20 Greatest ODIs (by ESPNCricinfo)

[Ali TT]

I really hope not. It should be top 5 but really as far as cricket goes, it was just a batting slugfest.

Nah, these epic, high score chases that go down to the wire are relatively rare in comparison to lower scoring ones like the Bevan example. It was over 100 more runs higher than the then record chase, add remains 66 runs higher than the best since.

Speaking of batting slug-fests, one of the Morgan era-defining efforts by England probably deserves an entry - maybe the first post-2015 WC game when England smashed 408/9 against the Kiwis. Or the 481 v the Aussies, which was probably the pinnacle.

 

[ankitj]

I really hope not. It should be top 5 but really as far as cricket goes, it was just a batting slugfest.

Nah mate. If you were watching it live you'd experience the thrill of history being made in front of your eyes and feel all the stress of the players.

The record for highest score broken twice in the same game and record for highest successful chase broken by about 100 runs – it's not something that should be in the realm of possibility. It was a blessing to have witnessed that happen.

 

[honestbharani]

Nah mate. If you were watching it live you'd experience the thrill of history being made in front of your eyes and feel all the stress of the players.

All subzi cares about is how it looks on a spreadsheet.

I still remember that Jo'burg game and how we were seated in the Marina meeting up high school buddies after years and we were all talking and suddenly all of us started getting texts about this chase from other friends and we all went back to my home and watched the full game like the good old days back in the late 90s when this was the norm. We always watched the games at my house and it was always at least 6-15 people there.

 

[quincywagstaff]

Does the '96 WC SF between Australia and Windies have any business being talked about in the same breath as the '99 SF?

Bevan had an almost identical performance and Warne had very similar figures(though he took bigger scalps in '99)

The team totals were very similar too, despite it being less of an even arm wrestle like in '99. Windies had their foot on our throat twice and kinda choked twice. They had us 4-15 and let us still get 200, then were like 2-160 and lost. Pretty crazy

Don't think I've ever seen as much panic batting in an ODI as the West Indies in the final 10 overs.

They were going for wild slogs even when they were 2-3 wickets down and run rate well in hand.

Worst piece of cricket was the run out in the final over where Richardson went for a needless run which - even if successful - would've seen Ambrose on strike.

 

[quincywagstaff]

I think Emerson just wanted to make a name for himself tbh. I can’t think of another reason he would do it. Then when Ranatunga arced up, Alec Stewart bought into it from behind the sticks when SL batted and it was just a ****ing insane game of cricket to watch. One where you wanted the stump mics on the whole time

I think there was a resentment within the Australian cricket community that Muralitharan had been called by multiple umpires on the 95/96 tour and his career had continued successfully; they were just expecting an Ian Meckiff situation where his career would be over by such an event.

As for making a name for himself, you could make a case for Darrell Hair as well. Just a couple of years after calling him he releases a book which has him on the front cover giving the no-ball signal; I mean why else would he release a book? He wasn't exactly a Dickie Bird type character of the game.

 

[subshakerz]

All subzi cares about is how it looks on a spreadsheet.

I still remember that Jo'burg game and how we were seated in the Marina meeting up high school buddies after years and we were all talking and suddenly all of us started getting texts about this chase from other friends and we all went back to my home and watched the full game like the good old days back in the late 90s when this was the norm. We always watched the games at my house and it was always at least 6-15 people there.

Nah mate. If you were watching it live you'd experience the thrill of history being made in front of your eyes and feel all the stress of the players.

The record for highest score broken twice in the same game and record for highest successful chase broken by about 100 runs – it's not something that should be in the realm of possibility. It was a blessing to have witnessed that happen.

I am calling it one of the top 5 games of all time. It was an ATG game and I enjoyed it immensely. But I wouldn't want it as number one because of the extreme imbalance between bat and ball. I would rather have bowlers shine as well if its going to be the greatest ever. That is not an extreme position.

 

[SteveNZ]

Anyhow, appears Cricinfo views the many generations of the Aussie tri-series competition as the pinnacle of ODI cricket.

The advent of the finisher

Long before the word entered cricket parlance, Michael Bevan had made the role his own

www.thecricketmonthly.com

I don't think they're far wrong, if thats their view. Those tri-series' produced a shedload of quality cricket and the stakes were always high.

 

[Spikey]

Yeah of course they were the peak

I'm just not sure if Bevan vs WI or Bevan vs NZ should be the game

 

[The Sean]

The more this countdown takes shape, and you can see what they're going for, the more I agree with @Fuller Pilch in that the underarm match has to be there. Similarly, how about the first day/night ODI between Australia and West Indies at the SCG in 1978? (this followed on from day/night matches being initiated by WSC)

I'd also include two personal favourites - firstly Australia's WC final win in 1987, having been written off at the start of the tournament, which was the first major turning point for Australian cricket to start to emerge from its mid-'80s nadir. And secondly, that over from Wasim Akram in the '92 final. The ball to Allan Lamb might be my favourite delivery ever bowled.

 

[ankitj]

Am I the only one sick of all the India games in the countdown so far?

 

[The Sean]

For all my scepticism (which may yet be justified), I am enjoying considering what should still be included, and needless to say there are a lot more than the 13 we still have to come.

