The first semi-final of the 2015 Cricket World Cup will be played between South Africa and New Zealand this afternoon and if World Cup history tells us anything it is that both of these teams will somehow find a way to knock themselves out of the tournament.
South Africa and New Zealand have both cultivated an extremely impressive record of choking at key times during the Cricket World Cup and it is no surprise that both sides find themselves heavily represented in our list of the biggest chokes in Cricket World Cup history.
Maths Eliminates South Africa From 1992 Cricket World Cup 
It is tough to blame this defeat on South Africa, but they remain the only side in World Cup history to be eliminated from the tournament due to maths. South Africa were playing in their first ever World Cup after being allowed back into international Cricket less than 12 months earlier and they were the fan favourites heading in their semi-final against England following a string of impressive performances.
The semi-final was a genuine nail-biter, but with South Africa requiring 22 runs from the last 13 balls they looked as though they were on track to qualify for a maiden World Cup Final before South Africa’s ability to clutch defeat from the jaws of victory reared its ugly head for the first time when 12 minutes of rain hit the Sydney Cricket Ground. The geniuses that organised the World Cup had developed a formula for this very situation, but it proved to be as efficient as the ICC itself and South Africa’s target was changed to 21 runs from a single ball, which gave them absolutely no chance to win.
Maths Strikes Again For South Africa At The 2003 Cricket World Cup 
South Africa’s elimination from the 1992 Cricket World Cup led to the establishment of the Duckworth/Lewis formula for rain shortened matches, but sadly for South Africans this was not the only time that maths has cost them at the Cricket World Cup.
South Africa made a poor start to the 2003 Cricket World Cup on home soil, but they would still qualify for the second stage of the tournament if they beat Sri Lanka in their final pool game. Towards the conclusion of the game it became clear that persistent rain would end the match prematurely and the Duckworth/Lewis method would come into effect.
South African wicketkeeper Mark Boucher was informed that he had to make sure his side had 230 runs on the board at the end of the 45th over and he did just that with a six before he blocked the final ball of the over to secure what he thought was a narrow win. Unfortunately, for South Africans they had botched the calculations and the game finished in a tie, eliminating South Africa from the tournament and sending Captain Shaun Pollock back to remedial mathematics!
New Zealand In Every Cricket World Cup Semi-Final They Have Ever Played 
New Zealand have qualified for more Cricket World Cup semi-finals than any other nation, but remarkably the Kiwis have always found a way to choke and are yet to qualify for a Cricket World Cup final.
The Kiwis made the semi-finals of the first World Cup in 1975 before they were eliminated by the West Indies and that started New Zealand’s proud tradition of choking at the business end of the tournament.
The West Indies (1975), England (1979), Pakistan (1992 and 1999) and Sri Lanka (2007 and 2011) have all beaten New Zealand in World Cup semi-finals and the sad part is that the Kiwis have never even gone close to winning one of these games.
A fun little fact for our Kiwi friends is that Australia have never lost in a World Cup Semi-final!
Australia Spank South Africa In 2007 Cricket World Cup Semi-Final 
South Africa were able to bounce back from their poor World Cup campaign in 2003 and they played well in the early stages of the tournament to cement a place in the semi-finals against Australia.
The South Africans won the toss and elected to bat on what looked like a dream pitch at St Lucia, but then the side realized that they were playing in a World Cup Semi-Final and had a proud legacy to live up to.
Captain Graeme Smith was dismissed for just two runs in the third over and it went from bad to worse for the South Africans, who were bowled out for just 149, which Australia chased down as easily as Black Caviar won the 2012 Robert Sangster Stakes.
South Africa Beat Themselves In 1999 Cricket World Cup Semi-Final
No list of the greatest World Cup chokes would be complete without South Africa’s monumental meltdown against Australia in the 1999 Cricket World Cup Semi-Final – a choke that was the winner of the First Annual Greg Norman Award For Outstanding Achievement In The Field Of Choking.
South Africa were the form team of the 1999 Cricket World Cup and they looked as though they were cruising to a maiden World Cup final appearance when they were 1/53 chasing Australia’s mediocre total of 213, but our old drinking buddy Shane Warne was able to get Australia back into the match with an inspired spell of leg-spin bowling.
The South Africans went into the final over requiring nine runs to win, but that deficit was quickly reduced to one run from four balls after Zulu warrior Lance Kluesner bludgeoned two balls to the boundary.
Even the bravest punter would not have bet against South Africa at that point, but Allan Donald elected to take matters into his own hands and make sure that the South African Cricket team stamped themselves as the biggest chokers in world sport. Kluesner hit the next ball straight to short mid-on, but Donald decided there was a run in it anyway. A comical mix-up followed and Kluesner was left stranded in the middle of the pitch as Damien Fleming produced the greatest piece of lawn bowling in history to send Australia through to the final.
Bonus Choke – Ted Denslow Chokes On A Hot Dog During The 1997 Denslow Cup Final 
This choke did not take place during the Cricket World Cup, but is arguably one of the most famous chokes in sporting history. During the final of the 1997 Baseketball Championships, known as the Denslow Cup, Milwaukee Beers owner Ted Denslow choked on his hot dog in the stands and as a result Beers star Joe “Coop” Cooper missed the shot that would have won his side the Championship. Thankfully, the Beers were able to bounce back 12 months later and beat the Dallas Felons to win the Denslow Cup for the first time.