We’re three weeks into cricket’s most important tournament, and today we look back at five of the best centuries scored by Australians in World Cups.
5. Adam Gilchrist – 149 vs Sri Lanka (2007)
Who can forget this innings? One of the most destructive knocks ever played in a World Cup, let alone a World Cup final.
This innings by one of the most destructive batsmen of all time effectively won the tournament for Australia.
This effort could have been ranked higher but only for the fact that it came against a relatively weak team. People might wonder how that can be said about a side that reached the final, but the Australian team of that era made all their opponents look much weaker.
Adam Gilchrist flayed the Sri Lankans in 2007. (Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images)
4. Ricky Ponting – 140 vs India (2003)
Coming into the final, both teams were high on confidence. Australia won all their matches and India won all theirs except the group match against the Aussies.
The openers had given Australia a good start before Harbhajan Singh brought India back into the game.
However, Ponting had other plans. He single-handedly demolished the Indian bowling, hitting a record 8 sixes along the way to put his team firmly in the driver’s seat.
3. Mark Waugh – 110 vs New Zealand (1996)
Some people might be surprised to see this innings ranked higher than the earlier two, which came in finals.
However, Mark Waugh’s ton in the 1996 quarter-finals was a tougher one as it came in a successful run chase.
NZ had posted a formidable 280-plus total, which was huge for those times. A special innings was required to overhaul it. And in came Waugh, who played an elegant gem of a knock.
2. Ricky Ponting – 102 vs West Indies (1996)
At No.2 again we have a Ponting special.
Ponting walked in wearing a cap, which in itself would have been enough to incense the great West Indian fast bowlers. But a young Ponting was making a statement.
It was a fine knock against a strong attack. And for the sheer courage, it has to rank amongst the best tons ever.
1. Steve Waugh – 120 vs South Africa (1999)
Ask anyone to name the best ton played in World Cups by an Aussie and it wouldn’t be a surprise if most name this Steve Waugh performance.
It was a do-or-die game for Australia. South Africa had posted 272 and Australia were tottering at 3/48 in reply. And in walked Waugh.
Midway through the innings he was dropped by Herschelle Gibbs, an incident immortalised by the ‘You’ve just dropped the World Cup’ sledge by Waugh.
That line showed how supremely confident Waugh was of winning the tournament even when his team was in dire straits. This innings set Australia on course to be the most dominant team for the next decade.
Peter Warrington
Guest
the Ashes were the afterthought not sure the relevance of his test form to his scoring of the first ODI ton for Australia?
Tigerbill44
Roar Guru
Trevor Chappell scored 1110 off 131 deliveries against India at Trent Bridge in 1983 to lead Aus to their first victory in the 1983 WC after two successive defeats. He was opening the innings because Wood had hurt himself facing Holding in the previous match. Interestingly in his short ODI career of just 20 matches and 13 innings he crossed the 20 mark only on one other occasion.
Tigerbill44
Roar Guru
Tuner's ton came against SL still an associate member in 1975. Also, for most cricket lovers the first wc was a kind of a nice experiment. Certainly the biggest cricketing event of the summer was the Ashes series and Turner failed in that series.
Peter Warrington
Guest
no love for Allan Turner?
Neel
Roar Guru
Another great ton, and it was a recent one, was the one Steve Smith played against India in the last World Cup. That knock was one reason why Australia ended up winning that game and it was vital to Australia winning their 5th World Cup title.
Neel
Roar Guru
That knock was amazing and a career saving knock. That too on the biggest stage in cricket against a top quality pace attack and with the team in absolute dire straits. That match and the ones against England and New Zealand were the defining matches of the tournament for the Aussies in 2003.
Lawrence
Roar Rookie
Matt Hayden 101 off 68 balls against Pollock/Ntini etc at St Kitts 2007. That innings made a big statement for the rest team.
JM
Guest
Yep, this is the one that came to mind for me.
Paul
Roar Guru
this current side would kill to have a bloke like Roy available and in form to bat 6, Gee. Great call on that innings too.
Gee
Roar Rookie
Andrew Symonds vs Pakistan in 2003 was a ripper one also. A flake coming in to face Akram, Waqar, Aktar & co after a collapse in an injury hit team. End of innings he is 143* and Waqar Younis is sitting in the dressing room because the only thing he could think of to remove him is to beam him. Roy = Legend.