On This Day

[GarlicJam]

[Arthur Crabtree]

As far as I can see, the evidence goes back a long way. Though they won this time.

[The Professor]

On this day in 2015 Glenn Maxwell's century led Australia to a 64 run win over Sri Lanka.

Australia, batting first, had a lot to thank Maxwell for but the early work was done by a combination of Steve Smith and Michael Clarke who got a combined total of 140. Shane Watson also contributed a quick fire 67 to take Australia to their total of 376.

It did not start brightly. Both Australia openers were out for 41 runs. This then brought together Smith and Clarke who built steadily, not wanting to give their wicket up. Boundaries were at a premium and the pair did a lot of running. As is often the case with partnerships like this, they both went within a couple of runs of each other. This gave Maxwell the stage.

Where Smith and Clarke's innings were tight on runs, Maxwell was lavish. He reached a 26 ball half century ably supported by Shane Watson. He did not slow down after that, hitting three fours in one over. He survived a tricky dropped catch and reached a 51 ball century. He and Watson had taken the total to 376.

Lahiru Thirmanne fell early in the Sri Lanka chase.

It was not all one way for Australia. Kumar Sangakkara also bagged a century, making him the first player to claim three back to back hundreds in World Cup cricket. He was aided by Tillakaratne Dilshan who got 62. Dilshan led a blessed life, however, after being dropped on 46 on his way to his half century. The pair lasted until the 16th over when Dilshan got out lbw. Mahela Jayawardene helped Sangakarra to his century which he reached off 100 balls. Sangakarra ended up caught by James Faulkner.

As Sri Lanka went on they tried to keep up the run rate but the talent of the batsmen depreciated and they ended up getting out sooner. The final nail in the coffin was the dismissal of Angelo Matthews, which left 283-5 - needing 91. Sri Lanka ended the game on 312.

[The Professor]

On this day in 2015 Bangladesh knock England out of the World Cup.

It started brightly for England with James Anderson claiming two wickets in his first two overs. However it was Mahmudullah's century that set Bangladesh up for a chasable total of 275 that Eoin Morgan's side could not reach. He started two strong partnerships with Soumya Sarkar and Mushfiqur Rahim. The first partnership was broken by Chris Jordan, in his first game of the World Cup. The new batsmen was out in the very next over leaving Bangladesh precariously on 99-4.

Mushfiqur came in and played calmly to compose himself and his team. Once composed he moved up the gears before forming his century partnership. Mahmudullah was out first which sparked a mini collapse with Stuart Broad and Jordan both bagging late wickets.

England started briskly with a half century from Ian Bell but regular strikes from the Bangladesh bowlers hampered their efforts. Moeen Ali looked comfortable but was indecisive in his running and got out. Alex Hales started well but faded away. Morgan continued his abysmal spell with a duck. A false dawn came when Jos Buttler struck a rapid fire 65 from 52 balls.

After Joe Root and James Taylor fell cheaply it was left to Jos Buttler. He raced to a 41-ball fifty before getting out. The two of the last three batsmen were out for a duck.
As far from a team effort as I can think of.

The win ensures that Bangladesh progress to the last eight.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Come friendly bombs.

[GarlicJam]

I read, feel pity, and depart knowing I can add nothing.

[Arthur Crabtree]

At last you can empathise, after Cardiff 05.

[Arthur Crabtree]

June 18th.

[The Professor]

On this day in 1985 the final of the only World Championship of Cricket was held in Melbourne. The tournament, part of the 150th anniversary of European settlement in Australia, saw all the test playing teams at that time participate in a ODI trophy.

The final was between India and Pakistan. Pakistan batted first and India's Kapil Dev began well claiming three of the first four batsmen. Pakistan were 33-4. Javed Miandad and Imran Khan then began a damage limitation job, forming a partnership of 68. Curiously though, both batsmen survived pretty nailed on shouts for being caught behind that were over turned. India's young spinner and tournament top wicket taker Laxman Sivaramakrishnan got Miandad out and then worked through the rest of the tail. At the end of their innings Pakistan were 176-9 - the first time India had not bowled a team out in the tournament.

The opening partnership of Ravi Shastri and Krishnamachari Srikkanth claimed 59% of the runs needed between them. They did not do enough to win it single handedly though - Srikkanth, who had been playing quicker got out to Imran Khan. Mohammad Azharuddin got out cheaply too but Shastri and Dilip Vengsarkar finished the job for India to claim the trophy.

[The Professor]

On this day in 2015 Kumar Sangakarra made history by being the first cricketer to make four consecutive hundreds in World Cup cricket.

It was not just Sangakarra that scored prolifically. Tillakaratne Dilshan also joined him in a partnership of 195 for the second wicket after Lahiru Thirimanne fell early for the second time in the tournament. The pair started slowly but burst into life at the half way point. They performed equally as dominatingly and ended up reaching their centuries in successive balls. Despite the huge loss, Josh Davey will have a match to remember, with three wickets, including both Dilshan and Sangakarra. This makes him the World Cup’s top wicket-taker with 14 scalps

Angelo Matthews took on the scoring mantle and raced to his fifty to further pile on the runs.

Scotland did not stand a chance against Sri Lanka's total of 363 and eventually fell 148 run short. This did not mean that there was not any individual success. Preston Mommsen and Freddie Coleman rescued the innings from 44-3 with both making half centuries - but it was too little to bother the huge scores contributed by the Sri Lankans. They both fell between the 31st and 35th over leaving Scotland 15 overs to flap in.

