Cricket Carnage!

There was carnage on the betting exchanges as South Africa successfully chased down 434 to win the fifth one-dayer against Australia.

Before Sunday's incredible encounter in Johannesburg the highest score in one-day internationals was 398.

And after Australia had beaten the old mark by 36 runs and reduced South Africa to 3-1 in reply, the visitors were backed at the minimum price of 1/100 on Betfair.

Over £800,000 was matched at that price with the South Africans backed at 149/1. But thanks mainly to a thrilling 175 off 111 balls from Herschelle Gibbs, South Africa kept up the run rate of nearly nine an over. And with just one ball to spare Mark Boucher clubbed Brett Lee over mid-on for four to settle arguably the greatest one-day match ever played.

Betfair spokesman Tony Calvin revealed that £9,393,833 was matched on the game.
He said: "It's arguably a bigger upset than Headingley 1981. How unlucky are the Australian 1/100 backers? You obviously don't expect two world records in a one day game."