In the summer of 1999, a 15-year-old me who at the time was grappling with the very fact that school life was about to come to an end and I was about to enter the next phase of my existence by taking the colossal step to enter into college, was particularly bemused by an event that occurred thousands of miles away.
Even though I knew my life was about to change—me, trying hard to reinvent myself as a cool guy for college, which, trust me, felt like a huge leap from the goofball I’d been in school—my mind was fixated on something else entirely: something extraordinary I’d witnessed on a small TV screen from a cricket ground in England.
Here was a team wearing a beautiful Green and Gold who had clawed their way to possibly win an important game, courtesy a swashbuckling innings by an aggressive left-hander, albeit eventually ended up on the wrong side of the contest when the last crucial run was not taken as the non-striker was left ball watching.
This team was all but guaranteed to win this game but ended up tying it due to their own idiosyncrasies in the moment that mattered and as a result, fell away from the tournament.
The team was South Africa, the aggressive left-hander – Lance Kluesner, the non-striker – Allan Donald, the opposition Australia and the event – the 1999 ODI World Cup semifinalin the United Kingdom.
As I saw a disappointed group of players holding their heads in disbelief on what just happened and perhaps what could have been, I wondered to myself, feeling a tad bit sad in my heart, how can this happen? How can the Almighty be so unkind?
The irony, this South African team a year prior to the 1999 ODI World Cup had won the inaugural Champions Trophy, making fans, including me believe the World Cup disappointment could just be an anomaly and bigger successes were certainly on the cards.
Perhaps little did I know at the time that this would not just be a one-off but become a long unabated saga of misery to relentlessly support a team who squandered the advantage in their hour of need for the coming three decades.
A story of so close yet so far, a tale of what could have been, a moment of hoping this is it, only to be reeling in disappointment and despair time and again!
An unending dark tunnel of torment, be it the 2007, 2015 and 2023 ODI World Cup semifinals, the 2024 T20 World Cup final, or the 2013 and 2025 Champions Trophy semifinal exits.
A tough pill to swallow continuously, if I were to be brutally honest!
Well two days back, the same feeling of déjà vu engulfed me as South Africa were faced with a daunting target of 282 in their second innings on a pitch that was conducive to seam and swing and perhaps was heading towards a bit of turn too.
The opposition in Australia were enroute to carving another story of success in the same country where they had defeated the Proteas almost 26 years to date.
This with good reason, boasting probably the greatest quartet of bowlers in Mitch Starc, Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon the modern era has seen.
I was nervous as South Africa started their second innings rather poorly with Ryan Rickleton trying to drive a wide delivery from Mitch Starc only to edge it to keeper Carrey.
The Proteas were 9 for 1 as in walked Wiaan Mulder to support a stalwart of South African batting in Aiden Markram who perhaps had everything to prove this time around having been dismissed for no-score in the first innings.
They put on 61 runs together before Mulder was dismissed adding some solidity to the chase and dare, I say there was a sense of belief.
Well, the belief much to my surprise or may I say delight came to fruition as the Proteas put on a brilliant partnership of 147 for the third wicket with Markram reaching a well-earned ton and captain Bavuma scoring a valiant fifty despite suffering a hamstring injury.
The target was well in sight when Bavuma was dismissed and Markram with his classy act ensured his team was only six runs shy of achieving the incredible when he was dismissed which then became a formality for Bedingham and Verreynne who saw it through.
South Africa had done the impossible, not only to chase down the steep target of 282 but to chase down a dream, a trophy, a reason for the entire nation to unite which was 9722 days in the making when every time they saw the finish line, they ended up fracturing themselves in some way or the other.
Perhaps the icing on the cake was that in the same country, against the same opposition, where South Africa were denied the opportunity to soar to the very top 26 years ago, now saw them not only ascend but conquer the toughest format rather nonchalantly, making them champions. Finally!
A classic case of life coming full circle — not only for the Proteas but for a young boy who, at all of 15, had borne misery for much too long, only to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel at 41.
And this time, there was no rain to steal the dream. Just pure, poetic redemption.
image source- SA Rugby Magazine (X)
