The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup was the ninth edition of the 50-over pinnacle tournament held in the West Indies from March 13 to April 28, 2007. There were 51 matches contested, 3 fewer than at the 2003 World Cup, despite the participation of two more teams.
Australia defeated Sri Lanka in the World Cup final to earn their third straight title and fourth overall. So, let’s see how the 2007 World Cup, filled with upsets and shocking moments, progressed.
The group stage matches began on March 13 and ended on March 25. In total, 24 matches were contested in the group stage.
The top 2 teams from each group advanced to the “Super 8” stage, which employed a league format as well. Each team carried its points against the other qualifying team from its preliminary stage group forward and played each of the other 7 qualifying teams once.
The top 4 teams in the Super 8 advanced to the semifinals. This was the knockout stage of the competition, with the No. 1 team facing the No. 4 team and the No. 2 team facing the No. 3 team. In the final, the winners of the 2 semi-finals faced off against each other.
A total of 8 venues across the Caribbean countries hosted the 51 World Cup matches. Sabina Park in Jamaica and Beausejour Stadium in Saint Lucia held the 2 semifinals, while Kensington Oval in Barbados hosted the final of the tournament.
The 2007 edition saw 16 teams qualify for the tournament, the most in any Cricket World Cup edition. This includes the ICC’s 10 full members, while the other 6 teams were determined through the 2005 ICC Trophy.
Teams that participated in the 2007 Cricket World Cup:
The former champions, Australia and India, were the favourites for this World Cup.
The tournament hosts, the West Indies, took on Pakistan in the opening match. Pakistan elected to field first and restricted the Windies on 214/9. Dwayne Smith’s all-round performance with the bat (32 off 15) and ball (3/36) proved to be crucial to the Windies beating Pakistan by 54 runs.
After being asked to bat first, Australia went on to score a huge total of 334 runs in 50 overs, largely thanks to captain Ricky Ponting’s 113 runs off 93 balls. Then the Australian bowling attack ripped apart the Scottish batters, and Australia won by 203 runs.
Kenya decided to field first and bowled out Canada for 199 runs, with Steve Tikolo starring with the ball (2/34) for Kenya. Then Tikolo showed his excellence with the bat (72*) and helped his side win by 7 wickets.
Batting first, Sri Lanka posted 321/6 on the scoreboard in 50 overs. Later, Farveez Maharoof (4/23), Lasith Malinga (3/10), and Muthiah Muralidaran (2/28) troubled Bermuda with the ball, bowling them out for 78 runs and Sri Lanka won by 243 runs
In a closely contested game, Ireland reached a decent total of 115 runs, thanks to Jeremy Bray (115), who carried his bat throughout the innings. In response, Zimbabwe somehow managed to end the match in a thrilling tie despite losing wickets at the end.
New Zealand elected to bowl first and restricted England to 209/7. In reply, the Kiwis lost 3 wickets under 20 runs; however, Scott Styris (87*) and Jacob Oram (63*) took New Zealand over the line with 6 wickets in hand.
After losing AB de Villiers on a duck, 4 South African batters went on a complete rampage, with Jacques Kallis scoring an unbeaten 128, Graeme Smith’s 67, Herschelle Gibbs’ 72, and Mark Boucher’s quickfire 75 off 31 balls. South Africa posted 353/3 in a truncated game that saw both teams play 40 overs each. Later, the Netherlands’ batters were no challenge to the South African bowlers and were restricted to 132/9, resulting in South Africa winning by 221 runs.
In a surprise outing for India, Bangladesh bowled them for a mere 191 runs, with Mashrafe Mortaza picking up 4 wickets. In response, 3 half-centuries from Bangladeshi batters helped them chase down the target with 5 wickets in hand. This defeat proved costly for India, as they later exited the 2007 World Cup in the group stage.
March 17 saw another upset, this time involving Pakistan and Ireland. Ireland decided to bowl first and bowled out the Pakistani side for a paltry 132 runs. Then, Niall O’Brien (72) took Ireland over the ropes with 3 wickets to spare.