What about the greatest of all ODI cricketers? We've talked about Viv's 189* in 1984, but there's also his extraordinary 181(125) against Sri Lanka in the 1987 World Cup and an incredible 153*(130) against Lillee, Thomson and Hogg back in 1979. And if we're talking about firsts, let's not forget he was the first man to score a century and take a five-fer in the same ODI. Surely some of those performances have to make it?

And speaking of firsts, has it been specified that this is an all-male list? Because while Sachin's 200* will obviously be there somewhere, let's not forget that Belinda Clark beat him to the mark by more than a decade.

But if we're really after unique performances, irrespective of the match quality or result, there simply has to be a place for this:

SL vs ZIM Cricket Scorecard, 1st Match at Colombo, December 08, 2001

Live Cricket Scoreboard: Get Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe 1st Match, cricket scorecard, LG Abans Triangular Series 2001/02 dated December 08, 2001.

www.espncricinfo.com

Other players since Viv have made a ton and taken a fiver-fer. Other players since Sachin (and Belinda) have made 200+. But no one other than Chaminda Vaas has taken eight wickets in an ODI.

 

[Burgey]

I think there was a resentment within the Australian cricket community that Muralitharan had been called by multiple umpires on the 95/96 tour and his career had continued successfully; they were just expecting an Ian Meckiff situation where his career would be over by such an event.

As for making a name for himself, you could make a case for Darrell Hair as well. Just a couple of years after calling him he releases a book which has him on the front cover giving the no-ball signal; I mean why else would he release a book? He wasn't exactly a Dickie Bird type character of the game.

I think the big difference between the two was Hair called him within the rules as they then were. To that extent he was already pretty well known as an umpire by the time he released his book, whereas Emerson seemed a flat out ridiculous example of ignoring what had changed within the laws of the game. I’d almost have expected Hair to call him again given what he thought of his action, but even Darrell sucked up the new laws/ testing regime.

Good on him for making a quid out of his book. The rampant efforts of the lesser nations to end the careers of umpires/ match referees who they just don’t like means he had to make some coin while he could.

 

[TheJediBrah]

I could probably make a list of top 20 Bevan ODIs and it wouldn't lose anything in comparison

 

[Molehill]

And speaking of firsts, has it been specified that this is an all-male list? Because while Sachin's 200* will obviously be there somewhere, let's not forget that Belinda Clark beat him to the mark by more than a decade.

Valid point about whether it's an all male list. As World Cup Finals go, the 2017 England v India one was another belter, certainly one of the best matches I've ever attended.

 

[The Sean]

Valid point about whether it's an all male list. As World Cup Finals go, the 2017 England v India one was another belter, certainly one of the best matches I've ever attended.

Actually yeah, great point. That was a fantastic game and definitely worthy of the list.

 

[Ali TT]

Valid point about whether it's an all male list. As World Cup Finals go, the 2017 England v India one was another belter, certainly one of the best matches I've ever attended.

Actually yeah, great point. That was a fantastic game and definitely worthy of the list.

As this list was leading up to the men's WC, I assumed it was men only. However, no reason it shouldn't include women's matches too but would need to be more than one.

I don't know enough about women's cricket to add more than the 2017 final, although it shouldn't be forgotten that the first women's tournament was 2 years before the men's. Apparently the 2000 final (NZ beating Australia by 4 runs) was a classic.

Quite a few nail-biters at last year WC and the final notable for the Aussies torching it up.

 

[Molehill]

As this list was leading up to the men's WC, I assumed it was men only. However, no reason it shouldn't include women's matches too but would need to be more than one.

I don't know enough about women's cricket to add more than the 2017 final, although it shouldn't be forgotten that the first women's tournament was 2 years before the men's. Apparently the 2000 final (NZ beating Australia by 4 runs) was a classic.

Quite a few nail-biters at last year WC and the final notable for the Aussies torching it up.

Fair point about it leading up to the Men's World Cup and that would probably mean it's only Men. Both semis in the 2017 WC were great games too (the nailbiting win as England scrambled home against SA, and Harmanpreet destroying the Aussies).

 

[Fuller Pilch]

As this list was leading up to the men's WC, I assumed it was men only. However, no reason it shouldn't include women's matches too but would need to be more than one.

I don't know enough about women's cricket to add more than the 2017 final, although it shouldn't be forgotten that the first women's tournament was 2 years before the men's. Apparently the 2000 final (NZ beating Australia by 4 runs) was a classic.

Quite a few nail-biters at last year WC and the final notable for the Aussies torching it up.

Yeah was about to mention the 2000 final (NZ 184, Oz 180).

 

[SteveNZ]

The women absolutely should have their own list, in the lead-up to a women's World Cup. This one is promoting the men's World Cup, and men's ODIs, I presume. There were plenty of great games and finishes at the last Women's World Cup.

 

[Daemon]

AFG vs SL Cricket Scorecard, 6th Match, Group B at Lahore, September 05, 2023

Live Cricket Scoreboard: Get Afghanistan vs Sri Lanka 6th Match, Group B, cricket scorecard, Asia Cup 2023 dated September 05, 2023.

www.espncricinfo.com

Replace the Kohli chase with this. Similar situation but no one in Afghanistan could math so they lost.