Part 5 - Top Moments Of CWC15

This one comes from another cliff hanger at the Eden Park, Auckland.
The #CWC15 final clearly belonged to Australia and #MitchellStarc.
This game also belonged to them ... well almost!

Game started on a normal note, with Australia winning the toss and electing to bat. After a stormy start, Finch was bowled by Southee. Warner and Smith continued in similar vein before Kiwi skipper Brendon McCullum brought in the old Dan "the man" Vettori in to bowl.

His magic spell not just slowed down the run rate, but captured two crucial wickets of Warner (caught in the deep) and Smith (caught behind) to pull things back significantly for New Zealand.

Then began the "Lightining" Boult show. 
He just came, saw and conquered the Aussies in an exhibition of awesome swing bowling claiming 5 wickets for almost nothing. For 78 for 1, Australia crumbled to 108 for 8.

Some late inning heroics by Brad Haddin ensured Australia closed their innings at 150 all out. Paltry score considering their batting lineup and start they received.

Cake walk, you'd think for New Zealand?
McCullum starts in own belligerent style but Australia strike exactly like the Kiwis and put them under a lot of pressure. At 135 for 7 and 146 for 8 and 9 (Mitchell Starc's extra ordinary death bowling spell) Australia look all set to upset the Kiwis.

Trent Boult survives a hattrick ball and its all come down to #KaneWilliamson to see how he can farm strike and chase the remaining 6 runs.

Pat Cummins the bowler, Williamson on strike, in-out field to save twos and boundaries. Williamson goes for it ... and bang ... six over long on does it.

Extraordinary scenes at Eden Park, Kiwis rejoice, Australia stunned but hold their head high. They made 150 look like Mt. Everest and almost pulled it off until Kane hit that winning shot.

Glorius moments from Eden!
Cricket, winner all the way...

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Part 4 - Top Moments Of The World Cup

From the giants dominating key encounters and moments in cricket matches throughout #CWC15, the minnows weren't going to just fill up the numbers. They were here to compete and showcase their talent and how well they did! Afghanistan's stunning win over Scotland, Ireland's daredevil run in the Pool stages to defeat West Indies and run the other biggies close while Zimbabwe's wonderfully spirited display all throughout got everyone's attention.

However, it was Bangladesh that won every heart when they beat England to knock them out of the cup and enter the knockout stages for the first time in a World Cup ever! They really looked like a team on a mission to achieve the unthinkable that day.

Winning the toss and electing to bat, #Mahmudullah produced a fine century to lay a good foundation and eventually a strong score of 275 for the Banglas.

The score, although good, didn't seem to be big enough to threaten England and their batting depth. England started steadily with Bell scoring well to put England on course. Bangladesh kept of chipping wickets to stay in the hunt.

It was all advantage England when Shakib threw the ball to #RubelHossain in the mid stages.
Rubel obliged by claiming Root and England skipper Morgan in the same over, Even-Steven.

Although Jos Buttler took the attack to Bangladesh, they sensed something special as England kept losing wickets at key moments. Starting with Butler, followed by Taylor and  Jordan.

Needing 15 runs to win in the last over, Shakib again handed over responsibility to Robel. With 8 wickets down, England needed to gamble well. Stuart Broad, who had just come in, was facing while Chris Woakes, well set o 42, was at the non striker'e end. They needed him on strike.

What happens next? CRAAAASH ... Broad's off stick is disturbed by a lovely delivery that held its line. England 9 down. Last man Jame Anderson walks in, pressure writ all over his face! He needs to give strike to Woakes desparately. But Robel had other ideas as he bowls a perfect yorker that squeezes past his bat onto base of middle stump! CRAAASHHHH again! All over

England fall short by 15 runs. Woakes stranded.
Robel and Bangladesh celebrate in frenzy, the Adelaide Oval erupts in joy and a knock-out entry has been achieved! 

Robel, the man of the moment, take a bow!

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Part 3 - Top 5 Moments of CWC15

This one is from the epic semi final at Auckland between South Africa and New Zealand. Both teams vying for their first final appearance at the world cup and both had disappointing histories in previous world cup key games

South Africa, has a freaky World Cup experience - 1992 (Rain rule elimination in semifinal at Sydney), 1996 (pitted to win to win trophy easily - ran into Lara and knocked out), 1999 (another epic at Birmingham - a tie vs Australia but lost place in final due to super six defeat at Australia's hands), 2003 (miscalculated the D/L system and did not take extra single that would take them into the super sixes), 2011 (again strong contenders to win - run out of AB and Kiwis ran over them in the quarters).

