The World Cup is the pinnacle of one-day international cricket, where the best teams and players compete for the ultimate glory. The tournament has witnessed many memorable matches, thrilling finishes, and record-breaking performances. One of the most exciting aspects of the World Cup is the high-scoring chases, where the batting team shows its skill, courage, and determination to overhaul a huge target set by the opposition.
1.Zimbabwe vs Sri Lanka 1992 World Cup match:
The match was the third match of the Benson & Hedges World Cup 1992, played at Pukekura Park, New Plymouth on February 23, 1992.Zimbabwe batted first and scored 312 for 4 in 50 overs, setting a new record for the highest total in World Cup history at that time.Andy Flower was the star of the Zimbabwean innings, scoring an unbeaten 115 off 152 balls, with eight fours and one six12. He was well supported by Andy Waller, who scored 83 not out off 45 balls, with nine fours and three sixes.Sri Lanka had a challenging target to chase, but they showed their batting prowess and reached 313 for 7 in 49.2 overs, winning by three wickets with four balls remaining.This was the first successful run chase of over 300 runs in ODI history, and also the highest successful run chase in World Cup history until then.Roshan Mahanama and Athula Samarasekera gave Sri Lanka a solid start, putting on 128 runs for the first wicket in 20.3 overs12. Mahanama scored 59 off 89 balls, while Samarasekera scored 75 off 61 balls, with 11 fours and one six.Aravinda de Silva and Asanka Gurusinha fell cheaply, but Arjuna Ranatunga played a captain’s knock of 88 not out off 61 balls, with nine fours and one six. He added 45 runs with Sanath Jayasuriya, who scored 32 off 23 balls, with two fours and two sixes.Hashan Tillakaratne and Ruwan Kalpage also chipped in with some useful runs, before Champaka Ramanayake hit the winning boundary off Malcolm Jarvis in the final over.Eddo Brandes was the most successful bowler for Zimbabwe, taking three wickets for 70 runs in ten overs. John Traicos and Dave Houghton took one wicket each.Andy Flower was adjudged the player of the match for his brilliant century.
2.Australia vs New Zealand 1996 World Cup match:
The match was the fourth quarter-final of the Wills World Cup 1996, played at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai on March 11, 1996.New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat first. They scored 286 for 9 in 50 overs, setting a challenging target for Australia.Chris Harris was the top scorer for New Zealand, making a brilliant 130 off 124 balls, with 13 fours and four sixes. He shared a record fourth-wicket partnership of 168 runs with Lee Germon, who scored 89 off 96 balls.Paul Reiffel, Glenn McGrath, and Shane Warne took two wickets each for Australia, while Mark Waugh and Michael Bevan took one wicket each.Australia chased down the target with six wickets and 13 balls remaining, scoring 289 for 4 in 47.5 overs.Mark Waugh was the star of the Australian innings, scoring his third century of the tournament. He made 110 off 112 balls, with six fours and two sixes. He was well supported by Steve Waugh, who scored an unbeaten 59 off 68 balls, and Stuart Law, who scored a quickfire 42 not out off 30 balls.Dion Nash, Dipak Patel, Shane Thomson, and Nathan Astle took one wicket each for New Zealand, but they could not stop Australia’s onslaught.Mark Waugh was adjudged the player of the match for his match-winning knocks .Australia advanced to the semi-finals, where they faced West Indies at Mohali. New Zealand were eliminated from the tournament.
