2001–02 VB Series

The 2001–02 VB Series was a One Day International (ODI) cricket tri-series (14 matches) where Australia played host to New Zealand and South Africa. After drawing with New Zealand and defeating South Africa in the preceding Test series, Australia went into the tournament as favourites; however, they failed to reach the final; and captain Steve Waugh was consequently sacked as ODI captain, replaced by Ricky Ponting.

2001–02 VB Series
Date11 January 2002 – 8 February 2002
LocationAustralia
ResultWon by  South Africa
2–0 in final series
Player of the seriesShane Bond
Teams
 Australia  New Zealand  South Africa
Captains
Steve Waugh Stephen Fleming Shaun Pollock
Most runs
Ponting 254
Bevan 251
Martyn 226
Cairns 314
Fleming 309
McMillan 275
Rhodes 345
Kallis 322
Gibbs 293
Most wickets
McGrath 14
Bichel 8
Lee 8
Bond 21
Cairns 12
Harris 8
Ntini 14
Pollock 13
Donald 12

South African Jonty Rhodes, was the leading run-scorer for the series, while New Zealander Shane Bond was the leading wicket-taker.[1]

Squads

Squads
 Australia  New Zealand  South Africa
Steve Waugh (c)Stephen Fleming (c)Shaun Pollock (c)
Adam Gilchrist (wk)Adam Parore (wk)Mark Boucher (wk)
Ryan Campbell (wk)Andre AdamsNicky Boje
Michael BevanNathan AstleBoeta Dippenaar
Andy BichelShane BondAllan Donald
Jason GillespieChris CairnsSteve Elworthy
Ian HarveyJames FranklinHerschelle Gibbs
Matthew HaydenChris HarrisJacques Kallis
Brett LeeBrendon McCullumJustin Kemp
Darren LehmannCraig McMillanGary Kirsten
Glenn McGrathDion NashLance Klusener
Damien MartynMark RichardsonCharl Langeveldt
Ricky PontingScott StyrisNeil McKenzie
Andrew SymondsDaniel VettoriMakhaya Ntini
Shane WarneLou VincentJustin Ontong
Mark WaughJonty Rhodes
Brad Williams

Group stage

1st match: Australia v New Zealand

11 January 2002
14:30 (D/N)
(scorecard)
New Zealand 
199/8 (50 overs)
v
 Australia
176 (42 overs)
Harris 63* (92)
Lee 3–43 (10 overs)
Ponting 45 (54)
Bond 3–53 (10 overs)
New Zealand won by 23 runs
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Umpires: Darrell Hair (AUS) & Bob Parry (Aus)
Player of the match: Chris Harris

2nd match: Australia v South Africa

13 January 2002
14:30 (D/N)
(scorecard)
Australia 
198 (48.5 overs)
v
 South Africa
199/6 (48.3 overs)
S.Waugh 62 (86)
Pollock 3–25 (9 overs)
Rhodes 43* (101)
Gillespie 2–28 (10 overs)
South Africa won by 4 wickets
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Umpires: Steve Davis (AUS) & Simon Taufel (Aus)
Player of the match: Shaun Pollock

3rd match: New Zealand v South Africa

15 January 2002
10:00
(scorecard)
South Africa 
257/7 (50 overs)
v
 New Zealand
231/9 (50 overs)
Gary Kirsten 97 (118)
Daniel Vettori 2–37 (10 overs)
Stephen Fleming 85 (112)
Allan Donald 3–40 (10 overs)
South Africa won by 26 runs
Bellerive Oval, Hobart
Umpires: Steve Davis (AUS) & Daryl Harper (Aus)
Player of the match: Gary Kirsten

4th match: Australia v New Zealand

17 January 2002
14:30 (D/N)
(scorecard)
New Zealand 
235/9 (50 overs)
v
 Australia
212/10 (47.2 overs)
Harris 42* (43)
Harvey 2–40 (10 overs)
Bevan 66 (98)
Harris 3–37 (8.2 overs)
New Zealand won by 23 runs
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Umpires: Bob Parry (AUS) & Simon Taufel (Aus)
Player of the match: Chris Harris

