The English invented the Gentleman’s game of cricket. It took them 44 years to win their maiden trophy. They have lost in the finals three times. They won the cup in 2019 after a close finish.
1. The 2019 Finals
This match is probably the most thrilling match to have ever taken place. The winnerwasn decided until the very last ball. New chose to bat first and put 241 runs on theboard. England started to lose wickets early, and Ben Stokes was the only hope untilhe was run out, equalling the score. A super over was bowled. Again the scoreswere tied at 15 when Martin Guptill was run out on the last ball. England wasdeclared the winners because they scored a boundary more than the Kiwis. The decision seemed unfair. Stokes was the player of the match for his brave 84(98).
2. 1979 Semi-final Against Nz
England and New Zealand have had many historic matches in the world cup. Theseteams were pitched against eachother. England was victorious because of GrahamGooch’s quick 71 runs off 82 balls. The bowling departmentwas spearheaded by Mike Hendrick, who scalped three wickets.
3. 2019 Semi-final Against Aus
This match was a feast for cricket fans as it was the ODI equivalent of an Ashes fixture. Two arch rivals competed for a spot in the final against New Zealand .Australia’s batting lineup crumbled quite shockingly. Chris Woakes and Adil Rashid picked three wickets each, restricting them to 223 runs. Steve Smith was the only batsman who scored big runs. Jason Roy’s 85 and Joe Root’s 49 took their team to an easy win.
4. 1987 Semi-final Against India
The home of cricket was still looking forward to winning its maiden title. In 1987England had to face the defending champions, India, in the Semi-Final. GrahamGooch scored a mammoth 115 runs off 136 balls. He was also declared the player ofthe match. Every time an Indian batsman started to stitch partnerships, it was EddieHemmings who picked the wicket. He had a four-wicket haul that night. England scored 254 runs and won the match by 34 runs.
5. 1987 Final Against Aus
This was the first time a World cup final was brought down to the wire. England lostthe match by seven runs, but irrelevant to the outcome, this was a memorable match. Captain Mike Gatting, Bill Athey, and Allan Reach tried to achieve the score, but Australia was slightly better than them that night. England’s score was 246 runs for the fall of eight wickets, and they were short of overs.
6. 2019 Group Stage Match Against Afghanistan
England scored their highest innings total in this game against Afghanistan. They scored a massive sum of 397 runs. Eoin Morgan smashed 148 runs in just 71 balls. Johnny Bairstow added his 90 off 99. Joe Root also scored big that night with his quick 88 runs. Afghanistan could only score 247 runs at the end of 50 overs.
7. 2011 Group Stage Match Against India
This match had a rare outcome in the world cup matches. However, India put up a respectable total. England chased it down and equaled it in the last ball. No super over was bowled. Both the teams scored 338 runs. Andrew Strauss was awarded the man-of-the-match trophy for his 158 runs from 138 balls.
8. 2007 Group Stage Match Against West Indies
It was the final fixture of the super eight matches in 2007. Michael Vaughan won thetoss and chose to field first. The West Indies scored a total of 300 runs. England’sgolden boy Kevin Pietersen was the hero scoring 100 runs. He kept partnerships going and gave hope to their side. Vaughan had also scored a crucial 79 runs.
9. 1992 Semi Finals Against South Africa
This match was not entirely England’s win. South Africa had returned to cricket aftera hiatus and came back in good form. The proteas chose to field first. England hadput up a decent score of 252 runs for six wickets when the rain had delayed andhalted the match. Graeme Hick 83(90), and Alec Stewart 33(54) were the major run contributors. Rain played spoilsport in the protean innings as well. DLS was appliedand they were required to score 22 runs off oneball. Hence, England won the match.One might never know what the outcome would have been if the rain hadn’t disrupted play.
10. 2019 Group Stage Match Against Bangladesh
2019 was an excellent year for the England cricket team. They won most of theirgames in the group stage of the tournament. They had an easy win against a strongteam, Bangladesh. That night belonged to Jason Roy for scoring 153 runs off 122balls. He was declared the player of the match. Showing his flamboyant yet crackingshots, Jos Buttler and Bairstow kept the scoreboard ticking with their half-centuries.Bangladesh was bowled out for 280 runs with Jofra Archer and Ben Stokes picking three wickets each.