Not to be left behind, Kiwis appeared in six semifinals at the World Cup and lost all of them!!

With that kind of history and high stakes, it was going to be some moments of individual brilliance and failure that would determine the outcome of the game for sure.. and indeed it happened that way!

The match see-sawed all the way through.
SA skipper ABDevilliers kept reiterating his team would win the world cup but his moods were brilliantly captured in the game that oscillated brilliantly right until the very end.

After winning the toss and choosing to bat, SA were brilliantly placed at 216 for 3 in 38 overs. AB himself looking ominous on 61 in 38 balls and looking to launch in the end overs. OH NO ... rain once again!

After resumption, match curtailed to 43 overs a side.
That allowed SA to bat for another 5 overs only but Miller dynamics allowed them to score 281 for 5. Score readjusted to 298 for NZ to win under D/L rule.
AB seemingly happy to get that many on board and confident his bowlers would defend that score!

Then the McCullum assault on SA bowlers left him wondering what hit him!
Puzzled, confused and shaken at times, he hoped for Mc's wicket and got it eventually but a fine start put NZ ahead in the game.

Quick wickets in the middle meant SA pulled things back brilliantly. AB looking composed.

Then Anderson-Elliott partnership flourished and AB was looking for options, confused. To add to that, he missed a simple run out opportunity to dismiss Anderson something he will rue for a long time.

In the 47th over, a top edge off Elliott and Duminy-Behardien collision means catch dropped, Agony.

Last over, 12 runs to win. Steyn with ball in hand. Seems secure.
Vettori sludges one past third man for four and sneaks a single from somewhere to hand over strike to Elliott.

5 off 2.
Steyn steams in, and Elliott slams one over long on/midwicket fence for a six.
What a shot under pressure. AB resigns, distraught and inconsolable. Tears flowing down his cheek and ditto with his team mates. Kiwis rejoice, Elliott picks Steyn up and consoles him. 

AB's reactions in that match, moments to remember from #CWC15.

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Part 2 - Top 5 Moments of CWC15

If Rahat's catch drop of Shane Watson in that amazing spell by Riaz, was the world cup dropping moment then the first over bowled by Mitchell Starc was as good as clinching the world cup for Australia vs New Zealand in the #CWC15 final.

Both the co hosts had trounced all other opposition and reached the finals. There were amazing performers on each side and their were a lot of mini battles in store in the big finale. 

None bigger than the one between #BrendonMcCullum, the Kiwi skipper and his super aggressive opening batting that shell shocked oppositions into submission vs #MitchellStarc, a revelation of a fast bowler in the tournament in awesome form and clearly vying for the player of the tournament prize along with Trent Boult.

As luck would have it, both were at each other first up.
McCullum won the toss and elected to bat first on a great #MCG wicket.
Runs on the board in a big final was their strategy. 

McCullum clearly had a plan to tackle Starc by unsettling him off his line/length and putting pressure on the rest of the bowling lineup. Starc on the other hand planned to get Mc as soon as possible to be on top!

MartinGuptill took first strike against Starc.
After a leave, he steered one to third man for a single.

Big Mc on strike.
The two warriors facing each other. 
Battle about to explode.

Starc's first ball to McCullum is greeted by a dance down the wicket, missed and the ball shaves ever to close to the off stump. How did it miss off? everyone wonders.

The next one is another inswinging delivery that misses a advancing McCullum and goes to the keeper. 

Two balls, Two attacking attempts, Two misses.
Something had to give in.

The next delivery started outside off and swung in late.
McCullum this time remained in crease expecting a short one but it was full and swinging. The ball swing past inside of his bat and crashed in the base of off stump. Timberrrrrrr! 
Fire lights glow up!

Starc over the moon runs a mini lap towards sqaure leg, Aussie fielders swarm in on him from everywhere, the MCG erupts in joy ..... the big fish was netted early. Huge bonus to start the World Cup final like this!

McCullum dazed by that blow, trudged back to the pavilion with a lot of IFs in head. Could he have been a bit more patient? Could he not have seen off Starc and attack at the other end? If he fell early did his Kiwi troops have ammunition to recover? Lot of questions but answer was only one

Brendon McCullum bowled Starc 0

Kiwis never really recovered from that blow and Australia registered a magnificent win that evening. It all started from them in that first magical over by Starc!

