Australia reached the World Cup final in the most dramatic finish in the competition's 24-year history when they tied their semi-final with South Africa at Edgbaston yesterday.

Both teams were each dismissed for 213 within their 50 overs, but Australia went through because they finished above South Africa in the final standings of the Super Six second stage.

Australia, winners in 1987, play Pakistan in the final at Lord's on Sunday.

Their semi-final reached a pulsating climax with nine needed off the final over and the last pair, Lance Klusener and Allan Donald, together.

The irrepressible Klusener, whose thunderous hitting has caught the imagination during the tournament, looked set to win the game for South Africa as he smashed each of the first two balls from Damien Fleming for four.

No run came from the third delivery, then Klusener straight drove the fourth and ran for what would have been the winning single.

But crucially, Donald was rooted to his crease watching the ball being fielded by Mark Waugh, who flicked it to Fleming. The bowler threw it on to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist who broke the stumps with Donald, having belatedly set off, well short of his ground.

Steve Waugh and his Australians celebrated joyously before the field was engulfed by thousands of spectators who had been captivated by a match that was even more compelling than Australia's five-wicket win against the odds over the same opponents in their Super Six encounter last Sunday.

Skipper Waugh was the hero on that occasion. This time Shane Warne was the inspiration after his side set out to defend a modest total of 213 in 49.2 overs which they had made after being put in to bat in overcast conditions that subsequently gave way to cloudless skies when South Africa began their reply.

South Africa's smooth start to their innings offered no hint of the trouble to come as Gary Kirsten and Herschelle Gibbs put on 48 in 12 overs, but the introduction of Warne shifted the balance as he snapped up three wickets in eight balls.

Warne struck first with a mesmerising delivery to Gibbs that pitched outside leg stump and turned to hit high up on the off stump as he pushed forward.

In his next over, Warne bowled Kirsten as he swung across the line and had Hansie Cronje edging a drive to first slip where Mark Waugh held a low catch.

When Daryll Cullinan was run out by a direct hit from Bevan at mid-off, the match was wide open with South Africa 61 for four in the 22nd over.

Jonty Rhodes, who made a resourceful 43, helped to pull his side round in a fifth wicket stand of 84 with Jacques Kallis, who fell to Warne for 53 in the wrist spinner's incident-packed last over that contained a missed chance off Kallis and produced 15 runs.

Australia's innings had foundered initially against Pollock, Donald and Kallis, who reduced their opponents to 68 for four in the 17th over, and was subsequently undone when Pollock returned for a second spell in which he broke the major stand of the innings after Steve Waugh and Bevan had put on 90 for the fifth wicket.

Steve Waugh, century-making hero of that game at Headingley, and Bevan watchfully began to repair the damage in the face of increasingly tight bowling. Kallis and Lance Klusener imposed such shackles that only four runs came in seven overs from the 23rd to the 29th.

However, Waugh decided that with the innings stabilised it was time to cut loose. He hit Elworthy for two successive fours through mid-wicket and the covers, then hammered Klusener back over his head for four and over long-on for six in one over.