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“YOU’VE JUST DROPPED THE WORLD CUP, MATE”
It was the Super Sixes clash in 1999, chasing 272 Australia had to win. Captain Steve Waugh was on 56 and he offered a simple chance to Herschelle Gibbs at mid-wicket. Gibbs caught it but in his haste to throw it up in celebration, dropped the ball.
GREATEST CWC MOMENT
Background
It was the last game of the Super Sixes at the 1999 Cricket World Cup, a game that Australia had to win. Australia had come into the Super Sixes without a single point, and though it had beaten India and Zimbabwe, it needed to win against South Africa, who had already booked a place in the final four, to progress alongside.
Batting first, South Africa had put up a solid 271 for 7 and Australia had lost Mark Waugh, Adam Gilchrist and Damien Martyn early. Ponting and Steve Waugh were doing the rebuilding and had taken the total to 152 for 3, still 119 behind South Africa without much batting left.
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It was the 31st over of the Australian innings and Waugh had just had a yes-no with Ponting when he flicked an innocuous looking delivery from Lance Klusener to Gibbs, who had earlier scored a wonderful century, at mid-wicket. Gibbs caught it, but in trying to throw the ball up in the air, spilled it. Waugh might not have actually told him he had dropped the World Cup – and neither man could have imagined the significance the dropped chance would hold later – but Gibbs was nevertheless aware that an important chance had been shelled.
Gibbs caught it but in his haste to throw it up in celebration, dropped the ball. The Australian would go on to lead his team to victory and the South African would rue the missed catch that meant Australia went through to the final when the semi-final was tied.
Waugh later confirmed that contrary to the urban legend that gained ground, he hadn’t actually told Gibbs, “You’ve just dropped the World Cup, mate”.
What happened next
Waugh went on to complete a match-winning century. He had already reached his half-century off 47 balls and though Ponting (69) fell soon after the Gibbs spill, Waugh stayed on to score an unbeaten 110-ball 120, hitting ten fours and two sixes along the way. And with Tom Moody for company, he took Australia over the line with two balls left in the game.
While Waugh didn’t say the words attributed to him, it would have been prophetic if he had. The win ensured that Australia would face South Africa again in the semi-final, and that match – balanced on a knife’s edge for much of the chase – finished in a dead heat, it was Australia who progressed, by virtue of having beaten South Africa in the earlier game. If Gibbs hadn’t dropped Waugh, Australia might not even have qualified for the semi-final.
Incidentally, Waugh scored exactly 56, the score at which Gibbs had dropped him, in the semi-final.
It was the last game of the Super Sixes at the 1999 Cricket World Cup, a game that Australia had to win. Australia had come into the Super Sixes without a single point, and though it had beaten India and Zimbabwe, it needed to win against South Africa, who had already booked a place in the final four, to progress alongside.
Batting first, South Africa had put up a solid 271 for 7 and Australia had lost Mark Waugh, Adam Gilchrist and Damien Martyn early. Ponting and Steve Waugh were doing the rebuilding and had taken the total to 152 for 3, still 119 behind South Africa without much batting left.
Main article
It was the 31st over of the Australian innings and Waugh had just had a yes-no with Ponting when he flicked an innocuous looking delivery from Lance Klusener to Gibbs, who had earlier scored a wonderful century, at mid-wicket. Gibbs caught it, but in trying to throw the ball up in the air, spilled it. Waugh might not have actually told him he had dropped the World Cup – and neither man could have imagined the significance the dropped chance would hold later – but Gibbs was nevertheless aware that an important chance had been shelled.
Gibbs caught it but in his haste to throw it up in celebration, dropped the ball. The Australian would go on to lead his team to victory and the South African would rue the missed catch that meant Australia went through to the final when the semi-final was tied.
“He’s dropped it. He’s dropped it. I don’t believe it. That’s unbelievable. He was throwing it up. He thought he had it. It was a little lollypop. And the man who did so well with the bat has taken his eye off the ball and the ball has just dribbled out of his fingers. Well, this could change the course of this match, that’s for sure.”
Tony Greig, commentating on the match.
Waugh later confirmed that contrary to the urban legend that gained ground, he hadn’t actually told Gibbs, “You’ve just dropped the World Cup, mate”.
What happened next
Waugh went on to complete a match-winning century. He had already reached his half-century off 47 balls and though Ponting (69) fell soon after the Gibbs spill, Waugh stayed on to score an unbeaten 110-ball 120, hitting ten fours and two sixes along the way. And with Tom Moody for company, he took Australia over the line with two balls left in the game.
While Waugh didn’t say the words attributed to him, it would have been prophetic if he had. The win ensured that Australia would face South Africa again in the semi-final, and that match – balanced on a knife’s edge for much of the chase – finished in a dead heat, it was Australia who progressed, by virtue of having beaten South Africa in the earlier game. If Gibbs hadn’t dropped Waugh, Australia might not even have qualified for the semi-final.
“People still ask me about that drop to Steve Waugh in the 1999 World Cup. The truth is, it doesn't haunt me as I've been chirped about it for a long time. I still remember the Super Six match very well because I got a really good hundred. But losing that game set up the most exciting game of all, one of the most exciting games in any World Cup.”
Herschelle Gibbs at a press conference during the 2007 World Cup
Incidentally, Waugh scored exactly 56, the score at which Gibbs had dropped him, in the semi-final.
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