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List Of Matches In ICC Tournaments Where South Africa Choked From A Winning Position

Jatin

South Africa has choked big time in crucial games [Source: @CricIndeed, @ICC/x.com]South Africa has choked big time in crucial games [Source: @CricIndeed, @ICC/x.com]

There is heartbreak…and then there is being a South African cricket fan during a World Cup. For decades now, the Proteas have found new ways to make the cricketing world gasp and not always for the right reasons.

From brain fades to bad luck, from rain gods to run-outs, South Africa’s history is littered with moments that could have been legendary, if only they had not fallen flat right at the edge of glory.

The Proteas now stand within touching distance of history. Just 69 runs away from the WTC 2025 title, 8 wickets in hand and a golden chance to end decades of heartbreak on the biggest stage. But for every South African fan watching with hope in their heart, there is also a lump in their throat because they have seen this script before.

They have been here: in control, in command and then suddenly... in chaos. Whether it’s miscommunication, misjudgment, or pure misfortune, South Africa have made a habit of fumbling from winning positions.

Here’s a look at all those times when South Africa snatched heartbreak from the jaws of victory and left fans and teammates stunned in silence.

1999 World Cup Semi-Final Vs Australia

South Africa were chasing 214 in the 1999 World Cup semi-final and looked dead and buried until Lance Klusener brought out the beast mode. With just 9 needed off the last over and only one wicket in hand, he crunched Damien Fleming for two consecutive boundaries off the first two balls before playing a adot. The scores were level.

One run would have taken South Africa into their first-ever World Cup final. But pressure makes people do strange things. On the fourth ball, Klusener ran. Allan Donald didn’t. What followed was pure chaos. The bat was on the ground, Donald had no clue and Australia were celebrating as the stumps were shattered. The match ended in a tie but Australia went through thanks to a superior Super Six net run rate.

2003 World Cup Group Stage Clash Vs Sri Lanka

Playing at home, with the crowd behind them, South Africa needed just a win to qualify for the Super Eight. They were up against Sri Lanka in a rain-hit encounter in Durban. With the DLS method in play, the calculations were as crucial as the cricket. Mark Boucher hit a six off Muralitharan and then blocked the next delivery, thinking he had done enough. But he hadn’t.

The message was misread, they needed one more run to stay ahead of the DLS par score. Instead, the match ended in a tie and South Africa crashed out again, thanks to a miscommunication. Rain had the final say but it was poor awareness that cost the Proteas a place in the next round.

2011 World Cup Quarter-Final Vs New Zealand

In the 2011 World Cup, South Africa were facing New Zealand in the quarter-finals, chasing a modest 222. At 108/2, they looked in cruise control. But then, the dreaded ‘C’ word crept in again.

Jacob Oram and Nathan McCullum applied the brakes and panic set in. Wickets tumbled like dominoes. AB De Villiers got run out. JP Duminy, Johan Botha and Faf du Plessis couldn’t hold their nerve. From 108/2, they folded for 172, losing by 49 runs.

2015 World Cup Semi-Final Vs New Zealand

2015 was supposed to be their year. South Africa posted 281 in a rain-shortened 43-over semi-final against New Zealand. The match was tense, but they looked in control deep into the second innings. The required rate was climbing and New Zealand needed 30 off 18. But South Africa's fielding let them down. Key catches went down, ground fielding was sloppy and the pressure shifted. 

Then came Grant Elliott, who soaked up all the pressure and launched Dale Steyn into the crowd with five needed off two. That six didn’t just end the match, it crushed a nation. Morne Morkel cried. AB de Villiers was inconsolable. Yet again, South Africa had found a new way to fall at the final hurdle.

2022 T20 World Cup Group Stage Vs Netherlands

This one came out of nowhere. All South Africa had to do was beat the Netherlands, a team without Test status to qualify for the T20 World Cup 2022 semi-final. Chasing 159, they were 90/4 in the 13th over with big guns like David Miller and Heinrich Klaasen in the shed.

The platform was set. But then, a freak collapse followed. The finishers misfired. The Dutch bowlers held their nerve. South Africa managed just 145/8 and got knocked out of the tournament. Another knockout blow. Another World Cup dream down the drain.

2024 T20 World Cup Final Vs India

And just when you thought the worst was over, the 2024 T20 World Cup final happened. South Africa had restricted India to 176 and were well on course. Heinrich Klaasen was tearing the game apart with a brutal 52 off 27. With 30 needed off 28, the cup looked within reach. 

But Klaasen’s dismissal turned the game. It came down to 16 off 6. David Miller, the last hope, went for glory on the first ball but Suryakumar Yadav pulled off a breathtaking catch at long-off. That was the killer blow. India held their nerve. South Africa fell short by 7 runs and yet again, the Proteas watched someone else lift the trophy.

Will South Africa Break The Jinx?

No team in modern cricket has mastered the art of heartbreak like South Africa. They have had the talent, the starts, the belief and yet, the story keeps ending the same. So as they approach the finish line in the WTC 2025 Final, the world watches with bated breath. 

Will they finally bury the ghosts of the past or will this too join the long list of what-could-have-beens?

Only time will tell. But if history has taught us anything, nothing is ever done until it’s done, especially with the Proteas.