Speaker 1: Welcome to this moment in sports History podcast Number The
Speaker 1: Miracle Match Australia's Greatest Escape January twenty sixth nineteen ninety eight.
Speaker 1: On January twenty sixth, nineteen ninety eight, Australia Day No
Speaker 1: Less cricket fans witnessed one of the most dramatic finishes
Speaker 1: in One day international history at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Speaker 1: It was the fourth match of the Carlton and United
Speaker 1: series featuring Australia, South Africa and New Zealand, and what
Speaker 1: unfolded between Australia and South Africa became instantly legendary. South
Speaker 1: Africa batted first and posted a formidable two hundred sixty
Speaker 1: nine runs for eight rickets in their fifty overs, a
Speaker 1: very competitive total on that pitch. The Proteas innings was
Speaker 1: anchored by Jacques Callis as patient sixty seven and supported
Speaker 1: by Gary Kurston's fifty one, giving South Africa a defendable score.
Speaker 1: When Australia began their chase, disaster struck almost immediately. The
Speaker 1: home side collapse spectacularly, slumping to forty eight for six wickets.
Speaker 1: Yes you read that rite forty eight for six. The
Speaker 1: mighty Australian batting lineup, which included legends like Mark Taylor,
Speaker 1: Mark Waugh and Ricky Ponting, had been completely dismantled by
Speaker 1: South Africa's pace attack, led by the fiery Alan Donald
Speaker 1: and the crafty Sean Pollock. The SCG crowd, which had
Speaker 1: arrived expecting to celebrate Australia Day with a comfortable victory,
Speaker 1: sat in stunned silence. The match appeared over before it
Speaker 1: had barely begun. Enter Michael Bevin and Steve Waugh, two
Speaker 1: of Australia's greatest crisis men. What followed was nothing short
Speaker 1: of miraculous. These two master batsmen constructed one of the
Speaker 1: greatest partnerships in od I cricket history, adding an unbelievable
Speaker 1: one hundred and thirty eight runs for the seventh wicket.
Speaker 1: They didn't just survive, they thrived, punishing any loose deliveries
Speaker 1: while expertly rotating the strike and running brilliantly between the wickets.
Speaker 1: Steve Wall played with characteristic grit in determination, while Bevin,
Speaker 1: known as the finishe displayed his genius and pacing a chase.
Speaker 1: The partnership transformed the atmosphere from funeral to Festival. When
Speaker 1: Wall finally departed for sixty seven, Australia still needed eighty
Speaker 1: four runs from one hundred two balls with just three
Speaker 1: wickets remaining. Bob Evan found another ally in Paul Rifle
Speaker 1: and together they continued the incredible fight back. The tension
Speaker 1: was palpable as Australia inched closer to their target, Gevin
Speaker 1: remained unbeaten on one hundred one. A master class innings
Speaker 1: of composure under pressure, Australia eventually won with just two
Speaker 1: balls to spare and two wickets in hand, scoring two
Speaker 1: hundred seventy one for eight. This match became folklore for
Speaker 1: several reasons. It occurred on Australia's National Day, featured one
Speaker 1: of the greatest collapses and recoveries in cricket history, and
Speaker 1: showcased the never say die Australian spirit that to find
Speaker 1: their cricket through the nineteen nineties and two thousand hundreds.
Speaker 1: Michael Bavin's innings is still studied by cricket coaches teaching
Speaker 1: young players about match awareness and finishing skills. The victory
Speaker 1: was more than just two competition points. It was a
Speaker 1: statement that Australia, even from the most hopeless positions could
Speaker 1: find a way to win. For South Africa, it was
Speaker 1: a crushing defeat that added to their growing reputation for
Speaker 1: faltering in crucial moments, a psychological burden that would haunt
Speaker 1: them in future tournaments. This January twenty sixth Classic remains
Speaker 1: one of cricket's greatest advertisements for never giving up no
Speaker 1: matter how dire the circumstances appear, and that wraps it up.
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