England’s walloping of New Zealand to reach the World T20 final is one of modern sports most remarkable comebacks. How does it compare with other amazing sporting turnarounds?
It was almost cringeworthy to see Australia and New Zealand taking turns feasting on a team that had as much steel as a polystyrene castle in the 50-over World Cup last year. Well, I felt that way.
Eoin Morgan’s team reached their lowest point. As Aaron Finch blasted a century and Tim Southee rattled British minds and stumps, the English were reduced to nothing. The world was laughing.
But Morgan would lick his bloodied wounds. His team, while raw and young, watched as the Australians and the New Zealanders backed themselves to win, with courage, tenacity and power.
He was an unashamed fan of their methods. Fast-forward a year, and after managing to reach the semi-finals of their first world tournament since 2010 – the English are now a possibility of winning it. The shy pussycat has turned into a full-grown wild beast.
Could this be the greatest transformation in modern sporting times? Here’s a look at some others.
Australia winning the 50 over World Cup
After the homework-saga of 2013, getting smashed in England and David Warner doing his best boxing impression, things were looking decidedly off for the Australian cricketers.
Darren Lehmann took the reigns with Mickey Arthur moving on, Michael Clarke leading Australia to a home World Cup triumph last year and Steven Smith taking his team to the top of the world Test rankings.
Australian cricket had rare break from domination – and now a new wave of talent can cement their standing as top for a time to come.
The Reds and Highlanders winning Super Rugby titles
Both were perennial underachievers in their early incarnations. The Reds managed to reach the semi-finals in 1999, but then spent the next decade around the bottom of the competition ladder.
Their fortunes changed in 2010. Quade Cooper and Will Genia had superb seasons, both individually and as a partnership, with Cooper being awarded Australian Super Rugby Player of the Year.
The Reds finished in fifth place and with Ewen McKenzie’s second term at the helm, they discovered their attacking spark the following year that produced a maiden title.
Over the in the deep south of New Zealand, the Highlanders showed early promise (propped up by leadership from the likes of Taine Randall, Tony Brown, Byron Kelleher and Jeff Wilson) but faded into being an average team who played boring rugby, managing to consistently finish between sixth and 12th for most of the 2000s.
The arrival of Lima Sopoaga, with Malakai Fekitoa and Waisake Naholo taking their attack to new dimensions, along with Ben Smith directing at fullback unlocked something special in 2015, when they claimed their first championship.
New Zealand winning the 2008 Rugby League World Cup
Demolished in 2007 and with years of being the almost-guys, New Zealand’s rugby league team rose to prominence to overcome all odds, winning the 2008 World Cup over a seemingly invincible Kangaroo team.
Remember the raw Aussies and the Brits put in four straight pummellings against a young Kiwi side both home and away. The scorelines of 58-0 and 44-0 were record thrashings.
However, it took Stephen Kearney to plot and Wayne Bennett to inspire and New Zealand managed to do the unthinkable – beat Australia, at home, and win their first World Cup.
Sri Lanka winning the 1996 World Cup
The biggest of all recent sporting fairy-tales. Only granted Test status in 1981, the Sri Lankans stunned everyone to win the 1996 World Cup.
Sanath Jayasuria and Ramesh Kaluwitharana pinch-hit their way in the first fifteen overs, Aravinda de Silva saved his best until the finals and Arjuna Ranatunga made his side believe. It shaped the next two decades of ODIs and short-form cricket.
So Roarers, where do these rate with your favourite sporting transformations?
Josh
Guest
That's right Chris. I am sure everybody watching it was saying "wow, where did that come from?". Awesome
Chris
Guest
First olympic moment i actually remember watching. I couldnt understand how someone in the olympics could be so far ahead that they were lapping people in a final.
Nudge
Guest
I think Australia's biggest cricketing comeback in recent times if not ever was the 2013/14 ashes whitewash, after losing 4 months earlier in England 3-0. Australia were massive underdogs going into that series, yet by lunch day 3 of the second test (admittedly England had put up the flag) you knew something would have to go horribly wrong for Australia not to win 5-0
PeterD
Guest
Greatest comeback for me was George Foreman regaining the World Heavyweight Title in his mid 40's!
PeterD
Guest
Don't worry mate SP was lost from the day he was born! Poor little lamb!
Josh
Guest
it might be a bit left of field but one of the most amazing comebacks / transformations was Keiren Perkins in the 1996 Olympics. In the lead up he was dreadful. The swimmer had form loss, illness and other outside distractions. He qualified slowest for the Final and in fact was lucky to be there. Cometh the hour, Cometh the man. He led from start to finish and won the race. We all know what a great swimmer he was, but to do that from where he was was mind boggling
Manxman
Guest
I'd have to agree with Leicester in the premier league biggest upset in last 30 years. Also Penrith 2003 premiership in NRL.
Andrew Marmont
Roar Guru
Perhaps but my point was that they resurrected their whole cricket - new coach, different culture etc - after 2013. Doesn't have to be confined to ODI's. Putting it another way - do you think Australia would have won the World Cup with Mickey Arthur at the helm?
Andrew Marmont
Roar Guru
You've lost me SP.. England are in the final aren't they after plonking New Zealand?
The Bush
Roar Guru
I was thinking the same thing, no matter how low our Test team fell at certain points in the last five or ten years, I don't remember us being anything other than a powerhouse in ODI cricket. We went out in the quarters in India, but that was against the home side who eventually won the thing. We still went into that tournament expecting to do well. We went into the 2015 tournament the number one ranked side in the world...
OJP
Guest
respectfully Andrew, I cant see how Australia (a perennial cricketing powerhouse) winning a 50 over world cup on home soil could be considered 'a comeback'. Sure, they werent terrific in losing the Ashes in 2013 and their 'away form' generally wasnt great in this period, but they have been dominant in 50 over cricket at home for ages; pretty much since the great Windies sides of the 80's and early 90's faded away.... I cant believe that many cricket followers were honestly 'surprised' that Australia won the 2015 50 over Word Cup. Certainly I wasnt.
PeterD
Guest
I think you can call it the Lazarus effect right across English or British sport in the last 16 yrs!
Brian
Guest
Leicester City 2015-16 Sri Lanka 1996 CWC Kenya 2003 CWC
SP
Guest
Or is it hyperbole Friday?
SP
Guest
"England’s walloping of New Zealand to reach the World T20 final is one of modern sports most remarkable comeback's" ha ha. April Fools
Paul D
Roar Guru
The 2005 Wests Tigers season. Remains one of the most surreal campaigns I've ever witnessed, their transformation in the second half of the year was stunning.
Will Sinclair
Roar Guru
Not convinced that England winning the Grand Slam is really a massive come back at all... Take the four best teams in the World - Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina - out of the Rugby World Cup and England would have gone a lot better. Certainly would have got out of the group, and probably would have gone close to winning it. Hardly a surprise that they proved themselves the best of a bad lot in the Six Nations.
Jake
Guest
The comeback of Oracle to win the last Americas cup was pretty impressive. Although some say it was just a massive choke by the Kiwi's.
AlanKC
Guest
One of the comenters on The Roar, I think it may have been jarijari, called England to win the T20 some weeks ago. I suspect most of us wet ourselves laughing but looking like a half decent prediction now.
Andrew Marmont
Roar Guru
Hi Honeymonster, thanks for sharing - I agree with England's Grand Slam. Shades of their cricket team - in twelve months, from knocked out of their own World Cup to winning in Europe - pretty swift change in fortunes. Another good one with Germany too.