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Australia became the first team in the history of cricket to make 400 runs in an innings as they produced 434 for 4 wickets in the final and tie-breaking match of the one day series played against South Africa. New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, got it’s name in record books to host the greatest game of cricket (so far). South Africa, on the other hand, became the first to chase the highest one day total as they made 438 for 9 wickets with 1 ball to spare.

Ricky Ponting praising Herschelle Gibbs’s “amazing” batting told AAP:

“We had no defence mechanisms whatsoever against the way they were hitting the ball. Herschelle was out in the 32nd over for 175 - that’s amazing batting. We obviously bowled very, very poorly, but they certainly played exceptionally well and deserved the win.”

Ponting’s batting was also special - his 164 came from only 105 balls - but he did not accept the joint Man-of-the-Match award, preferring to give it to Gibbs. “I don’t know where that innings came from; I don’t think I’ve played better,” Gibbs said in The Guardian. “We were smashing the ball everywhere early on, but I looked up at the scoreboard and we still needed 350 to win. We couldn’t have batted any quicker and the total still wasn’t coming down.”

Graeme Smith, who belted 90 off 55 balls, described their success as “a bit sick really”. “The pitch was great but you can’t sit down and plan to chase 434,” he said. “We said it was a freaky game at the halfway point, so who knows. Our initial target was 185 in 25 overs but we got way past that. It’s a massive night for all of us.”

Ponting was angry at what has become a regular occurrence. “We can’t defend totals,” he said. “There was always a chance because we did it, but there is no way they should have scored that many runs.” However, he told AAP it was “just an amazing day”. “You just can’t fathom the sort of batting that has taken place today,” he said.

How they were out

Australia

Adam Gilchrist c Hall b Telemachus 55 (97 for 1)
Incredible tumbling catch, scooped one-handed off turf at mid-on

Simon Katich c Telemachus b Ntini 79 (216 for 2)
Uppercut to third man

Mike Hussey c Ntini b Hall 81 (374 for 3)
Full toss swatted to long-on

Ricky Ponting c Dippenaar b Telemachus 164 (407 for 4)
Blazing cover-drive plucked above head on boundary

South Africa

Boeta Dippenaar b Bracken 1 (3 for 1)
Dragged onto off stump

Graeme Smith c Hussey b Clarke 90 (190 for 2)
Swatted to deep midwicket

AB de Villiers c Clarke b Bracken 14 (284 for 3)
Heaved to cow corner

Herschelle Gibbs c Lee b Symonds 175 (299 for 4)
Chipped drive to long-off

Jacques Kallis c&b Symonds 20 (327 for 5)
Diving return catch off firm drive

Justin Kemp c Martyn b Bracken 13 (355 for 6)
Toe-ended wide delivery to backward point

Johan van der Wath c Ponting b Bracken 35 (399 for 7)
Holed out to extra cover

Roger Telemachus c Hussey b Bracken 12 (423 for
Spooned drive, brilliant sprawling catch

Andrew Hall c Clarke b Lee 7 (433 for 9)
Slap to mid-on

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