South Africa vs Australia 434 Run Chase: This match between South Africa and Australia was the most exciting match in the history of ODI cricket. Australia scored 434 runs for 4 wickets in 50 overs after playing first in this match. In reply, South Africa chased the target with one ball remaining. This is the biggest run chase in ODI cricket.
In this match, Adam Gilchrist and Simon Katich opened the innings for Australia. Both of them added 97 runs for the first wicket. Gilchrist returned to the pavilion after scoring 55 runs in 44 balls. He hit 9 fours. Then there was a partnership of 119 runs between Katich and Ricky Ponting. Katich was out after scoring 79 runs with the help of 9 fours and a six.
Ricky Ponting’s bat was not stopping. He was playing big shots all around the field. Michael Hussey, who came to bat at number four, also batted explosively. Hussey scored a blistering 81 runs in just 51 balls. Ponting got out after scoring 164 runs in 105 balls. Ponting hit 13 fours and 9 sixes. In this way, the Australian team scored a huge score of 434 runs in 50 overs. When the first innings ended, it seemed that Australia would win this match easily, but South Africa did not give up.
The South African team, which came out to chase the target, lost the first wicket on just three runs. However, their spirits did not break. Graeme Smith and Herschelle Gibbs started batting fiercely. Both of them made a partnership of 187 runs for the second wicket. Smith scored 90 runs in just 55 balls. 13 fours and 2 sixes came off his bat. Then AB de Villiers got out after scoring 14 runs in 20 balls, Jacques Kallis got out after scoring 20 runs in 21 balls and Justin Camp got out after scoring 13 runs in 17 balls. However, Gibbs did not stop. He kept on scoring runs at a fast pace. Gibbs played an innings of 175 runs in just 111 balls. 21 fours and 7 sixes came off his bat.
It seemed that in the end South Africa’s team would not be able to achieve the huge target, but Mark Boucher and John van der Wath turned the tables. Van der Wath played a match winning innings of 35 runs in 18 balls and Boucher played an unbeaten innings of 50 runs in 43 balls. In this way South Africa won the match by scoring 438 runs in 49.5 overs. This match was played between South Africa and Australia on 12 March 2006.
