World Cup Trivia – 1987

Australia’s first exact four wicket haul in World Cup games is credited to CJ McDermott who took 4 for 56 against India at Madras on 09.10.87. Australia won this game by one run. Navjot Singh Sidhu made his one day debut for India in this game and scored 73 runs.

Navjoth Singh Sidhu became the second Indian batsman to register a fifty on the World Cup debut after Yashpal Sharma who had scored 89 against West Indies at Manchester on 09.06.83

GR Marsh scored 110 on his World Cup for Australia and Navjoth Singh Sidhu registering 73 on his World Cup debut for India. This provides the second instance in the World Cup when the rival batsmen have registered a hundred and a fifty on their World Cup debut. It is interesting to note that these two instances are the only two such instances in World Cup games. The two occasions are detailed below.

AJ Lamb of England {102} and MD Crowe of New Zealand {97} in the match between England and New Zealand at The Oval on 09.06.83

GR Marsh of Australia {110} and NS Sidhu of India {73} in the match between Australia and India at Chennai on 09.10.87

It is also interesting to note that these two instances have come in the one of the opening fixtures of the 1983 and 1987 World Cup games.

Zimbabwe’s DL Houghton scored 142 against New Zealand at Hyderabad on 10.10.87 and with it earned the distinction of becoming the first wicket keeper to register a hundred in World Cup Games. Houghton became the first batsman in the World Cup to see his hundred going in vain as New Zealand won this game by three runs. There are 14 instances of a batsman’s hundred going in vain as of date in the World Cup games. Houghton’s 142 remain the highest individual score in a losing cause in World Cup games. Zimbabwe were led by AJ Traicos who had appeared for South Africa earlier.

Two batsmen from the same team registering hundreds was witnessed in the game between West Indies and Sri Lanka at Karachi on 13.10.87. DL Haynes {105} and IVA Richards {181} registered the first of five such instances in World Cup games.

K Srikkanth and SM Gavaskar were dismissed run out in the game between India and New Zealand at Bangalore on 14.10.87, providing the first of the three such instances in the World Cup games.

Gooch and RT Robinson scored 16 each in the game between England and Pakistan at Karachi on 20.10.87, providing the second instance of openers registering identical runs in the World Cup games.

Navjoth Singh Sidhu of India earned the distinction of registering four consecutive fifties since his debut in this World Cup. Sidhu became the third batsman to register four consecutive fifties in the World Cup after G Fowler of England and DC Boon of Australia. Navjoth Singh Sidhu remains the only batsman to register four consecutive fifties since his ODI debut in World Cup games. His performance is listed below

73 vs Australia at Madras on 09.10.87 : 75 vs New Zealand at Bangalore on 14.10.87 “ 51 vs Australia at Delhi on 22.10.87 and 55 vs Zimbabwe at 26.10.87

Imran Khan became the second Pakistan Captain to account for four wickets in World Cup games after Asif Iqbal. Imran Khan took 4 for 37 against West Indies at Lahore on 16.10.87. He returned with an identical figure of 4 for 37 against England at Karachi on 20.10.87. Imran Khan remains the only captain in the World Cup to be credited with two four wicket hauls. His 4 for 37 in both the games is also unique as no bowler has returned with the same identical figures in two games of the World Cup. Imran Khan remains the only Pakistan bowler to capture two exact four wicket hauls in the same World Cup..

The match between England and West Indies at Jaipur on 26.10.87 witnessed the first of the four instances of rival batsmen registering nineties in the same World Cup game. GA Gooch for England and RB Richardson for West Indies registered 92 and 93 respectively in this game.

GR Marsh carried the bat through the over allocation when he made 126 not out for Australia against New Zealand at Chandigarh {Sector 16 Stadium} on 27.10.87. He became the third batsman to achieve the feat in World Cup games after Sunil Gavaskar and Glenn Turner

The following is the list of batsmen who have registered the debut fifties in the World Cup games of 1987.

110 by GR Marsh of Australia vs India at Chennai on 09.10.87 : 73 by NS Sidhu of India vs Australia at Chennai on 09.10.87 : 76 by Rameez Raja vs Sri Lanka at Hyd-Pak on 09.10.87 : 89 by RS Mahanama of Sri Lanka vs Pakistan at Hyd-Pak on 09.10.87 : 53 by RB Richardson of West Indies vs England at Gujranwala on 09.10.87 : 75 by KR Rutherford of New Zealand vs India at Bangalore on 14.10.87 and 50 by PV Simmons of West Indies vs Pakistan at Lahore on 16.10.86

India-New Zealand game at Nagpur on 31.10.87 witnessed the first of the four Hat tricks in the World Cup games. Chetan Sharma of India is credited with the first Hat trick of the World Cup games. His victims were all bowled. KR Rutherford, IDS Smith and EJ Chatfield were the batsmen. The New Zealand score card read : 6-182 : 7-182 : 8-182. Sunil Gavaskar registered his only hundred of his One day career when he made 103 not out in this game. SM Gavaskar-Chetan Sharma were declared Men of the Match – the only instance of two cricketers sharing the award in the World Cup games. K Srikkanth’s 75 and Gavaskar’s 105 not out provides the second instance of openers registering a fifty and hundred in World Cup games. The first instance is credited to RB McCosker {73} and A Turner {101} in the game between Australia and Sri Lanka at The Oval on 11.06.75. As of now there are six such instances in World Cup games.

Australia won the World Cup title of 1987 trouncing England by seven runs. DC Boon of Australia top scored in the match with 75 runs, while Steve Waugh returned with the best figures of the match with 2 for 37.