Also Read | 10 Greatest Upsets in ODI Cricket History
After electing to bat first, Australia went on to post a huge total of 358 runs in 50 overs, thanks to Brad Hodge’s 123 off 89 balls. Then Brad Hogg spun his web around the Dutch batters, picking up 4 wickets, and helping Australia register a resounding victory by 229 runs.
Sunil Dhaniram’s 3 wickets stopped England from posting a huge total on the scoreboard. England managed to score 279/6 in 50 overs, with every batter contributing crucial runs. In response, Canada lost a couple of wickets early and was restricted to 228/7, and England won by 51 runs.
Batting first, India posted (413/5) its highest total in World Cup history against Bermuda and registered its only win in this edition. In response to India’s target of 414, Bermuda was skittled out for 156 runs, resulting in India winning the match by 257 runs.
Despite losing 2 wickets early on, Zimbabwe managed to score 202 runs in 50 overs. However, the target wasn’t big enough for the Windies, and they won by 6 wickets.
Kenya elected to bowl first; however, they were thrashed by New Zealand batters, and they went on to score 331 runs. Barring a few batting performances, Kenyan batters didn’t put up a fight and lost the match by 148 runs.
South African bowlers restricted Scotland to 186/8 owing to their disciplined bowling attack. Later, Graeme Smith led from the front, scoring 91 runs and helping South Africa win by 7 wickets.
Riding on Sanath Jayasuriya’s 109 runs off 87 balls, Sri Lanka posted 318 runs on the board. Later, Sri Lanka’s bowling attack led by Lasith Malinga (3/27) skittled the Bangladeshi side for 112 runs, and Sri Lanka won by 198 runs.
After being asked to bat first, Pakistan went on to score a huge total of 349 runs, thanks to Imran Nazir’s 160 runs off 121 balls. During Zimbabwe’s chase, rain interrupted the game, and the overs were reduced to 20 and the target was revised to 192. Then Pakistan’s bowling attack bundled the Zimbabwean batting lineup on 99 runs, and they won the match by 93 runs.
Lou Vincent’s 101 took New Zealand’s total to 363 runs in 50 overs. In response, Canada started off well, with the top order contributing crucial runs. However, once the top order returned to the pavilion, they found it hard to chase the target, eventually losing the game by 114 runs.
In a clash between two European sides, the Netherlands had the upper hand over Scotland. After being invited to bat first, Scotland managed to score 136 runs before being bowled out. The chase was rather easy for the Netherlands, as they won with 8 wickets in hand.
In another shocking match for India, Sri Lanka defeated their neighbours by 69 runs. Batting first, Sri Lanka posted a fighting total of 254 runs on the board. In response, only Virender Sehwag (48) and captain Rahul Dravid (60) put up a fight before being bowled out for 185 runs.
The match was reduced to 48 overs per side, and Ireland managed to score 183/8. Later, Shivnarine Chanderpaul’s unbeaten knock of 102 enabled the Windies to chase the target with 8 wickets in hand.
Matthew Hayden’s quickfire 101 off 68 balls took Australia’s total to 377 runs. Then Brad Hogg (3/61), along with Shaun Tait (2/61), grabbed crucial wickets in the middle, helping Australia clinch the victory by 83 runs.
Apart from captain Steve Tikolo (76), no batter from Kenya put up a fight, and they managed to score 177 in a 43-over per-side game. In response, England faced no major challenge and won the match by 7 wickets.
The match started with 41 overs per side; however, multiple rain disruptions in Bermuda’s innings further reduced the game to 21 overs. Barmuda managed to post only 94 runs, and Bangladesh chased it down with 7 wickets to spare.
Matthew Hayden (158) went berserk against the Windies’ bowling attack, helping Australia reach a huge total of 322/6. Later, Glenn McGrath (3/31) and Brad Hogg (3/56) strangled the Windies’ batting lineup to 219 runs, and Australia won by 103 runs.
Sri Lanka’s top order struggled in front of South Africa; however, Tillakaratne Dilshan (58) and Russel Arnold (50) guided Sri Lanka to 209 runs. In response, Sri Lanka didn’t let South Africa chase the target easily, as Lasith Malinga picked up 4 wickets in 4 balls when the proteas were 4 runs shy of the target. In the end, however, South Africa prevailed over Sri Lanka with 1 wicket in hand.
