Specials – Associate nations at the World Cup, Part 1

Thanks to the International Cricket Council’s retrograde decision to reduce the number of the teams at the World Cup, the 12th edition of the showpiece event, set to begin in England on May 30, will feature only ten teams – the least number of teams since the 1992 edition. More tellingly, it will […]

Specials – Best of the 1999 World Cup, Part 1

With the 2019 World Cup almost upon us, it is great time to rewind to two decades back, when England last hosted the showpiece event. Besides featuring some riveting contests and quality performances, the 1999 World Cup, played primarily in England with a few fixtures in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the Netherlands, was also […]

Specials – When Namibia held their own against England

Namibia played their first ODI in more than 16 years when they squared off against Oman in the final of the ICC World Cricket League Division Two at Windhoek’s Wanderers Cricket Ground on April 27. It was also the first instance of an ODI being played on Namibian soil, and the hosts made it […]

Specials – Australia’s one-match ODI grounds

The arrival of Perth’s Optus Stadium on the international scene in January 2018 increased the total number of men’s ODI grounds in Australia to 19. Of these, as many as seven grounds have ended up hosting just a solitary ODI each. Here is a look back at these forgotten venues’ trysts with the international […]

Record Book – Scotland’s first ODI appearance

In 1992, Scotland broke away from the Test and County Cricket Board (TCCB), thus creating their own cricketing identity separate from England. They gained Associate membership of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 1994, making them eligible to play in the ICC Trophy, as the World Cup Qualifier was then known. Scotland’s first appearance […]

Record Book – Bowlers with two World Cup five-wicket hauls

Former Sri Lankan pace bowler Ashantha de Mel, who turned 59 yesterday, is one of only five bowlers to take two five-wicket hauls at the World Cup. So far, in 11 editions of the World Cup, there have been 54 five-wicket hauls by 49 bowlers. Here is a look at the list of bowlers […]

Record Book – The first ODI on Irish soil

The first men’s Test to be played in Ireland is almost upon us, as the hosts gear up to take on Pakistan at Malahide from Friday. This momentous occasion comes a good 19 years after the first men’s ODI in Ireland, which in turn was played four years after the first women’s ODI on […]

Record Book – The Netherlands’ first ODI victory

The Netherlands are on the upswing again, not only regaining their ODI status they lost in 2013-14, but also winning the ICC World Cricket League Championship to seal their spot in the 13-team ODI league slated to begin in 2020. This well-deserved triumph was confirmed when the Dutch secured a convincing eight-wicket win over […]

Specials – Recalling the best of the 2007 World Cup

It has been ten years since the ninth edition of the Cricket World Cup, which began in the Caribbean on 13th March, 2007 and featured a record 16 teams. The tournament drew considerable flak from many quarters for its long-drawn format and overpriced tickets, not to mention the embarrassing gaffe by the umpires in […]

Specials – When a bunch of amateurs nearly capsized the table-toppers

Ten years ago, a motley crew of amateurs from the Emerald Isle embarked upon a life-changing expedition to the Caribbean. They had among their ranks a teacher, an electrician, a postman, a fabric salesman and a handyman. Little did they know that over the next month and half, they were to become the new […]