20 April 2020
9: 22 runs off 1 ball - The infamous loss of South Africa to Rains
Sports Flashes
Much to the surprise of a world that had reviled them barely two years earlier, South Africa were the darlings of the 1992 World Cup. The apartheid regime was dying on its feet, and a new vibrant nation was emerging from its shadows, epitomised by such young guns as Allan Donald and Jonty Rhodes, the world's first specialist fielder, whose torpedo run-out of Inzamam-ul-Haq earlier in the tournament draws gasps of admiration to this day. Victories over Australia, West Indies, Pakistan, India and Zimbabwe had propelled them all the way to the semi-finals at the first time of asking, and under brooding skies, they had been left needing 22 runs from their last 13 deliveries to defeat the new favourites, England, and reach the World Cup final. But it was not to be the moment rain stopped. The scoreboard showed - 22 runs required off 1 ball. And that triggered the "Chokers" tag for the South African team for times to come