Delving into the World Cup archives and surfacing with the ten spells that have been written into tournament folklore.
10. Eddo Brandes 4/21 vs England, 1992
Zimbabwean chicken farmer Eddo Brandes is probably more famous for his sharp wit than his ability on the cricket field. Legend has it, after once being quizzed about his weight when batting against Glenn McGrath, he reasoned it was something to do with biscuits and the great fast bowler’s wife. Seems you can say anything on a cricket field. But Eddo Brandes enjoyed his own moment in the sun against England in 1992.
On a green top in Albury, on the New South Wales and Victorian border, Brandes tore apart tournament favourites England in their chase of just 135 for victory. He removed Graham Gooch first ball of the innings and followed up with the scalps of Allan Lamb, Robin Smith and Graeme Hick. He snared 4/21 from his 10 overs, earning Zimbabwe a win by 9 runs, their first in 18 games.
9. Craig McDermott 5/44 vs Pakistan, 1987
On lifeless pitches throughout the sub-continent, Craig McDermott led the Australia attack during their 1987 world cup triumph. His starring role came at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium in the semi-final against Pakistan.
Defending 267, McDermott struck an early blow, then returned later in the innings with the game in the balance. He removed Wasim Akram, who had just launched two sixes and threatened to belt Pakistan into the final. McDermott held his nerve and working on the corridor around off-stump, produced three edges through to ‘keeper Greg Dyer to put Australia into the final. In a tournament that offered little for the pacemen, McDermott finished the semi-final with the one and only five wicket haul of the 1987 World Cup.
8. Ashish Nehra 6/23 vs England, 2003
This was a game England needed to win to progress to the business round of the 2003 World Cup. India’s Ashish Nehra made sure they didn’t.
Chasing 250 under Kingsmead’s lights is never easy, but against a left-arm swing merchant at the peak of his powers, tough is an understatement. He struck twice in his third over. Alec Stewart following Nasser Hussain. An over later, he had Michael Vaughan caught behind. When he wasn’t taking wickets he was preserving India’s lead and as pressure built, he picked up Paul Collingwood, Craig White and Ronnie Irani for a haul of 6/23. Things haven’t quite been the same since for the Indian seamer, but on that night in Durban, Ashish Nehra was part of World Cup folklore.
7. Winston Davis 7/51 vs Australia, 1983
Australia gave themselves every chance of an unlikely win over the West Indies at the 1983 World Cup. Geoff Lawson took three wickets, including Haynes and Richards cheaply, but Australia were decimated by lanky West India quick Winston Davis who was playing just his second one-day international.
He ran through the Australian batting order; Hughes, Hookes, Yallop and Border among his seven scalps. It was a rare day of brilliance for Davis. He played four more times in the 1983 tournament and managed just the one wicket. He would end up playing 35 one-day internationals in all and manage just 39 wickets. But Australians will remember him for the magnificent seven he took that day at Headingley in 1983.
6. Joel Garner 5/38 vs England, 1979
In the 1979 final against England, Viv Richards scored the runs, Joel Garner took the wickets. These were the days of 60 overs a side contests and conservative batting at the top of the order.
Chasing 286, England openers Mike Brearley and Geoff Boycott worked their way to 0/129 in reply. But they’d chewed up a crucial 38 overs in the process. The start so cautious, Boycott took 17 overs to reach double figures! By the time the 6’8 “Big Bird” returned for his second spell, England’s target was getting out of reach. Garner rattled the stumps of Graham Gooch and David Gower before blasting his way through the rest. England lost their last eight wickets for just 11 runs, with Garner the chief destroyer. He bagged 5 for 4 in 11 deliveries to seal back to back World Cup wins for West Indies.
5. Andy Bichel 7/20 vs England, 2003
This was an Ashes match-up on South African soil and England had got themselves off to a flier. Needing a breakthrough, Ricky Ponting turned to Andy Bichel in the 10th over. He struck with his fifth delivery and the wickets kept on coming. He removed Michael Vaughan and Nasser Hussain in his second over. Paul Collingwood went in his fifth. He returned to the attack late in the innings and was at it again. Andrew Flintoff went in his eighth over. Then Alec Stewart. He got Ashley Giles in his 10th for the dream figures of 7/20. Incredibly though, his day wasn’t done.
Chasing 205, Australia was 8/135 when Bichel strolled to the crease at number 10. With Michael Bevan for company, Bichel smashed an unbeaten 34 in even time, including a six and a four in the penultimate over, to help Australia to victory with just two balls to spare.
