JOHANNESBURG, March 17: If history is any guide, the semifinals of the World Cup this week will not be short of either controversy or excitement.

Hosts South Africa, who were knocked out in the first round of the 2003 version, were involved in two of the most dramatic semifinals in the last three tournaments.

Rain robbed them of qualifying for the Super Six in front of their home fans at Durban earlier this month, and it was bad weather which denied them a place in the final in their first World Cup apearance in Australia in 1992.

Returning from a 21-year apartheid-induced isolation, the South Africans did well to reach the semi-final against England at Sydney.

They appeared headed for victory when they restricted England to 252-6 and then were left to score 22 off the last 13 deliveries.

But rain, which had earlier curtailed the match to 45-overs-a-side, hit the SCG again for 12 minutes and the rain rule at the time left the South Africans needing an impossible 22 runs off one ball.

A disgusted Brian McMillan patted the ball and walked off.

The International Cricket Council banished that rain rule and introduced the Duckworth-Lewis method instead.

South Africa’s luck, however, did not change.

They were once again denied a place in the final in 1999 when their semi-final against eventual champions Australia ended in a dramatic tie before a full house at Edgbaston.

Having bowled out Australia for a moderate 213, the South Africans survived a four-wicket burst by Shane Warne and were left needing nine off the final over with one wicket in hand.

The in-form Lance Klusener hit the first two deliveries from Damien Fleming for boundaries to level scores and was almost run out off the third due to a misunderstanding with last man Allan Donald.

Next ball, however, Klusener charged down the wicket, Donald failed to respond and both batsmen were stranded at the non-striker’s end as the Australians celebrated.

Steve Waugh’s men were the only ones at Edgbaston to realise they were through to the final due to a better record in the Super Six.

That match was the first tied match in the history of the tournament, till the South Africans suffered again with a tie against Sri Lanka at Durban earlier this month to put them out of the tournament.

In 1996, the World Cup semi-final between India and Sri Lanka at the 100,000-seater Eden Gardens in Kolkata was abandoned due to crowd trouble.

Match referee Clive Lloyd abandoned the game and awarded the match to Sri Lanka, who went on to defeat Australia in the final at Lahore.—AFP