3.Australia vs South Africa 1999 World Cup match:
The match was the second semi-final of the ICC World Cup 1999, played at Edgbaston, Birmingham on June 17, 1999.Australia batted first and scored 213 all out in 49.2 overs, setting a modest target for South Africa.Shane Warne was the top scorer for Australia, making 18 off 24 balls. He also took four wickets for 29 runs in his ten overs, spinning a web around the South African batsmen.Shaun Pollock was the best bowler for South Africa, taking five wickets for 36 runs in 9.2 overs. He also dismissed Michael Bevan, the last Australian batsman, in the final over of the innings.South Africa started their chase well, with Gary Kirsten and Herschelle Gibbs putting on 48 runs for the first wicket. However, they lost wickets at regular intervals and were reduced to 175 for 6 in the 42nd over.Lance Klusener and Shaun Pollock then added 47 runs for the seventh wicket in just six overs, bringing South Africa close to the target. However, Pollock was run out by a direct hit from Damien Fleming in the penultimate over.The last over was bowled by Fleming, with South Africa needing nine runs to win with one wicket in hand. Klusener hit the first two balls for boundaries, leveling the scores. However, he failed to take a single off the next two balls, resulting in two run outs. The first one involved Allan Donald, who was stranded at the non-striker’s end after Klusener set off for a run. The second one involved Klusener himself, who was caught short of his crease by a throw from Mark Waugh after attempting another run.The match ended in a tie, but Australia advanced to the final on the basis of having finished higher than South Africa in the Super Six stage.Steve Waugh was adjudged the player of the match for his unbeaten 120 off 110 balls, which proved to be crucial for Australia’s total.
4.India vs Pakistan 2003 World Cup match:
The match was the 36th match of the ICC World Cup 2003, played at SuperSport Park, Centurion on March 1, 2003.India won the toss and elected to field first. Pakistan scored 273 for 7 in 50 overs, setting a challenging target for India.Saeed Anwar was the top scorer for Pakistan, making a brilliant 101 off 126 balls, with seven fours and no sixes. He shared a record fourth-wicket partnership of 88 runs with Mohammad Yousuf, who scored 25 off 42 balls.Ashish Nehra and Zaheer Khan were the best bowlers for India, taking two wickets each for 74 and 46 runs respectively. They also dismissed the dangerous Abdul Razzaq and Younis Khan in the middle overs.India chased down the target with six wickets and 26 balls remaining, scoring 276 for 4 in 45.4 overs.Sachin Tendulkar was the star of the Indian innings, scoring a magnificent 98 off 75 balls, with 12 fours and one six. He dominated the Pakistani pace attack of Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis, and Shoaib Akhtar, hitting them all over the park.Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid also played important knocks of 48 and 44 not out respectively, while Yuvraj Singh finished the match with a six off Waqar Younis.Waqar Younis was the most expensive bowler for Pakistan, conceding 71 runs in his eight overs. He also dropped Tendulkar when he was on 32, which proved to be costly for Pakistan..Tendulkar was adjudged the player of the match for his match-winning knock.
5.England vs West Indies 2007 World Cup match:
The match was the 48th match of the Super Eights stage of the ICC World Cup 2007, played at Kensington Oval, Bridgetown, Barbados on April 21, 2007.England won the toss and elected to field first. West Indies scored 300 all out in 49.5 overs, setting a competitive target for England.Chris Gayle and Devon Smith were the top scorers for West Indies, making 79 and 61 respectively. They shared a record opening partnership of 131 runs in 23.5 overs12. Marlon Samuels also contributed with a quickfire 51 off 39 balls.Andrew Flintoff and Michael Vaughan were the best bowlers for England, taking two and three wickets each for 59 and 39 runs respectively. They also effected three run outs in the final over of the innings.England chased down the target with one wicket and one ball remaining, scoring 301 for 9 in 49.5 overs.Kevin Pietersen was the star of the English innings, scoring a brilliant 100 off 91 balls, with ten fours and one six. He was well supported by Michael Vaughan, who scored 79 off 68 balls, and Paul Nixon, who scored a crucial 38 off 39 balls.Dwayne Bravo and Jerome Taylor were the most successful bowlers for West Indies, taking two wickets each for 47 and 65 runs respectively. They also dismissed Pietersen and Nixon in the final over of the match, but could not prevent England from winning.Pietersen was adjudged the player of the match for his match-winning knock.