[The Professor]

On this day in 2015 Suresh Raina's maiden World Cup century helped overhaul Zimbabwe's total of 287 to ensure that India finished the group stage undefeated.

Zimbabwe were all out under their allocated overs and, in his final game for Zimbabwe, Brendan Taylor bagged his final century - making it back-to-back centuries for the Zimbabwean. Taylor offered stability after Zimbabwe found themselves on 13-2 after both openers fell cheaply. Taylor was ably supported by Sean Williams who reached his half century before being bowled by Ravi Ashwin.

When Williams left, Taylor took the full mantle on himself and upped a gear. Taylor got out in the 42nd over when going for a big shot, only to be caught by Shikhar Dhawan. Zimbabwe then collapsed. Within ten overs they lost their next 5 batsmen for the gain of only 52 runs.

Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav and Mohit Sharma all finished with three-fers.

India had a mini-panic of their own, when Tinashe Panyangara bowled them both out. Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli both fell cheaply too, leaving India at 92-4. Raina survived being dropped on 48 to make the Zimbabweans pay for their lax fielding with India needing another 130 runs with 15 overs remaining. MS Dhoni combined with Raina to score 85 in a decisive partnership of 196 to seal the deal for the Indians.

[The Professor]

On this day in 2015 William Porterfield century was not enough to salvage anything for Ireland as Pakistan knocked them out of the World Cup in a winner takes all clash.

Porterfield was the primary run scorer for Ireland in what was a slightly sub par total of 237.

Porterfield lost partners with startling alacrity early on. The highest one of his partners achieved was a lowly 29 from Gary Wilson. In the 39th over Porterfield fell as did Ireland's resistance. All, bar two of the tail, made double figures but couldn't push on into the twentieth. Sohail Khan and Rahat Ali both bagged two wickets a piece.

Sarfraz Ahmed and Ahmed Shehzad almost brushed this total away on their own. Pakistan reached the total for the loss of just three batsmen. Shehzad and Ahmed powered though the initial overs and hit their stride within 8 overs and by the tenth the partnership was at 50. The hundred arrived in the 19th over. Shehzad and Haris Sohail fell within two overs of each other. Sarfraz and Misbah-ul-Haq put on 82 together to help stabilise the ship.

Misbah played in his usual calm and composed fashion, until such a time as he was out hitting his own stumps for 39. After such a strong start Ahmed had hit the brakes and was now crawling his way to his century. He eventually got there in the dying embers of the innings accompanied by Umar Akmal who blocked to allow him in. It was Akmal, the list impressive batsmen, that won it with a boundary.

[from_the_stands]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/wctimeline/content/story/826939.html

[The Professor]

On this day in 1929 the last day of the Ashes series ended up in rare success for Australia.

Despite losing the whole series Australia claimed this dead rubber match by claiming the 114 runs needed. Jack Ryder was the predominant run taker on Day Five. Starting the day on 7 Ryder joined forces with Alan Kippax to lead the way to the Aussie total. Kippax did not last the distance and was run out, the only wicket to be lost that day. The English were disgruntled when Ryder was on 27 and seemed to be a foot outside of his crease when his wicket was dislodged - to everyone's surprise the umpire overturned the decision

Don Bradman and Ryder polished off the final 83 runs. However this was not without jeopardy. On 5, Bradman could have been run out but the stumps were missed. This helped Australia to avoid the whitewash but still marked the end of a torrid Summer.

[The Professor]

On this day in 2013 a tight game between South Africa and Pakistan eventually fell the way of the home team.

Pakistan were set a huge total of 343 by the South Africans and their bowlers then chipped in. South Africa started poorly at 26-2. They were scoring slowly and not retaining batsmen. Graeme Smith and Colin Ingram tried to up the tempo, failed and got out.

Hashim Amla survived an lbw appeal and went on to be one of the batsman that scored prolifically. He and AB De Villiers produced a range of shots that devastated the Pakistan bowling attack. De Villiers' century came off 87 deliveries whilst Amla's took 99 balls. The pair fell within two overs of one another, however they had hauled their team over the three hundred mark but Faf Du Plessis came in and produced a powerful innings of 45 from 28 to push South Africa above and beyond.

Mohammed Hafeez and Shahid Afridi stood up to be counted for Pakistan but they were in the minority. Kamran Akmal helped to facilitate Hafeez initially with a partnership of 82. They took Pakistan to three runs short of a 100 inside 17 overs before Akmal fell. This slowed Hafeez's run rate down. He soon got out striking out. Pakistan were 111-3.

When Afridi came in he was finding line and length perfectly. His partnership with Misbah-ul-Haq showed early promise but Misbah fell before his time. This did not deter Afridi who kicked on. Some of the boundaries he struck were catastrophic. Afridi was dropped but soon after mistimed and got caught by Ryan McClaren. Pakistan still needed 100 runs and had lost their last established batsman.

Pakistan do not give up without a fight as Wahab Riaz produced some resistance. He struck 30 out of the 38 runs in seven overs leaving Pakistan poised for a final onslaught. Ajmal fell and soon after Junaid Khan was caught and bowled by Dale Steyn for 9. Wahab broke up the final partnership leaving Pakistan all out with 2 overs to spare. South Africa won by 34 runs.