Jacob Oram, Shane Bond, and Daniel Vettori picked up 3 wickets each and skittled the Windies on 177 runs. In reply, New Zealand lost its first wicket on the second ball; however, that didn’t stop them from chasing the target in the 40th over with 7 wickets to spare.
Paul Collingwood’s 92 helped England post a total of 266 runs on the board. Later, Andrew Flintoff (4/43) put a dent in Ireland’s chase, and England bowled them out for 218 runs, winning the game by 48 runs.
The match was reduced to 22 overs, and Bangladesh, batting first, managed 104/6. In response, Australia registered a comfortable win with 10 wickets in hand.
Riding on the back of Sanath Jayasuriya’s 115 and captain Mahela Jayawardene’s crucial 82 runs, Sri Lanka posted 303 runs. Sanath Jayasuriya then showed his all-round skill with the ball, scalping 3 wickets, which resulted in Sri Lanka winning by 113 runs.
New Zealand bowled out the Bangladeshi side for a mere 174 runs. Later, captain Stephen Fleming’s unbeaten 102 made the chase easy for the Kiwis, and they registered a commanding win by 9 wickets.
Batting first, Ireland managed to score 152/8 in 35 overs. In response, South Africa chased down the target in the 32nd over, thanks to Jacques Kallis’ 66* runs, and won the match by 7 wickets.
In a thrilling match, Sri Lanka managed to score 235 runs in 50 overs. In response, England came close to the target but fell short by 2 runs.
Bangladesh sprung another surprise in the tournament by defeating South Africa by 67 runs. Batting first, Bangladesh posted a fighting total of 251 runs on the board. In defence, Abdur Razzak (3/25), Syed Rasel (2/41), and Shakib Al Hasan (2/49) delivered a memorable bowling performance and bowled out South Africa for 184 runs.
Despite Kevin Pietersen’s 104 runs, England managed to post 247 runs. While chasing, Australia didn’t face many issues, and they won by 7 wickets.
After electing to bat first, New Zealand scored a total of 263 runs in 50 overs. In response, Irish batters were no challenge to New Zealand’s bowling attack, and the Kiwis won by 129 runs.
AB de Villiers’ 146 runs took South Africa to a challenging total of 356 runs. In response, the Windies could only reach 289 runs, losing the game by 67 runs.
Apart from Shakib Al Hasan (57), other Bangladeshi batters failed to hold their ground against England. Later, Bangladeshi bowlers challenged England in their chase, but England won by 4 wickets.
Batting first, New Zealand managed to score 219 runs, thanks to a major contribution from Scott Styris (111*). The chase was easier for Sri Lanka as they registered a victory by 6 wickets.
The powerful Australia bowling attack destroyed the Irish batting line-up and bowled them out for a meagre 91 runs. In response, Australia chased down the target in 13 overs and won by 9 wickets.
Batting first, South Africa managed to score 193 runs. In reply, New Zealand chased down the target with 5 wickets in hand.
William Porterfield’s 85 helped Ireland put 243 runs on the scoreboard. Later, a disciplined Irish bowling attack skittled Bangladesh for 169 runs.
Batting first, Sri Lanka managed to score 226 runs. In response, Australia registered a compelling win by 7 wickets.
South Africa bowled out the England side cheaply for 154 runs. Then the Proteas chased down the target with ease and won by 9 wickets.
Ireland slumped to 77 runs in front of the strong Sri Lankan bowling attack. Later, Sri Lanka chased down the target in 10 overs, winning the match with 8 wickets in hand.
Batting first, the Windies managed to score 230 runs, with Ramnaresh Sarwan (91*) top-scoring for them. In response, Bangladesh was bowled out for 131 runs, and the West Indies won by 99 runs.
Riding on the back of Matthew Hayden’s 103 runs and some crucial performances from other batters, Australia posted a huge total of 348 runs. Later, Brad Hogg’s (4/29) bowling performance ensured Australia restricted the Kiwis to 133 runs and won by 215 runs.
In a thrilling game between bat and ball, the Windies managed to score 300 runs. In response, Kevin Pietersen’s 100 runs made sure that England chased down the target with 1 wicket to spare.
