Plus, centuries on debut, most matches, closest games – all in World Cups
Steven Lynch17-Feb-2015Nuwan Kulasekara bowled the last ball of the 2011 World Cup and the first ball of the 2015 one. Has this happened before? asked Mark Long from England
Nuwan Kulasekara of Sri Lanka bowled the delivery which MS Dhoni smashed for six to clinch the 2011 World Cup in Mumbai, and started the 2015 tournament last Saturday with a dot ball to New Zealand’s Martin Guptill in Christchurch. My first inclination was that, with only ten previous tournaments, this couldn’t possibly have happened before… but it has. In 1987, Craig McDermott bowled the last over to clinch Australia’s victory over England in Kolkata; and in 1992 he sent down the first over of the opening match, against New Zealand in Auckland – and bowled John Wright with his first legitimate delivery, after two wides. Glenn McGrath bowled the last ball of the 1996 and 2003 World Cups. Imran Khan bowled the last ball of the 1992 World Cup, and in 1979 had also bowled the first ball of one of the four matches on the opening day. Darren Lehmann, now Australia’s coach, hit the winning boundary in the 1999 final at Lord’s, and took the catch that ended the 2003 one, in Johannesburg.Aaron Finch scored a hundred in his first innings in the World Cup. How many others have done this? asked Brad Linklater from Australia
Aaron Finch, during his bruising 135 against England in Melbourne on Saturday, became the 14th batsman to begin his World Cup career with a century. The list starts with Dennis Amiss (137 for England v India at Lord’s) and Glenn Turner (171 not out for New Zealand v East Africa at Edgbaston) on the first day of the inaugural tournament in 1975. They were followed by Trevor Chappell and Allan Lamb in 1983, Geoff Marsh in 1987, Andy Flower in 1992, Nathan Astle and Gary Kirsten in 1996, Scott Styris, Andrew Symonds and Craig Wishart in 2003, the Irishman Jeremy Bray in 2007, and Virat Kohli in 2011. With an unbeaten 115 for Zimbabwe against Sri Lanka in New Plymouth in 1992, Flower is the only person to score a century on overall ODI debut during a World Cup.Steven Finn’s five wickets cost him 71 runs. Was this the most expensive in the World Cup? asked Michael Fancutt from Australia
Steven Finn’s 5 for 71 in England’s World Cup opener in Melbourne was easily the most expensive five-for in World Cup history. The previous-best (or perhaps previous-worst) was shared by two West Indians: Winston Davis took 7 for 51 against Australia at Headingley in 1983, while Ravi Rampaul took 5 for 51 against India in Chennai in 2011. A day after Finn’s record, Pakistan’s Sohail Khan, now in second place, took 5 for 55 against India in Adelaide. Indeed, there’s only been one more expensive five-wicket haul than Finn’s in all one-day internationals: the Scotland seamer Gordon Goudie took 5 for 73 against Australia at The Grange in Edinburgh in 2009. Ben Stokes took 5 for 61 for England against Australia in Southampton in 2013. Finn was only the third England bowler to take a World Cup five-for, following Vic Marks (5 for 39 against Sri Lanka at Taunton in 1983) and Tim Bresnan (5 for 48 against India in Bangalore in 2010-11).Has anyone got closer to a World Cup century than James Taylor? asked Terry McKinley from England
The unfortunate James Taylor became the second player to be marooned on 98 not out in a World Cup match. The first one was also against Australia: Collins Obuya had reached 98 when Kenya’s overs ran out in Bangalore in 2011. Sachin Tendulkar (India v Pakistan in Centurion in 2003) and Tatenda Taibu (Zimbabwe v Canada in Nagpur in 2011) were both dismissed for 98 in the World Cup. But there have been two World Cup 99s: Australia’s Adam Gilchrist was run out for 99 (from 88 balls) against Sri Lanka in Centurion in 2003, while JP Duminy holed out one short for South Africa against Ireland in Kolkata in 2011. Before the current tournament there had been 47 scores in the nineties during the World Cup, nine of them not out. Tendulkar and Michael Clarke both made three of them; Clarke had still not managed a World Cup century before this tournament started.Andy Flower scored a century on his one-day debut, which was a World Cup match against Sri Lanka in New Plymouth in 1992•Getty ImagesWho has played the most World Cup matches? asked Mohammad Qalil from Pakistan
Ricky Ponting leads the way here with 46, including four finals (1996/1999/2003/2007). He’s one ahead of Sachin Tendulkar, who played in six different tournaments (a record he shares with Javed Miandad). Muttiah Muralitharan played in 40 matches, Glenn McGrath 39, and Sanath Jayasuriya and Wasim Akram 38. The overall appearances record isn’t going to be broken this time: the most by any current player before the 2015 tournament started was Mahela Jayawardene’s 33.Have there been any one-run victories in the World Cup? Or one-wicket ones? asked Mahendra Jain from India
Before the 2015 tournament, there had been only two one-run victories in World Cup history, both of them by Australia over India – in Chennai in 1987, and in Brisbane in 1992. There had been one victory by two runs (by Sri Lanka over England in North Sound in 2006-07), and four by three runs. There had been four wins by one wicket: by West Indies over Pakistan at Edgbaston in 1975; Pakistan over West Indies in Lahore in 1987; South Africa over Sri Lanka in Providence in 2007; and England over West Indies in Bridgetown, also in 2007. Pakistan’s win in 1987 was clinched off the final delivery of the 50th over, the only time the side batting second has won a World Cup match off the last possible ball. There have also been four tied World Cup matches: the Australia v South Africa semi-final at Edgbaston in 1999; South Africa v Sri Lanka in Durban in 2003; Ireland v Zimbabwe in Kingston in 2007; and India v England in Bangalore in 2011.
