The biggest upsets in Cricket World Cup history
Kenya v West Indies 1996, Bangladesh v Pakistan 1999, England v Ireland 2011, Canada v Bangladesh 2003, India v West Indies 1983
It's going to take me some time to get over yesterday's shock defeat to Sri Lanka, a result that now means that England's place in the semi-finals of the tournament that they were favourites to win is by no means assured. 3 massive games await the hosts, starting with the old enemy Australia on Tuesday. Win that and all will be forgiven but lose and the wheels might really fall off not just the World Cup campaign but England's Ashes series that starts directly afterwards.
As a form of solace here are 5 of the biggest upsets from previous World Cups
Kenya beat The West Indies World Cup 1996
The great West Indies team that had dominated the sport in 1970s and 80s had been on the decline for some years prior to this result but it's worth noting that this team still bosted some players who will go down in the history books as the best of the best, including Brian Lara, Courtney Walsh and Curtley Ambrose.
Kenya did well to recover from 81-6 to post a respectable 166 against a West Indies team lead by 4 genuine quick bowlers. However, on a slow turning pitch at Pune, pace was not such a key factor and instead it was the accurate medium pace and slow bowling of Kenya that had the West Indies tied in knots. Rajab Ali started the rot with an accurate spell of opening bowling that accounted for West Indies skipper Richie Richardson and Brian Lara. Thereafter captain Maurice Odumbe's part-time off-spin stifled the West Indies middle order and panic set in culminating in 2 run-outs. Only 2 West Indies batsmen managed double figures as the 2 times winners were turned over for just 96 runs by a group of part-timers.
Bangladesh beat Pakistan World Cup 1999
20 years later and on present form this result wouldn't be much of a shock but back in the late 90s Bangladesh were just trying to get a foothold in international cricket. They had never beaten a Test playing nation in any form of the game and on most occasions they had been blown away without putting up much of a fight. Coming into this match against a Pakistani bowling attack that included Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis and Shoaib Akhtar few gave them much chance of seeing out their 50overs in this fixture let alone getting a positive result.
However, the Bangladesh openers weathered the storm and managed to blunt the Pakistani new ball attack with Mehrab Hossain playing an innings that would have been considered slow by Test Match standards (79mins, 42balls, 9 runs, S/R 21.42). The other top 8 batsmen all contributed double figures as Bangladesh worked their way to a semi-competitive score of 223-9.
Therafter, opening bolwer Kahleed Mahmud bowling little more than dibbly dobblies in comparison to the thunderbolts delivered by the Shoaib and co. ran through a Pakistan top-order that included the likes of Shahid Afridi, Inzaman Ul-Haq and Shoaib Malik to leave them 42-5. The lower order of Pakistan fought back but Bangladesh kept chipping away aided by some horror show decision making from Pakistan who contributed 3 run-outs to their own downfall.
Ireland beat England World Cup 2011
Beyond being a major upset this game is arguably one of the greatest matches ever played in the World Cup and only serves to lend support to those who argue that more "developing" cricket nations should have been included in the current tournament.
England's top order packed with Test Match quality batsmen including Kevin Pietersen, Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell lead them to a commanding total of 327 albeit that a late flurry of wickets restricted that total from being closer to 350. No problem, we all thought, the Irish will never chase that many anyway! That opinion seemed to be further justified when James Anderson removed Irish captain Will Porterfield with the very first ball of Ireland's reply and England continued to chip away to leave Ireland 111-5 at the half way point.
In strides Kevin O'Brien with his side needing to score at over 8 an over and with only 5 wickets in hand, the big all-rounder unleased one the most devasting displays of hitting that the tournament has ever seen scoring 113 from just 68 balls. He was ably supported by John Mooney and Alex Cusack whose contributions helped Ireland to a 3 wicket victory in the last over with the former uttering the now immortalised line
"I don't care if we never win another f****n match in our lives as long as we beat these bastards!"
The run chase that Ireland completed remains to this day a record in the World Cup.
Canada beat Bangladesh 2003 World Cup
When you look at the previous example of an upset between Ireland and England at least you can identify most of the Irish cricketers as full-time professionals, many of whom played domestic first-class cricket in England. This example of an upset from 2003 saw Test playing nation Bangladesh come undone against a team of semi-pros most who played cricket in their spare time. Those football fans familiar with the early rounds of the English FA Cup would have been used to the way the Canadian team sheet was read out with the obligatory taxi driver and accountant in the starting 11. However, it was a 24-year-old Jamaican born plumber who really stole the show for Canada.
Having made 180 in their innings, Canada could at least hold their heads high and with Bangladesh 106-4 that appeared to be the best that the North Americans could hope for in this match. However, Austin Codrington had other ideas and in seaming conditions, he delivered a spell of bowling that would forever remain in the annals of Candian cricketing history, if such a document were to exist!
Bangladesh lost their final 6 wickets in the space of just 43 balls to crumble to 120 all out with Codrington recording figures of 5-27. Those 5 wickets accounted for half of Codrington's career tally of 10 ODI wickets but just think, there will be many residents of Toronto who unknowing to them have had their cistern fixed by a cricket World Cup hero!
India beat West Indies World Cup 1983
While some might say that any team that reaches a World Cup final as India did in 1983 must be pretty good, it is worth remembering just how awesome this West Indies side were. They had already won the first 2 tournaments in 1975 and 1979 both also played in England and with a team that included 3 or 4 players who would rightfully be considered in anyone's all-time XI it seemed destined that they would make it 3 in a row.
When India were dismissed for a rather paltry 183 it looked likely that the result would go to script. However, India weren't about to roll over so easily and buoyed by the fact that they had already bowled this West Indian side out in the group stages they set about putting together one of the most complete bowling and fielding performances that a World Cup final has ever seen. Right-arm seamer Madan Lal did the damage at the top of the order by claiming the wickets of Haynes, Gomes and the prize scalp of Viv Richards. The West Indies were bundled out for 140 and to date, they have never come close to winning a World Cup again. As for India, they would go on to become a cricketing superpower and are now one of the favourites to add a third title to their collection.
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