Sri Lanka faced New Zealand in Kingston, and captain Mahela Jayawardena led from the front with a 115-run performance. Upul Tharanga also scored 73 runs, as Sri Lanka finished with a total of 289/5. Muttiah Muralitharan (4/31) then spun webs around New Zealand’s batsmen, dismissing them for 208.
Shaun Tait’s speed shook South Africa, taking 4/39 to help bowl them out for 149. Glenn McGrath also contributed significantly, returning 3/18. Michael Clarke then struck 60* to lead Australia to a 7-wicket victory.
Ricky Ponting, Australia’s captain, won the toss and chose to bat. However, due to the bad weather, the start of play was delayed, and the match was reduced to 38 overs for each side. Wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist scored 149 runs, the highest score by any batsman in a World Cup final, to give Australia a commanding total of 281/4 at the end of the innings.
The game was alive as Sri Lankan batters Kumar Sangakkara and Sanath Jayasuriya added 116 for the second wicket, but after the pair were dismissed, Sri Lanka’s prospects gradually faded. Rain forced Sri Lanka’s innings to be cut short to 36 overs, and the target was revised to 269.
The game was suspended owing to poor lighting at the end of the 33rd over, with Sri Lanka still trailing the amended Duckworth-Lewis target by 37 runs. While Australia’s players began to celebrate their triumph (since the minimum of 20 overs had been completed), the umpires indicated wrongly that because the match had been delayed due to light and not rain, the final three overs would have to be bowled the next day.
With Sri Lanka requiring 61 runs from 18 deliveries, skipper Mahela Jayawardene decided there was no need to return the next day and urged his team to resume batting; Ponting consented to play just spin bowlers.
The final 3 overs were played in nearly full darkness, during which Sri Lanka added only 9 runs, giving Australia a victory by 53 runs. The umpires later acknowledged their blunder, claiming that Australia should have won by 37 runs at that point.
Australia won the event undefeated, extending their unbeaten streak in World Cup matches to 29. Australia won its fourth World Cup title and appeared in the sixth final of the World Cup.
Also Read | Top 10: Teams with Most Matches Wins in ODI World Cup
Australia and Sri Lanka had previously played in the 1996 World Cup final, which Sri Lanka won. Except for that loss, Australia had won every World Cup match against Sri Lanka.
Pre-tournament favourites India and Pakistan failed to advance past the group stage, while Bangladesh, the second-lowest ranked ICC Full Member at the time, and World Cup debutant Ireland, which was an ICC Associate Member at the time, advanced to the “Super 8,” defeating India and Pakistan, respectively. Ireland became the second associate nation to advance through the first round of a Cricket World Cup, following Kenya in 2003.
Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer was discovered dead on March 18, 2007, one day after his team’s defeat to Ireland, which eliminated them from contention for the World Cup. The next day, authorities declared the death suspicious and launched an inquiry.
Further investigation found that the cause of death was “manual strangulation”, and that the case would be treated as a murder. Following a protracted investigation, Jamaican police retracted their claims that he was killed and concluded that he died of natural causes. An open verdict was returned in November 2007.
The umpires wrongly argued that the game had just been suspended and not concluded at the finals and that 3 overs remained to be played; therefore, Sri Lanka batted out the last 3 overs following a gentleman’s agreement between the two leaders. Both the umpires and the ICC expressed regret for the unnecessary scenario, calling it a simple error brought on by the pressure of the situation.
The ICC confirmed in June 2007 that the officials involved — onfield umpires Steve Bucknor and Aleem Dar, reserve umpires Rudi Koertzen and Billy Bowden, and match referee Jeff Crowe — would be suspended from the 2007 Twenty20 World Championship.
The 2007 Cricket World Cup was a significant affair for cricket enthusiasts. In the West Indies, teams from all over the world played in a joyful and thrilling tournament. Despite numerous issues, such as conflicts and challenges, the competition had beautiful moments and entertaining games.
Australia won the event, demonstrating their dominance in cricket. The 2007 Cricket World Cup will be remembered for bringing cricket fans from all around the world together and demonstrating why the sport is so wonderful.
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