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Part 1 - Top 5 Moments of CWC15

Wow... what a world cup! Simply exhilarating ...

For those who thought 50 over cricket was passe, this was a big surprise.
The intensity, battles, drama, emotions, skills and passion shown by teams, individuals defined success of this world cup played in Australia and New Zealand.

To top it all, it was an all host final as well.. what better way to celebrate cricket. Cricket was a big winner in this epoch tournament!

We've tried to pick some moments from this cup that truly defined this #CWC15. These moments have been arranged in random order. Every moment has its significance and X factor that makes it stand out from the rest!

Here are our top five
1. Shane Watson's dropped catch off Wahab Riaz' Spell against Australia, quarterfinal at Adelaide
2. Mitchell Starc wicket of Brendon McCullum, final at MCG
3. Grant Elliott winning six vs South Africa, semifinal at Auckland
4. James Anderson bowled by Rubeel Hossain at SCG
5. Sean Williams caught on the boundary vs Ireland in a tense run chase...

We start with the first one and our favorite.

1. Shane Watson's dropped catch off Wahab Riaz' Spell against Australia, quarterfinal at Adelaide

After winning the toss and batting first at Adelaide, Pakistan were in with the best chance to challenge the mighty Aussies in their quartefinal match. But, some reckless batting (as expected from this mercurial side over the years) and disciplined Australian bowling saw them skittled out for 213. A score way below par.

However, if there is one team you can imaging defending such a score it had to be Pakistan with their pace battery and their ability to do the unthinkable.

The Australians started well but were rocked by dismissal of Finch.

Warner was settling down while Steve Smith came in and started batting as if he was having a net!

Australia in command you'd say...

Misbah brought in Wahab Riaz as first change after 10 overs and boy! what happened after that was a treat to behold. With his pace, bounce and slingy left arm action, he started getting batsmen to hop around. 

His perfectly directed bouncer forced Warner to scoop aa catch towards deep point when Rahat Ali took a simple well judged catch to send him packing.

In walked Australian captain, Michael Clarke and he started hopping to Wahab's tunes from ball 1. Sensing the discomfort, Misbah pushed a short mid wicket for him. And voila... Wahab got Clarke to fend off a steeply rising delivery right down his throat!

Australia 59 for 3. Match in the balance. Pakistan fighting back in a manner only they can.

Wahab on fire.

That brought in a struggling Shane Watson to the crease.  

Knowing his out-of-form touch and penchant to pull, Wahab started peppering him with bouncers one after the other. Each one a beauty that had Watson hopping, skipping, jumping, ducking, edging balls over slips and everything but getting out. To add to that Wahab got under his skin by "sledging" hm almost every ball he missed or miscuded. That added drama to the already intense struggle in the middle.

Wahab's barrage had really softened Watson, Something was about to give in. And then it happened out of nowhere (again only Pakistan can manage to do this). With Watson at his mercy, Wahab pitched one short inducing Watson into a pull that took the top edge and flew towards long leg. The trap was set and Watto fell to it. The fielder, Rahat Ali, got under it comfortably. At 83 for 3, a wicket would have made the match very interesting with Maxwell and late order to follow.

Rahat steadied himself under the ball, took position and ... and ... and .. oh no! he spilled a dolly!

Absolute gimme catch dropped? unbelievable .... Wahab distraught, Misbah disappointed and Rahat embarrassed big time. It would have been 83 for 4 and wow that could have swing things Pak's way big time. Unfortunately not to be...Watto gets a life and Pak lose their spirit. They look shaken up by that dropped catch (that would eventually go on to take that match away from them). Wahab claps and goes back to his mark and starts sending more bouncers. But, the moment was lost and so was the match a little while later!

Huge moment that .. Pak dropped the world cup then and there. 

Wahab continued to bowl with venom after that almost claiming Maxwell too but his catch at third man was dropped by Sohail Khan (tough chance you had to say).

Australia went on to beat Pakistan by 6 wickets and book their place in the semifinal against India at the #SCG

Wahab's spell though was appauded by many including the legendary Shane Warne as one of the best spells ever! Truly a magnificent perfoemance from Wahab in that 6 over burst that almost had Australia on the ropes!!

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