Waugh secures place in history with sublime century

The sun was about to set over Sydney when the great Steve Waugh concluded that a century was there to be taken. It was no longer setting over his career.

Two overs and 15 years of experience later, Waugh was doing the first Irish jig of his batting lifetime in the middle of the pitch at Sydney Cricket Ground, before walking off to tumultuous, heart-stopping cheering which is reserved only for stirring deeds and special men.

He had done it, he had scored his 29th Test hundred in the most arduous circumstances. With his job as Australia's captain on the line, with most of Australia involved in "Save Steve" or "Steve Must Go" campaigns, four days after the most excruciating innings of his career he had played the most glorious.

Waugh was 88 with two overs left. He needed a hundred for himself, for the crowd, for the selectors. But it would surely have to wait 'til the morrow...

BALL BY BALL

Matthew Hoggard, the recipient of some of harsh attention from Australia's captain, comes in, doubtless with a senseless of relief, for the first ball of his long day's last over. Waugh pounces on it and smashes it off the back foot for four to third man for four without making full contact. 92. "I think I had a streaky shot to go from 88 to 92 but once I got that I felt I was going to get it. I felt all along during the day that there was a chance, sometimes you know it's going to be your day. It happens occasionally."

Waugh attacks Hoggard, on the front foot this time, but the ball is aimed directly at mid-off.

Short, too short. Waugh misses an opportunity by driving off the back foot to cover. The crowd are a mixture of silence and nervous, raucous outbreaks.

Waugh smears the ball towards long leg at pace and sets off, flat-footed at pace. He turns blind with the ball in the fielder's hand. It is a risky second run. He scrambles, dives, the throw is not quite on the button. A stadium exhales. "I didn't know how close it was. He was throwing into the sun so I didn't actually see the ball at any stage. But it was a bit of a gamble. I didn't know how close it was going to be." 94.

Waugh nudges a single into on-side to reach the other end. 95.

Adam Gilchrist, having read and digested the script, defends, something he has not done for most of the afternoon. Over.

The last over of the day is entrusted to Richard Dawson, England's apprentice off-spin bowler. Waugh defends Dawson's first ball.

Waugh plays forward again. No run. Crowd delirious. Waugh stoic.

Pushes off back foot. Fails to pierce field. Spectators are roaring, panicky. "You've always got to aim for that perfect innings. I think it's something I've always strived to play and today was pretty close to as good as I can play."

Dawson drops short. Waugh pounces as though he was young and carefree again. They run three to backward point. Gilchrist has the bowling! 98. "I didn't have the strike a lot but Gilly was playing exceptionally well at the other end. I've certainly enjoyed the way I've batted the last three or four innings. I feel as if I'm playing the way I did when I was 19 years old, going out and just having fun, playing shots."

Gilchrist obliges with perfectly chipped leg side single to give Waugh the strike.

Three minutes elapse between deliveries. Nasser Hussain, England's captain, makes his way to Dawson. They're laughing and joking. Working out a plan. "It didn't really affect me. It's part of the game, gamesmanship. We'd have done it. I didn't really know where the ball was going to be. I just felt I had to have a decent swing at it." Hussain makes some changes, inserts a square cover but leaves a huge on-side gap. Dawson at last moves in. The crowd is uncontainable. "Fortunately, it was a quicker ball outside off stump so it gave me a bit of room." With the alacrity of a 19-year-old, Waugh is on to it in a flash and whacks it through the covers. He knows it is four. He is clearly overcome. "The shot had to be played. I wasn't sure where it was going to be but the adrenalin was very much overwhelming, overpowering. I felt as if I had to get a hundred tonight for the crowd and probably myself or I might not have slept that easy. But I just went along with the flow in the last couple of overs." England players rush to shake his hand. The packed stadium rises as one. Alec Stewart, who himself had earlier overtaken Geoff Boycott's runs total for England, pays tribute. Waugh is still on a high an hour later. But he personifies happiness and achievement. "There will certainly be a temptation to go on, having a bit of time playing like that. I'm not sure what's going to happen. "Age is totally irrelevant. If you haven't got the burning desire, that inner strength at 20, there's no point in playing but if you've got it at 45 and you're still good enough you should still be able to play. It's what's inside you."