4. Gary Gilmour 6/14 vs England, 1975
The first semi-final at the inaugural World Cup was dominated by one man, Australia all-rounder Gary Gilmour. Bowling first on a Headingley green top, Gilmour made the most of the conditions to decimate England with his left-arm swing. Thrown the new ball by Ian Chappell, Gilmour bowled his 12 overs straight for a return of 6/14. He took the first six English wickets to fall, four leg befores among them. It restricted England to just 93 but Australia limped to their target in reply.
They were 6/39 when Gilmour came to the crease, joining Doug Walters in an unbeaten 55-run seventh-wicket stand to propel Australia into the final, Gilmour top scoring for the match with 28. He grabbed another five wickets in the lost final three days later, but the damage was done in that man of the match semi-final performance at Leeds.
3. Shane Bond 6/23 vs Australia, 2003
They were two spells that terrorised the bulk of the Australia batting line-up. The pity for New Zealand that day at Port Elizabeth was they only had one Shane Bond.
His second and third overs yielded the prized scalps of Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist. He added Ricky Ponting to his collection before Stephen Fleming gave his star quick a spell. He returned to knock over Damien Martyn and Brad Hogg with consecutive deliveries. He bowled Ian Harvey in his ninth over to finish with 6/23. Problem was Fleming had thrown all his eggs into the one basket and despite having Australia 7/84 after Bond’s demolition job, the next 23 overs were far more batsmen friendly.
With Bond out of the attack, Michael Bevan made a half-century and Andy Bichel top-scored with 64 to help Australia to 208. Brett Lee grabbed five wickets in reply and Australia went on to win the game by 96 runs. But the most telling statistic belonged to Bond. His 6/23 remains the second best figures ever by a team that failed to go on and win the game.
2. Glenn McGrath 5/14 vs West Indies, 1999
These aren’t the best figures Glenn McGrath produced in a World Cup tournament. He took 7/15 against Namibia in 2003. But for pure class, nothing compares to the five wicket haul he grabbed against West Indies at Old Trafford in 1999.
It was part of a sudden-death run for Australia that would take them all the way to the World Cup final. In the lead-up games, his form had been below par but in typical McGrath fashion, he used his newspaper column to predict he’d find his groove again, forecasting a bag of five, including the prized scalp of Brian Lara. McGrath was true to his word. He started with the wickets of Sherwin Campbell and Jimmy Adams with consecutive blows, before producing one of the deliveries of his career to knock over Lara. An exquisite off-cutter that angled across the legendary West Indian to clip the top of off-stump. He cleaned up the tail to fulfil his pre-match prophecy.
It was an odd match. Windies keeper Ridley Jacobs made just 49 but carried his bat through the innings. Then, chasing just 111, Steve Waugh (19 off 73) and Michael Bevan (20 off 69) batted deliberately slow to manipulate the run rate and ensure Australia carry points into the Super Six stage of the tournament.
Still, not even that could take the shine off McGrath’s performance.
1. Shane Warne 4/29 vs South Africa, 1999
After constructing a five-game winning streak just to qualify for the semi-final, Australia’s bid to reach the decider appeared doomed after they were bowled out for 213 and South Africa had eased to 0/48 in reply. Shane Warne had other ideas.
His first ball in Test cricket on English soil – aka “the Gatting ball” – may be dubbed the “ball of the century” but his effort to remove Herschelle Gibbs was every bit it’s equivalent. He fizzed a drifting leg-break into the rough outside leg stump and ripped it back across the Proteas opener to clip the top of off. Australia’s fightback was underway. When Gary Kirsten missed an ugly attempted slog sweep and was bowled an over later both South African openers were back in the shed.
Then Hansie Cronje played against the spin, may or may not have hit the ball, but was caught at first slip to give Warne three wickets in eight balls. Warne stood and bellowed at his teammates. It was a call to arms. A plea to kick South Africa while they were down. Under duress, South Africa found another gear, but it went down to the wire.
With the game on the line, Steve Waugh brought back Warne for his final two overs. The leg-spinner beat Jacques Kallis in flight and he spooned a drive to Waugh at cover. What followed next will dominate most memories of this match. Damien Fleming would eventually bowl the final over to Lance Klusener, who would belt the first two deliveries for four and then be part of a run out on the fourth, which would tie the game and hand Australia a spot in the final.
But cricket history would look a little different without Shane Warne’s intervention that day in Birmingham.
Do you agree with the list? What is your No.1 spell from the World Cup?
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