Six weeks, five countries, one format nobody had tried
England hosted the 1999 World Cup three years after the last one, with matches spilling into Wales, Scotland, Ireland and the Netherlands. The ICC replaced the quarter-finals with the Super Six: three qualifiers from each group of six carried forward the points won against the other qualifiers from their own pool, then played the three from the other pool. It rewarded consistency and punished a bad first fortnight. England had one. They lost to South Africa and India and were out of their own tournament on 30 May.
The opening weeks were cold and the Duke ball swung a long way. Zimbabwe, nobody's idea of a Super Six side, beat India by three runs at Leicester and South Africa by 48 at Chelmsford, Neil Johnson taking the match award in both. Bangladesh, at their first World Cup, bowled Pakistan out for 161 at Northampton and won by 62.
Australia, one defeat from home
Australia lost to New Zealand and Pakistan inside their first four matches and then did not lose again. Against West Indies at Old Trafford they had to chase 111 inside 47.2 overs to go through, and took 40.4 of them, a stroll that suited both sides and did New Zealand no favours at all. In the last Super Six match they beat South Africa by five wickets at Headingley, Steve Waugh taking the match award. That result mattered more than anyone realised at the time.
Edgbaston
The two sides met again four days later. Shaun Pollock took 5 for 36 and Australia were bowled out for 213. Shane Warne, who had spent two years being written off, took 4 for 29 and South Africa slid to 61 for 4 before Kallis and Rhodes rebuilt. Lance Klusener came in and hit as he had all summer. Nine were needed from the final over; he took four off the first ball and four off the second. Scores level, one wicket left, four balls remaining, and Australia would go through on the tie.
Klusener drove the fourth ball to Mark Waugh at mid-off and ran. Allan Donald, watching the ball, did not. He was run out by the length of the pitch. The match was tied, and Australia went to Lord's because they had finished above South Africa in the Super Six table, having beaten them there.
The anticlimax
The final was over by mid-afternoon. Pakistan, semi-finalists by nine wickets against New Zealand, were bowled out for 132 in 39 overs, Warne taking 4 for 33. Adam Gilchrist made 54 from 36 balls and Australia won by eight wickets with 29.5 overs unused, the most one-sided final the tournament had staged.
Australia had their second title and the beginning of a run of three. Wisden called the Edgbaston semi-final the best one-day international ever played, and nobody has argued very hard since.