Runs continued to flow from the willow of Boeta Dippenaar who made the most of a dropped catch in the twelfth over and scored 27 runs in the South African innings here at the Wanderers in the first One-day International match of the seven-match series.
Chasing 224 runs to win the match, the hosts lost in-form openers Gary Kirsten (2 runs off 10 balls) and Herschelle Gibbs (0 off 7 balls). Both the batsmen fell to Gillespie who first had Gibbs caught by Hayden on the eighth ball of the innings and later had Kirsten caught by Adam Gilchrist on his ninth ball of the innings.
After the loss of both the openers, Dippenaar and Jacques Kallis came together and tried to steady the innings. But Kallis, who survived a confident appeal of leg before off McGrath early in his innings, failed to score freely and was finally adjudged leg before in the 10th over for 8 runs. Dippenaar continued to bat with elegance, belting the bad balls for boundaries. He lost Jonty Rhodes on the last ball of the fifteenth over when the batsman played a Harvey-delivery to the wicketkeeper. Rhodes made 13 runs off 21 balls and added 33 valuable runs with Dippenaar for the fourth wicket.
At the end of the 15th over, South Africa had scored 56 runs for the loss of four wickets. Dippenaar (27 not out off 32 balls) was at the crease trying to win the match for South Africa while for Australia, Gillespie had taken 3/22 from his six overs. The hosts now require 168 more runs to win the match in 35 overs at an asking rate of 4.8 runs per over while Australia needs six more wickets to seal the fate of the match and go 1-0 in the seven-match series.
March 22, 2002 - 1205 GMT
SA set 224 runs to win series opener
JOHANNESBURG: Pacers Makhaya Ntini, Roger Telemachus and Jacques Kallis helped South Africa restrict Australia to 223 runs for the loss of eight wickets here at the Wanderers in the first One-day International match of the seven-match series.
After opting to bat first after winning the toss in his debut match as skipper of Australia, Ricky Ponting's side was off to a flying start.
Australian vice-captain Adam Gilchrist, who scored 37 runs off 44 balls, collected 26 runs off Roger Telemachus' first three overs before the hosts lost three quick wickets including that of Ponting. First to go was Gilchrist who pulled a delivery from Makhaya Ntini to Nicky Boje at mid-wicket who took a well-judged catch in the twelfth over.
Hayden (27 runs off 46 balls) who partnered Gilchrist, was next to depart as he, while trying to cut a rising delivery from Kallis, gave Rhodes a chance to fling himself to his right and take a one-handed catch. Two runs and three overs later, the combination of Boje-Ntini, which dismissed Gilchrist earlier in the day, returned to bring an end to Ponting's first innings as Australian one-day captain. The right-hander made 14 runs and faced 22 balls before he became the third Australian batsman to return to the pavilion.
The loss of Ponting and Hayden brought Damien Martyn (24 runs off 56 balls) and Darren Lehmann (37 runs off 53 balls) to the wicket who safely negotiated the hostile bowling from the hosts before getting dismissed in a space of nine balls. Michael Bevan (18 off 25 balls) and Ian Harvey (19 off 27 balls) then tried to stage a late comeback but after adding 31 runs for the sixth wicket on 28 balls, Bevan was run out by Rhodes in the 44th over. Harvey became Ntini's third victim and was caught by Kallis in the 46th over. Andy Bichel (19 runs off 21 balls) and Jason Gillespie (11 not out off 12 balls) then saw the Australians past their final score. The two added 28 runs off 17 balls before Telemachus caught Bichel at long off for 19 off Kallis' bowling.
For South Africa, Makhaya Ntini bowled well and finished with 3/24 from his 10 overs. Recalled fast bowler Roger Telemachus, who went for 26 runs in his first three overs, grabbed 2 wickets for 45 runs from his seven overs while Jacques Kallis managed to take a couple of wickets for 48 runs.
The hosts require 224 runs to win the match and go 1-0 in the seven-match series. Australia, on the other hand, would have to either restrict or bowl out the hosts if they want to win the series opener.
