Close on the heels of an insipid World Series Cup campaign in Australia in 1988-89, where they failed to reach the finals after having won only two out of eight league games, Pakistan hopped across the Tasman Sea for a full tour of New Zealand. After warming up against a National Second XI in a […]
Read More Who Would Have Thought It – Auckland rout Pakistan for 48The English summer of 1994 was a significant one in the history of the game, as it saw the first tour by a South African team since 1965. Led by former Australian international Kepler Wessels, South Africa began their Test series in rousing fashion, trouncing the hosts by 356 runs at Lord’s. Wessels himself […]
Read More Who Would Have Thought It – When the Dutch walloped South AfricaThe 2007-08 Intercontinental Cup was one of Namibia’s most successful ICC tournaments. Despite being one of the two teams without ODI status in the eight-team competition, Namibia finished only one point behind leaders Ireland in the league table – not losing a single game – before going down by nine wickets in the final. […]
Read More Who Would Have Thought It – Gerrie Snyman’s Sharjah stunnerAs far as bizarre limited-overs contests go, there have not been many to rival the second semifinal of the 1976-77 Gillette Cup, Australia’s 40-over (eight-ball) domestic competition. This gripping duel was played out on 12th December, 1976, between Western Australia and defending champions Queensland at the Western Australian Cricket Association (WACA) Ground in Perth. […]
Read More Who Would Have Thought It – A wonder at the WACAThe olden days of first-class cricket in England were replete with intriguing and bizarre fixtures, such as One-Legged XI v One-Armed XI, Smokers v Non-Smokers and Over 38 v Under 38, to name a few. Among these off-beat encounters were seven matches titled Married v Single, contested between – as the name suggests – […]
Read More Who Would Have Thought It – Married v Single at Lord’sIreland may have set a target to become a Test team by 2020, but the fact is that the country has already been represented in official Test cricket quite a few years ago. Moreover, not only have Ireland played Test cricket, but they also boast of a 100% winning record. The match in […]
Read More Who Would Have Thought It – Ireland’s first and only Test matchFootballing giants France and Germany played out the latest round of their long-standing rivalry in the semifinal of the UEFA Euro Championship last week, with hosts France securing a 2-0 win to make the final. Be it France’s 6-3 win in the 1958 World Cup or the thrilling penalty shootout in the semifinal […]
Read More Who Would Have Thought It – Revisiting a Franco-German cliffhangerAs many as 16 teams took part in the 1986 ICC Trophy in England, vying for the single spot available for non-Test nations in the 1987 World Cup. It was Zimbabwe who ultimately made it, defeating the Netherlands in the final to qualify for their second successive World Cup. The tournament featured plenty […]
Read More Who Would Have Thought It – The day the Barramundis ran amokOne of the most intriguing matches in South Africa’s first-class cricket history was played across two calendar years in the 1925-26 Currie Cup. Orange Free State hosted Western Province in the sixth match of the season from December 31, 1925 to January 2, 1926 at the Ramblers Cricket Club Ground in Bloemfontein. […]
Read More Who Would Have Thought It – Last wicket exploits floor Western Province twice overOn 23rd July, 2000, Sajjida Shah of Pakistan Women became the youngest cricketer to feature in an international match. At the bewildering age of 12 years and 171 days, the off-spinning all-rounder took the field against Ireland Women at Dublin to break the record held by Gargi Banerji, who was 14 years and 165 […]
Read More Who Would Have Thought It – A 15-year-old spinner’s sensational record
