One Day International Cricket

One Day International Cricket is a shorter format of the game that only sees the two sides bat and bowl for 50 overs each. This format of the game is one that is more popular with those that enjoy cricket but do not have the patience to watch a five day Test match. 50 over cricket is completed within a single day and while it does leave time for batsmen to get themselves in and play defensive shots, there is a lot more attacking intent in the format as sides are forced to score quick runs and make big scores, with the ODI format now no longer a stranger to seeing 400+ runs scored in a single innings, something that seemed improbable even a few years ago.

While there are many ways to play ODI cricket spanning for international series to domestic matches, by far and away the biggest stage to play ODI cricket is the World Cup.

The Cricket World Cup

Like many sports, the World Cup is the biggest event in the calendar, and it is no different in cricket. The competition is played in the 50 over format with each of the teams in the competition (currently 10 as of the 2019 World Cup) playing each-other once before the top-four teams go through to the semi-finals, where first plays fourth and second plays against third. The winner of these two games then take on one-another in the final for the chance to lift the trophy.

The 2019 edition of the tournament brought with it some of the most exciting and unpredictable cricket seen, with the final summing this up perfectly in a day of the most tense and thrilling cricket seen on the 50 over circuit.

Having gone in to bat first, finalists New Zealand made 241/8 in their 50 overs and went about restricting tournament hosts England as they stumbled to 86/4 in the 23rd over. However, a fine partnership between Jos Buttler (59) and hero Ben Stokes (84 not out), helped England to close on 241 all out, with the scores level. The scores ending level saw the match go into a Super Over, where the teams are able to select three batsmen to score as many runs as possible in a single over. Stokes and Buttler smashed 15 between them meaning New Zealand had to score 16 to win by virtue of England’s superior boundary scoring in the final. Off the final ball of the Super Over with New Zealand needing two runs to win, Martin Guptill struck the ball towards Jason Roy at deep mid-wicket and, as he came back for what would be a match-winning second, the England player fired a clean and flat throw into Buttler behind the stumps allowing him to whip off the bails and run Guptill out, sparking wild celebrations for the English players and fans. The game itself was one of extreme drama and likely left many with some seriously chewed fingernails with the game touted as the greatest ODI final and match in the game’s history.

The History Of The Cricket World Cup

Twenty20 Cricket

T20 (Twenty 20) cricket is the shortest and probably the most exciting format of the game. Each team is given 20 overs (120 balls) to score as many runs as possible with the bat before the two sides switch and the batting side is thrown the ball. A T20 game generally takes around 3-4 hours to be completed and it sees boundaries galore, with the players rarely given any time to get themselves in. Instead, batsmen are forced to go hard early, with maximums the norm. Of course, going for the big shots does bring a huge amount of risk with it as cartwheeling stumps and outrageous catches have become a regular occurrence in the game, while it is not uncommon to see multiple run outs in a match as players try to sneak that extra run.

T20 Cricket World Cup

Like the 50 over Cricket World Cup, the T20 World Cup brings together the very best in the shortest format of the game in a tournament that sees massive hits and exciting contests. Indeed, this was no more true than in the 2016 T20 World Cup final between the West Indies and England, which saw an incredibly topsy-turvy game that had both sets of fans feeling they were edging towards victory.

England went into the game with a superbly well-balanced side that looked well placed to secure the World Cup trophy. However, Eoin Morgan’s side stumbled to 155/9 as their impressive rebuilding from 23/3 to 110/4 almost counted for very little as they lost three wickets for one run. In the end, England managed to make it to 155/9. In reply, the Windies were limping at 11/3, but a supreme innings of 85 not out from Marlon Samuels helped the side get back into the game before Carlos Brathwaite’s incredible hitting exploits, which saw him hit four consecutive sixes off the bowling of Ben Stokes in the final, helped the Windies to claim the World Cup and send their fans into joyous celebration, with England left to rue what might have been.

The History Of The T20 World Cup