6.Ireland vs England 2011 World Cup match:
The match was the 15th match of the ICC World Cup 2011, played at M.Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bengaluru on March 2, 2011..England batted first and scored 327 for 8 in 50 overs, setting a formidable target for Ireland.Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell were the top scorers for England, making 92 and 81 respectively. They shared a third-wicket partnership of 167 runs, the highest for any wicket in the match.John Mooney was the best bowler for Ireland, taking four wickets for 63 runs in nine overs. He also dismissed Trott and Bell in consecutive overs, triggering a mini-collapse for England.Ireland chased down the target with three wickets and five balls remaining, scoring 329 for 7 in 49.1 overs. This was the highest successful run chase by any team in World Cup history at that time.Kevin O’Brien was the star of the Irish innings, scoring a magnificent 113 off 63 balls, with 13 fours and six sixes. He played the fastest century in World Cup history, reaching his hundred in just 50 balls.Alex Cusack and John Mooney also played important knocks of 47 and 33 not out respectively, while William Porterfield was dismissed for a golden duck by James Anderson on the first ball of the innings.Graeme Swann was the most successful bowler for England, taking three wickets for 47 runs in ten overs. He also dismissed Ed Joyce, Niall O’Brien, and Gary Wilson in quick succession, reducing Ireland to 111 for 5 at one stage.Kevin O’Brien was adjudged the player of the match for his match-winning knock.
7.Bangladesh vs Scotland 2015 World Cup match:
The match was the 27th match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, played at Saxton Oval, Nelson on March 5, 2015..Bangladesh won the toss and elected to field first. Scotland scored 318 for 8 in 50 overs, setting a record for the highest total by an associate nation in World Cup history.Kyle Coetzer was the star of the Scottish innings, scoring a brilliant 156 off 134 balls, with 17 fours and four sixes. He shared a record fourth-wicket partnership of 88 runs with Lee Germon, who scored 89 off 96 balls.John Mooney was the best bowler for Bangladesh, taking four wickets for 63 runs in nine overs. He also dismissed Coetzer and Germon in consecutive overs, triggering a mini-collapse for Scotland.Bangladesh chased down the target with six wickets and 11 balls remaining, scoring 329 for 7 in 49.1 overs. This was the highest successful run chase by any team in World Cup history at that time.Tamim Iqbal was the top scorer for Bangladesh, making a vital 95 off 100 balls, with nine fours and one six. He shared a second-wicket partnership of 139 runs with Mahmudullah, who scored a run-a-ball 62.Mushfiqur Rahim and Shakib Al Hasan also played important knocks of 60 and 52 not out respectively, while William Porterfield was dismissed for a golden duck by Rubel Hossain on the first ball of the innings.Josh Davey was the most successful bowler for Scotland, taking two wickets for 68 runs in ten overs. He also dismissed Tamim and Mushfiqur in quick succession, but could not stop Bangladesh from winning.Tamim Iqbal was adjudged the player of the match for his match-winning knock.
8.Bangladesh vs West Indies 2019 World Cup match:
The match was the 23rd match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, played at The Cooper Associates County Ground, Taunton on June 17, 2019.Bangladesh won the toss and elected to field first. West Indies scored 321 for 8 in 50 overs, setting a challenging target for Bangladesh.Shai Hope was the top scorer for West Indies, making 96 off 121 balls, with four fours and one six. He shared a third-wicket partnership of 116 runs with Evin Lewis, who scored 70 off 67 balls.Mohammad Saifuddin and Mustafizur Rahman were the best bowlers for Bangladesh, taking three wickets each for 72 and 59 runs respectively. They also dismissed the dangerous Shimron Hetmyer and Andre Russell in the same over.Bangladesh chased down the target with seven wickets and 51 balls remaining, scoring 322 for 3 in 41.3 overs. This was the second-highest successful run chase by any team in World Cup history at that time.Shakib Al Hasan was the star of the Bangladeshi innings, scoring a magnificent 124 not out off 99 balls, with 16 fours and no sixes. He became the second player after Sachin Tendulkar to score six consecutive fifty-plus scores in World Cup matches.Liton Das also played a crucial knock of 94 not out off 69 balls, with eight fours and four sixes. He shared an unbeaten fourth-wicket partnership of 189 runs with Shakib, the highest for any wicket in the match.Shakib Al Hasan also took two wickets for 54 runs in his eight overs, becoming the first player to score a century and take two or more wickets in a World Cup match twice.Shakib Al Hasan was adjudged the player of the match for his all-round performance.
