1999 World Cup Final Scorecard

The 1999 World Cup final was played at Lord’s on 20 June 1999 between Australia and Pakistan. Australia won by 8 wickets, bowling Pakistan out for just 132 and chasing it down in 20.1 overs. It was one of the most one-sided finals in World Cup history and the start of Australia’s era of dominance.

The final had been expected to be a classic. Pakistan, the 1992 champions, had been the tournament’s most consistent team, while Australia had survived a series of must-win games to reach Lord’s. Instead, the match was effectively decided in the first two hours, as Australia’s bowlers dismantled Pakistan’s batting and Adam Gilchrist then destroyed the chase. It remains the most emphatic final victory in the tournament’s history by balls remaining.

1999 World Cup Final Match Summary

Detail	Information
Date	20 June 1999
Venue	Lord’s, London
Toss	Pakistan won the toss and chose to bat
Pakistan	132 all out (39 overs)
Australia	133 for 2 (20.1 overs)
Result	Australia won by 8 wickets
Player of the match	Shane Warne
Umpires	Steve Bucknor and David Shepherd
Attendance	30,040

Pakistan Innings: 132 All Out at Lord’s

Pakistan captain Wasim Akram won the toss and elected to bat, the conventional choice in a final. It quickly went wrong. Glenn McGrath drew first blood in the fifth over, dismissing Wajahatullah Wasti for 1, and Saeed Anwar followed in the next over for 15, bowled by Damien Fleming. Pakistan’s openers were gone with 21 on the board.

Abdul Razzaq and Ijaz Ahmed steadied the innings briefly, adding 47 runs, and Pakistan reached 68 for 3. Then Shane Warne came on, and the match turned decisively. Warne’s variations, drift and turn proved unplayable on the day: he dismissed Ijaz Ahmed, Moin Khan, Shahid Afridi and Wasim Akram on his way to 4 for 33 from nine overs. No Pakistan batter passed 22, and the innings folded for 132 in 39 overs, with 25 extras the second-highest contribution of sorts after Ijaz’s 22.

Pakistan Batting in the 1999 World Cup Final

Batter	Runs	Balls
Saeed Anwar	15	17
Wajahatullah Wasti	1	14
Abdul Razzaq	17	51
Ijaz Ahmed	22	46
Inzamam-ul-Haq	15	33
Moin Khan	6	12
Shahid Afridi	13	16
Azhar Mahmood	8	17
Wasim Akram (captain)	8	20
Saqlain Mushtaq	0	4
Shoaib Akhtar (not out)	2	6
Extras	25
Total	132 all out	39 overs

Australia Bowling in the 1999 World Cup Final

Bowler	Overs	Runs	Wickets
Glenn McGrath	9	13	2
Damien Fleming	6	30	1
Paul Reiffel	10	29	1
Tom Moody	5	17	2
Shane Warne	9	33	4

McGrath’s 2 for 13 from nine overs, including three maidens, strangled Pakistan at the start, while Tom Moody’s 2 for 17 and Paul Reiffel’s 1 for 29 kept the pressure on throughout. Warne was named player of the match, and his spell is remembered as one of the great final performances by a spinner, a masterclass that belongs alongside the best ODI bowling by Australian spinners.

Australia Innings: 133 for 2 in 20.1 Overs

Adam Gilchrist’s blazing 54 off 36 balls, with eight fours and a six, killed the contest early. He and Mark Waugh put on 75 for the first wicket, and by the time Gilchrist was caught off Saqlain Mushtaq, Australia needed only 58 more runs. Ricky Ponting made 24 before falling to Wasim Akram, and Mark Waugh finished unbeaten on 37, with Darren Lehmann hitting the winning runs to finish 13 not out.

Batter	Runs	Balls
Mark Waugh (not out)	37	52
Adam Gilchrist	54	36
Ricky Ponting	24	27
Darren Lehmann (not out)	13	9
Extras	5
Total	133 for 2	20.1 overs

Australia won with 179 balls to spare, more than half their overs unused. The margin, 8 wickets with nearly 30 overs remaining, made it the most one-sided World Cup final ever played at that point, and Pakistan’s 132 remains the lowest total in a men’s World Cup final.

Road to the 1999 World Cup Final

Australia had a shaky start to the tournament, losing early group games and reaching the Super Six stage only on net run rate, but they peaked at the right time. Their tied semi-final against South Africa at Edgbaston is remembered as one of the greatest ODI matches ever played: Australia made 213, South Africa matched it, and the match ended in a tie when Allan Donald was run out with one run needed from three balls. Because Australia had finished above South Africa in the Super Six table, they went through to the final.

Pakistan, led by Wasim Akram, had been the tournament’s most consistent team until the final. In their semi-final at Old Trafford, a century from Saeed Anwar, who made 113 not out, and 84 from Wajahatullah Wasti took them to a nine-wicket win over New Zealand. They arrived at Lord’s as favourites in many eyes, which made the scale of the defeat all the more shocking.

Why the 1999 World Cup Final Mattered

The 1999 final began Australia’s golden run: they would win the next two World Cups as well, in 2003 and 2007, without losing a match in either tournament, completing a hat-trick of titles. For Pakistan, it was a second final appearance after their 1992 triumph, and their first defeat in a World Cup final, ending Wasim Akram’s captaincy era on a bitter note.

The tournament also produced notable individual landmarks. Rahul Dravid of India finished as the highest run-scorer with 461 runs, Geoff Allott of New Zealand took the most wickets with 20, and South Africa’s Lance Klusener was named player of the tournament for his all-round heroics, including his unbeaten 31 in the tied semi-final. The 1999 edition, co-hosted by England and the Netherlands, is also remembered for the 1999 Cricket World Cup opening ceremony and for a format, the Super Six, that produced one of the most dramatic finishes the tournament has ever seen.

Above all, the final showed what made Steve Waugh’s Australia special: relentless planning, ruthless execution with the ball, and a refusal to let a final become a contest of nerves. Pakistan had the talent to win, but on the day they had no answer to McGrath’s accuracy, Warne’s genius and Gilchrist’s aggression.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the 1999 World Cup final?

Australia won the 1999 World Cup final, beating Pakistan by 8 wickets at Lord’s on 20 June 1999. It was Australia’s second World Cup title, after their 1987 win.

What was the score in the 1999 World Cup final?

Pakistan scored 132 all out in 39 overs; Australia chased it down, scoring 133 for 2 in 20.1 overs, with 179 balls to spare.

Who was man of the match in the 1999 final?

Shane Warne, for his 4 wickets for 33 runs in nine overs. His victims were Ijaz Ahmed, Moin Khan, Shahid Afridi and Wasim Akram.

Who was the highest scorer in the 1999 World Cup final?

Adam Gilchrist top-scored in the match with 54 off 36 balls for Australia. For Pakistan, Ijaz Ahmed was the highest scorer with 22.

How did Australia reach the 1999 World Cup final?

Australia tied their semi-final against South Africa at Edgbaston, with both teams scoring 213, and went through because they had finished above South Africa in the Super Six table. The match is famous for the Allan Donald run-out in the final over.

Why was the 1999 World Cup final so one-sided?

Pakistan lost both openers for 21 runs, Shane Warne then ran through the middle order with 4 for 33, and no Pakistan batter passed 22. Australia’s chase was then broken open by Adam Gilchrist’s 54 off 36 balls, leaving the result beyond doubt within the first half of the chase.