Lance Klusener and the 1999 World Cup

Lance Klusener arrived at the 1999 Cricket World Cup in England as one of the most feared lower-order batters in the game. By the end of the group stage, he had become its most feared batter — full stop. His tournament performance stands among the most dominant individual showings in World Cup history, made all the more poignant by the manner in which it ended.

The Tournament Domination

Klusener scored 281 runs in the 1999 tournament at the extraordinary average of 140.50. He struck at nearly 123 per over. In five innings, he was unbeaten four times, repeatedly rescuing South Africa with calculated, ferocious hitting. He won the Player of the Tournament award and was unanimously regarded as the best batter in the competition.

The Tied Semi-Final

South Africa needed just one run off the final ball against Australia in the semi-final at Edgbaston. Klusener struck a driven shot and set off — his partner Allan Donald, confused, failed to run, was caught short of his ground, and the match ended in a tie. Due to Australia's superior net run rate in a previous stage, they progressed to the final. South Africa were eliminated on the cruelest of margins. Klusener's unbeaten 31 from 16 balls in the final over was not enough.

All-Round Ability

Klusener was also a potent right-arm fast-medium bowler, taking 80 Test wickets and 192 ODI wickets. In Tests he averaged 32.68 with the bat as well. His combination of genuine pace, the ability to swing the ball both ways, and explosive lower-order hitting made him one of the most complete all-rounders South Africa has produced.