Cricket is a game which has been played for so long and it is widely enjoyed all over the world. Fans love to watch cricket matches live as well as the old matches. There have many historic matches that have left a lasting impact on cricket history. Some of the finals and semifinals are the best cricket match of all time. While some test or ODI matches are the greatest matches ever played in the game of cricket. All these matches are still etched in cricket enthusiasts and they love to go back to match scorecards.
In this blog, we have mentioned the top 5 best cricket matches of all time. Take a look at them!
List Of 5 Best Cricket Matches of All Time
1.1986 Austral-Asia Cup Finals- India vs Pakistan
This is one of the best cricket matches of all time. This Finals between the iconic opposition team India vs Pakistan has been a timeless match. Since then there have been many matches between these two teams but this match is forever in our memories. The thrilling match started when Pakistan won the toss and they chose to field first. India put up the target of 245 runs for which Kris Srikanth scored 75 runs, Sunil Gavaskar scored 92 runs and Dilip Vengsarkar 50. All was well until Pakistan fell short of wickets to chase. But there was the twist and one player who stood till the end to chase was Javed Miandad. His 116 runs helped Pakistan to chase the game and win. What was more iconic was that he hit the six on the last ball to get the target. This movement was extraordinary in itself and the final match was a perfect thrill for fans. Javed Miandad was awarded as the player of the match for his heroic stints in the match.
2. 1981 Headingley Test – England vs Australia
This Headingley 3rd test was one of the greatest matches of all time. The match was super thrilling and both teams showed their competitive spirit on the field. Australia won the toss and decided to bat first. They set a huge target of 401 runs for England to chase. England batted poorly and they were all out at 174 runs with only Ian Botham half century being the highest score. Next, England were asked to continue batting for another innings. Here again, the hero of the match was Ian Botham and he scored a brilliant unbeaten 149 runs to help his team set a decent score of 356 runs. Now it was the time for the Aussies to chase the target of 130 runs. It was looking very sublime for them to chase this small target. However, Bob Willis had other plans, and his extraordinary spell of 43/8 made the Aussies lose the match by 18 runs. Another heroic performance from the match was Ian Botham who contributed from both bat and ball. He took wickets and scored a total of 199 runs in both innings. The Player of the Match award was given to none other than Ian Botham from England.
3. 2015 ODI World Cup 1st Semi-Final- New Zealand vs South Africa
This match was one of the greatest matches of all time in cricket. Since it was the first time for the Proteas and Kiwis to have the chance to play in the finals of the 2015 ICC World Cup they gave everything in the match. This Semifinal was absolutely an excellent display of cricket. South Africa won the toss and they chose to bat first. Their batting lineup performed great on the field and finished their innings with a great total of 281/5. New Zealand started the chase with both their openers scoring runs. They batted excellently with Grant Elliott’s great innings of 84* runs marking the difference in the chase. Grant was awarded the Man of the Match award. Although, New Zealand won the match with 4 wickets. But both the teams displayed amazing spirit to win the game and mark their spot in the 2015 ICC World Cup finals.
4. The Ashes, 2nd Test, Edgbaston (2005)- Australia vs. England
The Ashes Test series of 2005 was one of the best cricket matches of all time. The match kept the fans on edge for the entire five-day-long 2nd test match between Australia and England. This test match was a roller coaster ride for cricket enthusiasts as it kept wins deflecting on both teams. Both the teams were competing fiercely and it ended up a thriller contest. Australia won the toss and they decided to field first. England batted aggressively and scored 407 runs. Australia came with the positive intention to chase this target, however, they ended up with 308 runs with England taking the lead of 100 runs. The second innings score was 182 runs by England. Hence, the target for Australia was 282 runs to chase. It was the last innings of this great match and Australia started very well with the chase. It was looking like they would win the match. But after all the thrills and England’s bowler’s hard work. Australia lost the match with just 2 runs. Andrew Flintoff won the Man of the Match award for his excellent contribution with bat and ball in the England team.
5. 2019 ODI World Cup Final – England vs New Zealand
This 2019 ODI World Cup Final was one of the best cricket matches of all time as it was the most thrilling match ever in cricket history. It was held on 14 July 2019 at Lord’s Cricket Ground. This iconic final was between England and New Zealand. The toss was won by NZ and they chose to bat first. Henry Nicholls scored 55 runs, Tom Latham scored 47 runs and other batsmen of NZ got out by scoring only a few runs. England restricted New Zealand to 241 targets with their bowlers Chris Woakes and Liam Plunket taking 3 wickets each. England started chasing the target with Ben Stokes scoring 84 runs not out, and Jos Buttler’s 59 runs and they chased the target. The match was thrilling at that time as it was time for Powerplay. It was the most exciting and thrilling turn for finals. England batted the Super Over first innings and they scored 15 runs. Next, NZ chased the target of 15 easily with one wicket down. It was again the tie between the final teams. Hence, the winning team was decided based on the rule of boundary count. England’s boundary count was 24 whereas New Zealand’s was 17. Therefore England won the finals of the 2019 ICC World Cup after all the drama. The player of the match award was given to Ben Stokes, player of the winning team.
Conclusion
All these 5 best cricket matches of all time are still iconic and memorable matches in cricket history. They have given some iconic moments, performances, and victories to all the cricket enthusiasts in the world. We hope to see more such great matches in the future that will be forever etched in cricket history.
FAQ
What is The Best Cricket Match in History?
1986 Austral-Asia Cup finals- India vs Pakistan is the best cricket match in history.
What is The Greatest Match in ODI History?
The match between Australia and South Africa which was the 5th ODI in 2005-06 is considered the greatest match in ODI history. Here Australia scored a 434/4 target and South Africa won by chasing it with 438/9 runs. The score of South Africa is the sixth-highest score by a team in cricket history.
Which is The Most Viewed Match in The Cricket History List?
India vs Sri Lanka in the ICC Cricket World Cup final in 2011 is the most viewed match in the cricket history list. It recorded 55.8 crore views.
Which is The Best Cricket Match in India?
The historic win of the 1983 ICC World Cup Finals is the best cricket match in India.
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