Australia 283 for 7 (Lee 51*) beat South Africa 250 for 5 (Kallis 104*) by 33 runs, but failed to reach the finals
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When is a win not a win? When bonus points are involved. When it takes Australia not to the top of the table but leaves them shivering bitterly at the foot.

Despite Brett Lee equalling Shaun Pollock's 27 runs off an over, despite some typically sensational bowling from Glenn McGrath, despite a comeback to remember from Darren Lehmann, all was forlorn.

It was close - close enough to keep a capacity WACA crowd on their feet till the 48th over. But three consecutive early losses gave Australia, the World Cup holders, too much to do at the end, and for only the third time in 23 years they failed to reach the final of their own triangular tournament. With the World Cup looming again on the horizon, it's a result that could leave some distinguished careers as dead as the poor seagull knocked cold by Mark Boucher.

South Africa had one essential component – Jacques Kallis. A glue that, despite the fireworks, the Australian side didn't have. He walked in, stuck there, and made 100 off 117 balls – his first one-day century against Australia. It wasn't exhilarating, at least until the end when he gave Brett Lee, a sparring partner throughout, some what-for - but in his own methodical, plodding way Kallis snatched the bonus point from Australia's outstretched hand.

South Africa have been hurt enough by this Australian side in the past to have a one-track mind in this game. Stuff the win – just make 226 and knock them out.

Kallis had backing from Herschelle Gibbs, Boeta Dippenaar, Jonty Rhodes and Lance Klusener, whose power and invincibility returned at just the right time. McGrath forced him down on his haunches, but when Zulu zaps sixes and fours like a tearaway ruffian with an eye on his dinner, he's back.

Australia had gambled by playing seven batsmen, and it was a gamble that couldn't have gone much better. Lehmann took two wickets with his innocuous dibbly-dobblers, and also made 49 at more than a run a ball as the Australian batting came off and the openers exhibited more strokes than they had all tournament.

But Lee was the star. Marching in when Shane Warne was bowled for 0 (195 for 7), he took a while to suss out the possibilities but then exploded, a glamour boy for a glamour situation. Allan Donald could only look at his feet as Lee doled out the Pollock treatment. He slogged the second ball of Donald's ninth over for six. He nudged the next down to the third-man boundary as if sitting down in an armchair, then followed that up with another driven six. Next a dinky four off his legs, and just time to polish the over off with an identically placed but slightly bigger six. Pollock's Australian one-day record of 27 runs off an over had been equalled in the very next match - and even worse, Pollock had to look on. Lee's 16 off 25 balls had become 42 off 30, and there was time for Dippenaar to drop him before he made his way to his first one-day fifty off the last ball of the innings. But it was to be in a lost cause.

From the start the tension in the air had fans, fielders and batsmen chomping on their own lips. When South Africa passed 226, the disgruntled crowd, who had eaten patriotism and jam for breakfast, started leaving early. But this was probably just the right result for Australia. With the World Cup still a safe distance off, they have learnt that a little bit of hubris doesn't go a long way.

Tanya Aldred is assistant editor of Wisden.com.

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