CAPE TOWN, Feb 10: South Africa all-rounder Lance Klusener had the perfect opportunity to exorcise his 1999 World Cup semifinal ghost on Sunday.

Instead he ended a heart-broken loser again in the opening match of the 2003 tournament.

South Africa seemed lost against West Indies when the club-wielding Klusener, woefully out of form in the run-up to the tournament, came to the crease. His innings began with mis-hits, edges and misses.

Klusener though, the man of the 1999 World Cup with an average of 140.5 but who almost did not make the South Africa squad this time, suddenly remembered how to bat at just the right time as he warmed up with some flashing drives and pulls.

It seemed to have come too late. With 54 needed off five overs, many of the Newlands crowd were beginning to look for their coats and car keys.

The left-handed Klusener responded by opening his shoulders. A flat six off Chris Gayle’s off spin was followed three deliveries later by a towering hit into the same section of the crowd.

The man known as ‘Zulu’ then seemed to get the huge slice luck he needed. A swing to square leg ended in Pedro Collins’s hands, only for the fielder to take a few complacent steps backwards and step on the rope. Another six followed as 19 came off the over.

With nine needed off the final over, the match was in his pocket but, just as in 1999, he let it fall out.

When he received the perfect present from Vasbert Drakes, a leg-side full toss, he managed only to heave it to Carl Hooper in the deep.

To make matters worse, Klusener did not bother to run, which condemned batting rabbit Makhaya Ntini to take strike when victory might still have been possible if Klusener had crossed with the capable Nicky Boje.

Klusener trudged off, 57 to his name off 48 balls, including five sixes and a four, and South African chances of victory went with him, just as they had at Edgbaston four years ago against Australia.

In that tournament, he had won four Man-of-the-Match awards on the way to that fateful game against Steve Waugh’s side.

Again he produced his customary fireworks to take his side to the brink of victory.

He hammered two fours to level the scores but then, with four balls left and a single needed, he set off for a sharp run. Allan Donald did not respond to the call and Australia sneaked into the final on countback.

Klusener was left with the heaviest of burdens, which he has carried for four full years.

Sunday was the perfect chance to bury the memory. Again, cruelly, he came up just short.—Reuters