The Greatest World Cup Performances

Nehra goes bananas, and Super Cat wins the World Cup

Nehra goes bananas, World Cup 2003

Ashish Nehra: a lesson in the art of seam bowling © Getty Images

Having endured a seriously swollen ankle for two days, it was a surprise that Ashish Nehra even turned up for the crucial India-England clash at Durban. India were defending 250, a total that was competitive but not necessarily matchwinning under the Kingsmead lights.

India's new-ball bowlers, Zaheer Khan and Javagal Srinath, had done the early damage, reducing England to 28 for 2 after 12 overs, when Nehra was introduced. What followed was a lesson in the art of seam bowling, angling in from over the wicket and keeping it in the narrow straight just outside off.

Nehra, who bowled his ten overs straight through, ended with dream figures of 6 for 23, the best analysis by an Indian in World Cup history, and - until Glenn McGrath routed the Namibians a few days later - the best by anyone in a World Cup match outside the seamers' paradise of Headingley.

Sourav Ganguly, his captain, was emphatic in his verdict: "He's had a swollen ankle for two days and it was sheer determination that made him play. He bowled a fantastic line. It's one of the best performances in a one-day international that I have seen since I started playing for India."

Alec Stewart, who was nailed lbw first-ball, was the only batsmen who wasn't dismissed in the slip cordon. Of the nine balls that Nehra pitched on middle stump, according to Wisden's stats, three resulted in wickets. His length was exemplary - just one delivery was dropped short, and only five in all were overpitched. The rest were on or back of a good length, and each of them was too good for England's tentative batsmen.

And Nehra's celebration: throwing up on the side of the pitch and barfing a banana for comfort. Some Indian bowler may do better in a World Cup but you can be rest assured that nobody will better the celebration.
Siddhartha Vaidyanathan

Clive Lloyd ushers fans off the field on his way to a brilliant hundred © Cricinfo

Super Cat mauls Australia, World Cup 1975
The first World Cup final was played out in front of a packed Lord's in glorious June sunshine and featured the two best sides in the world. West Indies were the favourites on the back of their emphatic defeat of Australia at The Oval seven days before, but both sides possessed an array of batting talent and Australia had an awesome pace attack.

Greg Chappell won the toss and stuck West Indies in and the move paid off as they slid to 50 for 3. Then, Clive Lloyd loped out to join Rohan Kanhai. What followed was absolutely riveting as Lloyd took the attack to Australia's fast bowlers with elegant brutality.

Lloyd had barely settled when Chappell brought Dennis Lillee back on at the Nursery End, but in his first over he clipped Lillee off his toes through midwicket, and when Lillee responded with a bouncer Lloyd pounced and eased the ball over backward square leg into the top tier of the Tavern Stand. It was as a clear a signal of intent as anyone could have asked for and it sent the large West Indian contingent into raptures.

Lloyd had one let-off. He had made 26 when he looked to swing a short ball from Lillee over the leg side, mistiming it as his top hand slipped off the handle, but Ross Edwards at midwicket failed to grasp the low catch.

It was carnage thereafter. The 50 stand came up off 49 balls with Kanhai's contribution being 6. Max Walker, whose first seven overs had only yielded 22 runs, came back and Lloyd launched a perfectly decent first ball high back over his head for a one-bounce four which clattered the pavilion rails. It brought up his 50 in 59 minutes. Walker's next five overs went for 49, including a sweetly timed and seemingly effortless swish from Lloyd high into the grandstand to bring up the 100 partnership in 89 minutes.

Lloyd's hundred came in typical style with a flashing cover drive to the man on the boundary (a sweeper more than two decades before the position became accepted). His runs came in 100 minutes off 82 balls in a stand of 140 runs with Kanhai.

The end, which followed the same over, was low key, given out caught down the leg side by Rod Marsh after a long deliberation between the umpires. It was a unsatisfactory conclusion - he seemed to have missed the ball by some way - and the boos that rang out were almost in frustration at the cutting off of such a masterclass. As Lloyd headed off they soon gave way to thunderous applause.

"It was wonderful," Lloyd recalled."The ball came off the middle from the first ball and, as sometimes happens, I suspected it was going to be my day."
Martin Williamson

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Matches

England v India at Durban

Australia v West Indies at Lord's

Players/Umpires

Clive Lloyd

Ashish Nehra