5th match: New Zealand v South Africa

19 January 2002
13:30 (D/N)
(scorecard)
South Africa 
241/10 (48.3 overs)
v
 New Zealand
244/6 (49.1 overs)
Kallis 65 (68)
Bond 4–37 (9.3 overs)
Cairns 102* (99)
Pollock 2–29 (9.1 overs)
New Zealand won by 4 wickets
The Gabba, Brisbane
Umpires: Steve Davis (AUS) & Darrell Hair (Aus)
Player of the match: Chris Cairns

6th match: Australia v South Africa

20 January 2002
13:30 (D/N)
(scorecard)
Australia 
241/4 (50 overs)
v
 South Africa
214/10 (48.4 overs)
Martyn 104* (121)
Elworthy 2–53 (10 overs)
McKenzie 68 (85)
McGrath 4–30 (9.4 overs)
Australia won by 27 runs
The Gabba, Brisbane
Umpires: Daryl Harper (AUS) & Simon Taufel (Aus)
Player of the match: Damien Martyn

7th match: Australia v South Africa

22 January 2002
14:30 (D/N)
(scorecard)
South Africa 
106/10 (38.3 overs)
v
 Australia
107/2 (18.4 overs)
Kirsten 44 (77)
Bichel 5–19 (6.3 overs)
M.Waugh 55* (62)
Klusener 1–28 (2.4 overs)
Australia won by 8 wickets
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Umpires: Darrell Hair (AUS) & Daryl Harper (AUS)
Player of the match: Andy Bichel

8th match: Australia v New Zealand

26 January 2002
14:00 (D/N)
(scorecard)
New Zealand 
242/5 (50 overs)
v
 Australia
165/10 (50 overs)
Astle 95 (135)
McGrath 2–36 (10 overs)
Bevan 45 (62)
Bond 5–25 (9.2 overs)
New Zealand won by 77 runs
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
Umpires: Steve Davis (AUS) & Simon Taufel (Aus)
Player of the match: Shane Bond

9th match: New Zealand v South Africa

27 January 2002
14:00 (D/N)
(scorecard)
South Africa 
253/5 (50 overs)
v
 New Zealand
160/10 (50 overs)
Gibbs 89 (132)
Cairns 2–69 (10 overs)
Fleming 43 (80)
Boje 4–31 (10 overs)
South Africa won by 93 runs
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
Umpires: Daryl Harper (AUS) & Bob Parry (Aus)
Player of the match: Mark Boucher

10th Match: Australia v New Zealand

29 January 2002
14:30 (D/N)
(scorecard)
New Zealand 
245/8 (50 overs)
v
 Australia
248/8 (49.3 overs)
Cairns 55 (63)
McGrath 2–41 (10 overs)
Bevan 102* (95)
Bond 4–38 (9.3 overs)
Australia won by 2 wickets
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Umpires: Darrell Hair (AUS) & Simon Taufel (Aus)
Player of the match: Michael Bevan

11th Match: New Zealand v South Africa

1 February 2002
10:30
(scorecard)
South Africa 
270/5 (50 overs)
v
 New Zealand
203/8 (50 overs)
Rhodes 107* (135)
Nash 3–37 (10 overs)
McMillan 46 (54)
Ntini 2–23 (10 overs)
South Africa won by 67 runs
WACA Ground, Perth
Umpires: Darrell Hair (AUS) & Daryl Harper (Aus)
Player of the match: Jonty Rhodes

12th Match: Australia v South Africa

3 February 2002
10:30
(scorecard)
Australia 
283/7 (50 overs)
v
 South Africa
250/5 (50 overs)
Lee 51* (36)
Boje 2–38 (10 overs)
Kallis 104* (120)
Lehmann 2–28 (5 overs)
Australia won by 33 runs
WACA Ground, Perth
Umpires: Steve Davis (AUS) & Bob Parry (Aus)
Player of the match: Jacques Kallis

Australia needed a bonus point against South Africa to qualify for the finals. They lost the toss and were sent in to bat; however, they struggled early and were 7/195 in the 40th over, before Brett Lee scored 51 from 36 balls. Australia finished on 7/283, consequently needing to restrict South Africa to less than 227 to gain the bonus point. Nevertheless, it was not to be for the Australians, as Jacques Kallis compiled an unbeaten century (104), helping South Africa reach 227 with 16 balls to spare. They eventually finished on 250, and despite an Australian victory, the local team were out of the competition, upsetting many home fans.[2] Australian captain Steve Waugh wrote:

