Australia v South Africa

Toss: South Africa.

This was do or die for Australia. So, in a thriller, they duly did - leapfrogging over South Africa in the process, and loading the dice for the semi-final. South Africa batted first on a bouncy Headingley pitch and rattled up 271, despite the return to form of Warne, who snared his old foe Cullinan and Cronje in one over. Gibbs, with a mixture of steadiness and flair, made South Africa's only century of the tournament, and the second of his short one-day international career. Then Klusener, back to his best, masterminded a swashbuckling 47 from the final five overs.

At 48 for three in reply, Australia faced meltdown. But no one had told Steve Waugh, that iciest of icemen. He and Ponting, slogging adeptly, added 77 between overs 22 and 29. They were particularly harsh on Cronje and Boje who, in the absence of Kallis with an abdominal strain, had to muddle through ten overs, which yielded 79. Then Waugh, on 56, was unfathomably dropped by a prematurely celebrating Gibbs at mid-wicket. Waugh reportedly told him: "Hersh, you've just dropped the World Cup." Hindsight suggests he did. Waugh raced to 120 in 110 balls, only his second century in 266 one-day internationals. Though Donald and Pollock returned with some ferocious stuff at the end, Australia's momentum carried them through; the exhausted teams headed for Edgbaston and a rematch.

Man of the Match: S. R. Waugh. Attendance: 15,479.