Fletcher downs Australia with bat and ball; Windies walloped by Kenya
Thursday 12 February 2015 10:24, UK
Ireland, Scotland, Afghanistan and United Arab Emirates will be the Associate members mixing it with cricket’s powerhouses at the 2015 World Cup - but can any of them pull off an upset like these from yesteryear...
1979: Sri Lanka defeat Dev and co at Old Trafford…
Sri Lanka are minnows no longer, having won the World Cup in 1996 and finished second in the two most recent editions, but they were way back in 1979 when they stunned a star-studded India. The island country had yet to acquire Test status – that would come three years later – though you wouldn’t have known it with the way they handled themselves in this game at Old Trafford. Without injured skipper, Anura Tennekoon, Sri Lanka compiled 238-5 from their 60 overs with Sunil Wettimuny, Roy Dias and Duleep Mendis, who each notched half-centuries, doing the grunt work against a bowling unit featuring Kapil Dev and Mohinder Amarnath. The Lions then skittled India out for 191 to pull off a maiden World Cup win and subject their glittering rivals to a third loss on the spin. Tony Opatha and Somachandra de Silva plucked three wickets apiece for Sri Lanka, while Stanley de Silva claimed two scalps in what would prove to be his last of two ODI appearances after he was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident the following April aged just 23. India, however, responded from their 1979 horror show by beating former two-time champions West Indies in the 1983 final at Lord’s.
1983: Fletcher fires as Zimbabwe rock Australia…
As India coach, Duncan Fletcher will be trying to avoid World Cup shocks against Ireland, UAE and his native Zimbabwe in the 2015 World Cup. Rewind 32 years, though, and the Harare-born star helped cause one of the biggest upsets the tournament has ever seen. Zimbabwe skipper Fletcher initially scored an unbeaten 69 from the No 6 position as the African outfit, in their debut World Cup encounter, recovered from 94-5 to score 239 runs against a talented if aging Australia attack. Fletcher then turned wicket-taker, removing four of the Baggy Greens’ top-five batsmen with his nagging medium pace, including opposition captain Kim Hughes for a duck, as the outsiders triumphed by 13 runs. There were rumours of in-fighting within the Australia camp, mainly between those who had played in Kerry Packer’s World Series Cricket and those who hadn’t, but that did not detract from a momentous day for Zimbabwean cricket. Zimbabwe lost the rest of their matches in the 1983 World Cup and all six in 1987, though they stunned the world again in 1992 by besting eventual runners-up England in a low-scoring thriller in the pool phase.
1996: Windies fold against inspired Kenya…
Kenya didn’t just beat West Indies in Pune, they positively walloped them. That didn’t look like happening after the minnows had lost the toss and been bowled out for 166, Steve Tikolo top scoring with 29 – if you overlook the 37 extras – as Messrs Ambrose and Walsh, as well as tweaker Roger Harper, took charge. West Indies, however, made that total look like a world-beating one. Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Harper were the only Caribbean batsmen to notch double digits, with Richie Richardson and Brian Lara among those to depart cheaply. Ninetythree runs was all the Windies could muster, which at the time was their second worst ODI tally, only topped by the 87 they had succumbed to against Australia in 1992. Kenya skipper Maurice Odumbe played a chief role in the big boys’ downfall, mirroring the earlier exploits of Harper by seizing three wickets from his 10 overs of spin and shipping just 15 runs. Kenya made the semi-finals of the 2003 World Cup, beating Sri Lanka in the process, but with that achievement at least in part down to a walkover win against New Zealand amid security fears, Feb 29, 1996 remains their finest day.
1999: Woe for Greenidge, joy for Bangladesh…
Bangladesh took a novel approach to their World Cup game with Pakistan at the County Ground in Northampton: axing their coach, West Indies legend Gordon Greenidge, on the morning of the match. Greenidge slipped away quietly at lunchtime but the team he had left behind created all sorts of noise after handing Pakistan their only defeat of the group stage. The contest was for all intents and purposes a dead rubber, with Pakistan having already confirmed a Super Six berth and Bangladesh unable to extend their participation in the World Cup after three previous losses – but the minnows weren’t prepared to take it easy. Most of the Bangladeshi batsmen chipped in to ensure that despite Saqlain Mushtaq picking up 5-35, they amassed 223, and the Tigers then ran riot at the start of Pakistan’s innings, sending their opponents' first five batters back into the shed for a combined total of 23. Azhar Mahmood, Wasim Akram, Moin Khan, Saqlain and Waqar Younis gave the ball a tap down the order, but Bangladesh were not to be denied, dismissing their rivals for 161 to record a 62-run win that played a huge role in them securing Test status in 2000.
2011: O’Brien fireworks see Ireland overcome England…
Ireland had previous when it came to World Cup upsets – beating Pakistan by three wickets in the Caribbean event in 2007 – but this victory over England would have been ever so sweeter. Kevin O’Brien, who saw his brother, Niall, pocket 72 in the win over Pakistan four years previously, clubbed the quickest World Cup ton off all time – off just 50 deliveries – as Ireland successfully chased down Andrew Strauss’ side’s 327-8 in Bangalore. Ireland were teetering on 111-5 shortly after O’Brien entered the crease, but the Dubliner proceeded to lash 13 fours and six maximums in a 63-ball 113 before he was run out through a combination of Tim Bresnan and Matt Prior. Alex Cusack (47 off 58 balls) gave O’Brien splendid support during a sixth-wicket partnership of 162 in 17 overs, while John Mooney (33 off 30) and Trent Johnston guided Ireland home during the nervy closing stages, with victory secured with five balls to spare. Jonathan Trott’s score of 92 for England helped him reach 1,000 runs in his 21st ODI – a record shared by Sir Vivian Richards, Kevin Pietersen and, now South Africa’s Quinton de Kock - but that was pretty much forgotten in the aftermath of The Kevin O’Brien Show.
You can watch every match of the 2015 ICC World Cup live on our dedicated channel Sky Sports World Cup, starting with New Zealand against Sri Lanka from 10pm on Friday 13 February.
Before then don’t miss our World Cup Preview Show, with Nasser Hussain and Michael Vaughan, from 8pm on Friday on the same channel.
