Shaheen Shah Afridi vs Bangladesh (2019): It takes some skill to outbowl Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz on the biggest stage at Lord’s, that too at just 19. By picking six wickets for 35 runs against Bangladesh, Pakistan’s Afridi became the youngest to grab a five-for or more in World Cup cricket. Combining his natural pace and swing with a series of devastating yorkers, Afridi proved unplayable on the day, as Bangladesh were skittled out for 221 in pursuit of 316. The pick of Afridi’s deliveries was the one that got rid of Tamim Iqbal, a ball that straightened with the angle before darting in at the last moment to clip the leg-stump bail
Mitchell Starc vs New Zealand (2015): In one of the World Cup’s greatest games, Starc, the top wicket-taker in 2019 and 2015, produced his finest showing so far. Chasing a mere 152 in Auckland, New Zealand had raced to 79 for two in eight overs. Then, Starc got rid of Ross Taylor and Grant Elliot in consecutive balls, sending both their stumps crashing. Three more wickets from Starc almost took Australia home, but it was the perseverance of Kane Williamson that triumphed on the day, as the Kiwis hobbled to victory with a single wicket in hand
Tim Southee vs England (2015): Only the fourth player to grab seven wickets in a World Cup match, Southee was at his phenomenal best against England. Most of his dismissals felt like classic Test match scalps, and at one stage he was even bowling with four slips and a gully in place. Batting first in Wellington, the Southee storm reduced England to just 123, with both openers, Ian Bell and Moeen Ali, getting scorchers. The best, though, was saved for Chris Woakes, in the form of a typical Southee outswinger that beat the Englishman all ends up
Muttiah Muralitharan vs New Zealand (2007): Not always at his bewitching best in World Cups, the most prolific wicket-taker in the game turned on the style against the Black Caps in the first semi-final of the 2007 edition in Kingston. Buoyed by a century from Mahela Jayawardene, Sri Lanka set New Zealand a steep target of 290. After a sketchy start, Peter Fulton and Jacob Oram were consolidating for the Kiwis when Murali sent Oram and Brendon McCullum packing inside two balls. The match was as good as over, but the spin wizard added the wickets of Daniel Vettori and Shane Bond to his kitty to finish with four for 31
Lasith Malinga vs South Africa (2007): Only four runs were required for South Africa to complete a regulation win over Sri Lanka at Georgetown’s Providence Stadium. But Malinga had other ideas. First, he deceived Shaun Pollock with a slow yorker. Second, Andrew Hall held out to Upul Tharanga at cover. Third, Malinga got a set Jacques Kallis to nick a full ball outside the off-stump into the safe gloves of Kumar Sangakkara. Fourth, Makhaya Ntini was castled by another trademark Malinga yorker. Four wickets in four balls from Malinga had almost given Sri Lanka a miraculous victory, but South Africa eked out the remaining runs with their last pair to get over the line
Andy Bichel vs England (2003): Bichel’s finest hour for Australia came against archrivals England in a match that he would not have played had Jason Gillespie been fit. Grabbing his opportunity with both hands, Bichel broke a dangerous opening stand between Marcus Trescothick and Nick Knight, before eliminating six of the next seven English batters. The highlights of Bichel’s seven for 20 were his exquisite late outswingers, which had Michael Vaughan and Nasser Hussain caught on the crease
Ashish Nehra vs England (2003): In the same city of Durban where Yuvraj Singh was to smash England for six sixes four years later, Nehra plundered six English wickets in spite of bowling with a swollen ankle. Chasing 251, England were never in the hunt after Nehra got Hussain and Alec Stewart in the same over, before adding four more scalps to produce his career-best figures. Nehra’s swing, seam and speed meant that four of his six wickets were good, old caught-behind dismissals
Shane Warne vs Pakistan (1999): Following on from his stellar display against South Africa in the semis, Warne bamboozled Pakistan in the 1999 final, claiming four wickets for 33 runs to be adjudged man of the match. Coming into bowl at Lord’s with Pakistan in a spot of bother, Warne unleashed a peach to get Ijaz Ahmed bowled, before polishing off Moin Khan, Shahid Afridi and Wasim Akram to limit Pakistan to 132. Coming out in response, Australia’s batters did their bit to seal the first of three consecutive titles for the World Cup’s most successful team
Wasim Akram vs England (1992): Two balls, one after another, in the 35th over of England’s 250-run chase in Melbourne are all it took for Akram to go down in World Cup folklore. The first of the two came in with the left-armer’s around the wicket angle before swinging away and leaving Allan Lamb, his stumps and the rest of the world in shock. The very next ball kept coming in until Chris Lewis found his timber disturbed. Akram, who had earlier dismissed Ian Botham for a duck and hammered a quick-fire 33 with the bat, was deservedly named player of the match as Pakistan clinched their first World Cup trophy
Mohinder Amarnath vs West Indies (1983): It may not have been the most spectacular spell by an Indian at the World Cup, but it was arguably the most important. With Jeff Dujon and Malcolm Marshall chipping away at the 184 set by India at Lord’s in the 1983 final, it was Amarnath who once again emerged as India’s hero when it mattered most. Having trapped Dujon on the pads, Amarnath got Marshall caught by Sunil Gavaskar, before getting another leg-before, this time of Michael Holding, that sent an entire nation into ecstasy
