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Statistical Highlights 2nd match: India v South Africa at Hove, 15-5-1999

Mohandas Menon

• This match was the 1444th in Limited over international (LOI) history.

• This match was the 160th in World Cup history (including the original abandoned match between Zimbabwe and Kenya at Patna in 1996).

• This match was India's 398th and South Africa's 165th in LOIs

• This match was the 28th between the two sides in LOIs, and the second meeting in the WC between the two sides.

• This match was India's 37th and South Africa's 16th in the WC.

• The New County Ground, Eaton Road, Hove (Sussex) became the 110th city and 124th ground to host a LOI match. It was England's 16th city/town and 17th international ground.

• Englishman David Shepherd was umpiring in his 77th match (only Australians Steve Randell and Tony Crafter with 88 and 84 matches respecttively, have umpired in more matches), while West Indian Steve Bucknor was officiating in his 62nd match.

• India's Mohammad Azharuddin (in 1992, 1996 and 1999) emulated West Indian Clive Lloyd (1975, 1979 and 1983) and Pakistani Imran Khan (in 1983, 1987 and 1992) by captaining his country in three World Cup tournaments.

• Saurav Ganguly was appearing in his 100th LOI match. He becomes the 15th Indian and 91st player in LOI history to reach this milestone. Incidentally Ganguly was making his WC debut in this match after making his LOI debut way back in January, 1992 in Australia.

• Ganguly's 97 was the highest by an Indian on WC debut. The previous best being 89 by Yashpal Sharma against West Indies at Manchester on 9-6-1983.

• It was second highest individual score by an Indian on English soil after Kapil Dev's famous 175* against Zimbabwe at Tunbridge Wells on 18-6-1983.

• Ganguly became the fourth Indian after Azharuddin (93), Tendulkar (90) and Sidhu (93) to dismissed in the "nineties" in the WC.

• Ganguly (97) joins Pakistani Zaheer Abbas and New Zealander Martin Crowe to become the highest individual scorer among batsman missing out on a hundred in the World Cup. Zaheer achieved this in 1975, while Crowe did so in 1983.

• The first wicket partnership of 67 runs between Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar was best for India against South Africa at a neutral venue. The previous best being 61 runs between Ajay Jedeja and Tendulkar at Hamilton on 18-2-1995. Incidentally, the partnership was the second best against South Africa in a WC match. The best still remains as 114 between Mark Greatbatch and Rod Latham at Auckland on 29-2-1992.

• The second wicket partnership of 130 runs between the WC debutants Ganguly and Rahul Dravid was India's best for this wicket in any WC. The previous best was 127 between Tendulkar and M Azharuddin against New Zealand at Dunedin on 12-3-1992. Curiously enough, this same pair on their Test debut was also involved in a 94 runs partnership for the sixth wicket against England at Lord's in 1996. Ganguly then went on to make 131, while Dravid was dismissed for 95 runs.

• The above partnership was also India's second best for any wicket on English soil. The best remains as 163* between Sunil Gavaskar and Azharuddin at The Oval on 24-5-1986.

• Lance Klusener's 66 runs in his ten-overs has now conceded the most runs by a South African in a 10-over spell in a WC match, after Allan Donald's 69 runs in 10 overs against England at Sydney on 22-3-1992.

• Mark Boucher hit a six of the bowling of Srinath over the keeper's head between deep third man and deep fine leg - the most difficult position in cricket to hit a six.

• Jadeja's catch of Cronje was his 50th in his 165 match. He becomes the fifth Indian and 32nd fielder in LOI history to do so.

• Jacques Kallis' 96 was the highest by a South African against India in a World Cup match. He becomes the second South African to be dismissed in the nineties in the World Cup. Peter Kirsten (90) against New Zealand at Auckland in the 1992 WC was the only other batsman to do so for South Africa.

• With this loss India has not beaten South Africa in a LOI match since the Mohinder Amarnath benefit match at Mumbai on 14-12-1996 (India had won by 74 runs). South Africa has now won its last five games against India, with one match rendered as "no-sesult".

• South Africa has now won both its World Cup games against India.

• This was South Africa's 13th win during this season in 17 matches. They have lost only three (two to New Zealand and one to the West Indies).

• Kallis won his 9th Man of the match award of his career. He was appearing in his 66th match.