A lot has been said about the rights and wrongs of the bonus point system that ended up separating the three teams on the final ladder for the VB series, but much of it ignores one simple reason behind our early exit from the tournament. We were slow out of the blocks and we paid for it ... with the short time between the end of the Test series and the start of the VB series, there was no chance for a lead-up game, our opponents enjoyed, and without such a rehearsal we lacked the sharpness required at the top level in our first three games, we found ourselves under the pump.[3]

Finals

1st final

6 February 2002
(scorecard)
New Zealand 
190/10 (47.5 overs)
v
 South Africa
191/2 (45.1 overs)
McMillan 73 (99)
Ntini 5–31 (10 overs)
Dippenaar 79* (107)
Cairns 1–27 (8 overs)
South Africa won by 8 wickets
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Umpires: Daryl Harper (AUS) & Simon Taufel (Aus)
Player of the match: Makhaya Ntini

South Africa continued their good form against New Zealand with a comfortable eight wicket win, set up by a strong bowling performance from Makhaya Ntini. Despite winning the toss and opting to bat, New Zealand lost both of their openers early, to Ntini. However a 109 wicket partnership between Stephen Fleming and Craig McMillan put the innings back on track. Once Lance Klusener dismissed the New Zealand captain for 50, they began to lose wickets regularly, with only Andre Adams making it into double figures. Ntini took the wicket of Adams to claim his second ODI five wicket haul and the innings was soon closed when Shane Bond was run-out by Jonty Rhodes. South Africa in reply lost their second wicket with 52 runs on the board but Boeta Dippenaar, who was dropped in the gully by Fleming on 40, and Jacques Kallis, guided South Africa to victory with 29 balls remaining.[4]

2nd final

8 February 2002
(scorecard)
New Zealand 
175/10 (41.1 overs)
v
 South Africa
173/4 (38.1 overs)
Cairns 57 (73)
Kallis 3–23 (5.1 overs)
Rhodes 61* (68)
Adams 2–33 (8 overs)
South Africa won by 6 wickets
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Umpires: Steve Davis (AUS) & Simon Taufel (Aus)
Player of the match: Jonty Rhodes
  • Rain interrupted the New Zealand innings after 16.1 overs which reduced the match to 46 overs each

Having won the toss again, Stephen Fleming elected to bat first but once more New Zealand failed to produce a competitive total and South Africa chased it down comfortably. The New Zealanders, needing a win to force the finals series into a third match, had started their innings slowly and it wasn't until the fifth over that they scored their maiden run. An entertaining run a ball 43 from Lou Vincent got the team back on track but after he fell and Jacques Kallis dismissed Craig McMillan, New Zealand were struggling at 5–72. Although a 75 run partnership from Chris Cairns and Chris Harris looked like giving New Zealand a chance of posting over 200, the tail fell cheaply due to good bowling from Allan Donald. During their innings, the match had been reduced to 46 overs due to rain and the South Africans were thus chasing a revised target of 172. Herschelle Gibbs, despite losing his opening partner Gary Kirsten for just two runs, scored an aggressive 46 to give the South Africans a good platform. Jonty Rhodes brought up his half century and accumulated 16 runs in the 38th over, bowled by Andre Adams, before a pull to the boundary by Mark Boucher off Daniel Vettori the following over gave South Africa the title.[5]

Aftermath

Australian cricket team captain Steve Waugh was dropped from the One Day International team after the conclusion of the series, and the captaincy role was assumed by Ricky Ponting. However, he continued the Test captaincy until his International retirement in January 2004, with Ponting becoming Australia's full-time captain.[6]

Notes

  1. "VB Series, 2001–02". Cricinfo. Wisden. Retrieved 22 December 2009.
  2. Waugh (2002), pp. 67–74.
  3. Waugh (2002), p. 75.
  4. "Proteas floor Black Caps in lopsided final". Cricinfo. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  5. "Rain, hail and shine as South Africans triumph". Cricinfo. Retrieved 19 December 2009.
  6. "Player Profile: Steve Waugh". Cricinfo. Archived from the original on 10 January 2010. Retrieved 22 December 2009.

References

  • Waugh, Steve (2002). Steve Waugh: Captain's diary 2002. HarperCollinsPublishers (Australia). ISBN 0-7322-7558-X.
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