Cricket: Boon drives Australia to Cup: Border to remain as captain at least for tour of South Africa

Australia 223-8; South Africa 188-9

Australia win by 35 runs

AUSTRALIA clinched the World Series Cup yesterday when South Africa suffered an early collapse chasing a demanding target of 224 under lights at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

South Africa lost all hope in the first 10 overs when Australia took three wickets in the space of five runs. Peter Kirsten and Hansie Cronje were run out as South Africa stumbled to 26 for 3. They never recovered and lost by 35 runs.

Captain Allan Border, in probably his last international appearance at the SCG, symbolically bowled the final over and received a standing ovation from the 40,000 crowd as he received the trophy.

With the side batting second under lights losing the first two matches in the series finals, in Melbourne and Sydney, the South Africans seemed to feel the pressure.

Their anxiety showed in the sixth over when Peter Kirsten, pursuing a fourth run with his half-brother, Gary, dived to beat a boundary throw from Dean Jones. The off-field umpire, Ian Thomas, ruled wicketkeeper Ian Healy had clipped the bails before the elder Kirsten was home.

After two runs had been added, Gary Kirsten straight drove Craig McDermott, who dived to deflect the ball on to the stumps running out Cronje for nought.

Jonty Rhodes batted bravely for his 43 but it was a lost cause and once he was out at 110 for 5, South Africa slid to defeat.

David Boon was Australia's top scorer with 64 off 98 balls. Border hit 30 off 26 balls, sharing a 68-run partnership with Mark Waugh, named man of the finals after following his century on Sunday with another aggressive knock of 60. Border, who is now 38, says he will stay as captain at least until after the tour to South Africa starting next month.

(Australia won toss)

AUSTRALIA

D C Boon c Rhodes b de Villiers 64

M L Hayden st Richardson b Rundle 20

D M Jones c Rundle b Donald 25

M E Waugh run out 60

S R Waugh b Cronje 17

* A R Border b de Villiers 30

I A Healy run out 0

P R Reiffel run out 2

S K Warne not out 1

Extras (lb3, w1) 4

Total (for 8, 50 overs) 223

Fall of wickets: 1-62 2-112 3-114 4-150 5-218 6-220 7-221 8-223.

Did not bat: C J McDermott, T B A May.

Bowling: Donald 10-1-40-1; de Villiers 10-2-41-2; Snell 10-1-34-0; Cronje 10-0-35-1; Rundle 7-0-53-1; Callaghan 3-0-17-0.

SOUTH AFRICA

P N Kirsten run out 14

G Kirsten c M E Waugh b Reiffel 10

* W J Cronje run out 0

J N Rhodes c Healy b Warne 43

E L R Stewart b Warne 13

D J Callaghan c Healy b McDermott 30

D J Richardson not out 38

R P Snell run out 6

D B Rundle lbw b May 6

P S de Villiers b S R Waugh 15

A A Donald not out 7

Extras (b1 lb2 w3) 6

Total (for 9, 50 overs) 188

Fall of wickets: 1-21 2-23 3-26 4-51 5-110 6-117 7-124 8-136 9-166.

Bowling: McDermott 10-1-41-1; Warne 10-0-36-2; Reiffel 9-0-32-1; S R Waugh 10-2-39-1; Border 1-0-6-0; May 10-0-31-1.