March 22, 2002 - 1045 GMT
Kallis, Ntini bowl SA back into the match
JOHANNESBURG: Pacers Makhaya Ntini
and Jacques Kallis grabbed three wickets and
helped South Africa remove dangerous Matthew
Hayden and Ricky Ponting here at the Wanderers in
the first One-day International against Australia.
After being 74/1 in 15 overs, the hosts lost two
quick wickets in the 17th and 20th over. First to
go was Hayden (27 runs off 46 balls) who, while
trying to cut a rising delivery from Kallis, gave
Rhodes a chance to fling himself to his right and
take a one-handed catch. Two runs and three overs
later, the combination of Boje-Ntini, which
dismissed Gilchrist earlier in the day, returned
to bring an end to Ponting's first innings as
Australian one-day captain. The right-hander made
14 runs and faced 22 balls before he became the
third Australian batsman to return to the
pavilion.
The loss of Ponting and Hayden brought Damien
Martyn (20 not out off 50 balls) and Darren
Lehmann (30 not out off 46 balls) to the wicket.
Both the batsmen safely negotiated the hostile
bowling from the hosts and at the conclusion of
the 34th over had taken the score to 140 runs for
the loss of three wickets.
March 22, 2002 - 0930 GMT
Australia in strong position despite losing Gilchrist
JOHANNESBURG: Australia were in a strong position as they had scored 74 runs for the loss of one wicket in the first 15 overs here at the Wanderers in the first One-day International against South Africa.
Recalled South African fast bowler Roger Telemachus went for 26 runs in his first three overs which prompted South African captain Shaun Pollock to bring Ntini into the attack early. Ntini proved his captain's decision correct as he grabbed the important wicket of Australian vice-captain Adam Gilchrist for 37. Nicky Boje took the well-judged catch at mid-wicket and brought the end of the left-hander's 44-ball innings that contained seven fours.
Earlier, Australian skipper Ricky Ponting won the toss and elected to bat first. South Africa is playing with captain Shaun Pollock, Lance Klusener, Jonty Rhodes, Nicky Boje and Roger Telemachus while one-day specialists Darren Lehmann, Michael Bevan, Ian Harvey, Andrew Bichel and Nathan Hauritz have replaced Steve and Mark Waugh, Justin Langer, Shane Warne and Brett Lee.
At the end of the 15th over, Australia had scored 74 runs for the loss of one wicket. Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting were batting well and were trying to keep the score board moving with quick singles and well-timed boundaries.
March 22, 2002 - 0815 GMT
Australia opt to bat first after winning toss
JOHANNESBURG: Australian skipper Ricky Ponting won the toss and elected to bat first here at the Wanderers in the first One-day International against South Africa.
South Africa have been strengthened by the return of captain Shaun Pollock who missed the three-match Test series while Lance Klusener, Jonty Rhodes, Nicky Boje and Roger Telemachus stage a comeback after missing the Test matches. On the other hand, the inclusion of one-day specialists Darren Lehmann, Michael Bevan, Ian Harvey, Andrew Bichel and Nathan Hauritz for Steve and Mark Waugh, Justin Langer, Shane Warne and Brett Lee, have boosted the morale of the Aussies who lost the third Test match after winning the first two.
South Africa: Herschelle Gibbs, Gary Kirsten, Jacques Kallis, Boeta Dippenaar, Jonty Rhodes, Mark Boucher, Shaun Pollock (captain), Nicky Boje, Lance Klusener, Makhaya Ntini, Roger Telemachus.
Australia: Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist, Ricky Ponting (captain), Damien Martyn, Darren Lehmann, Michael Bevan, Ian Harvey, Nathan Hauritz, Andy Bichel, Jason Gillespie, Glenn McGrath.
Umpires: Brian Jerling & Rudi Koertzen. TV umpire: Shahid Wadvalla.
Match referee: Cammie Smith (WI).
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