World Cup 1992: Meyrick Pringle rips the heart out of West Indies to register best figures of tournament

1992 was the only World Cup without a five-wicket haul. Meyrick Pringle's 8-4-11-4 remained the best figures of the tournament.

March 3, 1992. West Indies and South Africa locked horns for the first time in international cricket in a World Cup. Abhishek Mukherjee looks back at the day when an inspired spell from Meyrick Pringle rocked Christchurch.

Was the fast bowling attack spearheaded by Allan Donald better than the one led by Dale Steyn? Where do Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini stand among South African fast bowlers since their return to international cricket? Was Brett Schultz the fastest? Vernon Philander has outstanding numbers, but where does that place him on the list? What about the guile of Fanie de Villiers?

If one indeed makes a list, he will probably be spoiled for choices — but can be certain of one thing: Meyrick Pringle will not make the cut. Had he been born in India or Sri Lanka he may have played fifty Tests or so, but he missed out on contests with some of the finest fast bowlers in contemporary cricket. READ: Benson & Hedges World Cup Cricket 1992: A history, matches, numbers, trivia, and key players of 5th cricket World Cup

With an unkempt mane and chiselled features (a female colleague says Pringle resembles a young John Travolta), Pringle was accurate and nippy, and could generate bounce from the surface. He did not have an exceptional career, but he had his highs, the best of which came that day at Lancaster Park. It was only his second ODI.

The Macko-Ambrose show

West Indies went in with four fast bowlers, and Richie Richardson had no doubt in putting the South Africans in on a hard, green surface. Bowling with immaculate precision and extracting steep bounce from the surface, an ageing Malcolm Marshall and a young Curtly Ambrose stifled the hapless South Africans.

Kepler Wessels went first, perhaps out of frustration: he tried to whip Marshall to the leg, but the ball hurried on to him, and looped to Desmond Haynes at point. The stranglehold continued, and Andrew Hudson and Peter Kirsten crawled to 29 for 1 after 12 overs.

[read-also]247132[/read-also]

Brian Lara caught Hudson brilliantly at point off Anderson Cummins, while Mark Rushmere was caught in two minds and was stumped off Carl Hooper. South Africa fought back with the dangerous Adrian Kuiper lofted one over the square-leg fence and Kirsten, batting with a runner, brought up his fifty, but Ambrose brought the progress to a halt, bowling Kuiper with a low full-toss.

Then Marshall produced a peach that took off from a length, and little David Williams flew to pouch one to send Kirsten back for 56, and at 127 for 5 in the 36th over the South African innings seemed to be headed nowhere. Jonty Rhodes, Brian McMillan, and Dave Richardson played cameos, taking South Africa to 200 for 8.

It was perhaps less than what Wessels would have been happy with, but given the hostile bowling of Marshall and Ambrose, they had probably done a decent job. Between them they sent down 20 overs, picking up 4 for 60. The spectators had their money worth. Fast bowling could not be more lethal. How wrong they were.

The Pringle show

By the time West Indies had recovered from the whirlwind that was Pringle the match was as good as over. Their reckless strokeplay contributed to their downfall, but with Donald bowling an immaculate line and length at the other end, was nigh-unplayable that day.

Lara opened up with two gorgeous shots — a cover-drive and a square-cut, both of them ran to the fence. Then he tried one square-cut too many, and unfortunately picked out Rhodes at point; Richardson was LBW to one that jagged in; and both Hooper and Keith Arthurton were caught in the slips. Pringle had hit West Indies hard, taking out four key men in 11 balls. The score read 19 for 4 when Gus Logie walked out.

Desmond Haynes had watched the carnage at the other. He knew time was still on their side, and decided to drop anchor, letting Logie take charge. Logie launched a furious counterattack, helping West Indies reach fifty when they received another major blow: Haynes, who had already been hit on the forefinger and was batting with a splint, was hit again by Richard Snell and had to retire hurt.

Logie, refusing to give up, pulled Kuiper for six and four. Marshall hit a four, but Snell had his revenge, having Marshall caught at point and Williams caught-behind. Haynes, about to leave for the hospital to get an X-ray done, walked out again at this stage: the score read 70 for 6.

The diminutive Logie hit four fours in a single over from Kuiper. He raced to his fifty from 56 balls, and had started to look ominous, but Kuiper had the last laugh with a double-blow: he had Haynes caught-behind; when Logie went for a big one the same over, he was caught by Pringle for a 69-ball 61 (42 of which came in boundaries).

Ambrose hit two boundaries, but the West Indies chase had run out steam. Donald came back to clean up things, and West Indies, bowled out for 136 in 38.4 overs, slumped to a 64-run defeat. Pringle, with excellent figures of 8-4-11-4, was named Man of the Match.

What followed?

– West Indies did not make it to the semi-final. South Africa did, but they lost to England in the semi-final.

– Pringle’s figures remained the best of the tournament: 1992 remains the only edition of World Cup cricket without a five-wicket haul. They also remained the best figures of his international career.

Brief scores:

South Africa 200 for 8 in 50 overs (Peter Kirsten 56) beat West Indies 136 in 38.4 overs (Gus Logie 61; Meyrick Pringle 4 for 11) by 64 runs.

Man of the Match: Meyrick Pringle.

(Abhishek Mukherjee is the Chief Editor and Cricket Historian at CricketCountry. He blogs here and can be followed on Twitter here.)