Cricket World Cup 2019: Best bowling figures at the World Cup

With two weeks left for the ICC World Cup 2019 in England to begin, we at Cricket Country take a look at some of the best bowling performances at the quadrennial event.

With two weeks left for the ICC World Cup 2019 in England to begin, we at Cricket Country take a look at some of the best bowling performances at the quadrennial event.

Glenn McGrath (Australia) 7/15 vs Namibia (2003)

Australian pacer Glenn McGrath, who appeared in four World Cups, dominates the individual bowling records. McGrath’s World Cup record figures came in Australia’s penultimate group game against Namibia in the 2003 edition. After posting 301/6, Australia ran through Namibia’s batting line-up and skittled them for just 45 runs to register a crushing 256-run win. McGrath was the wrecker-in-chief of it all. He set the ball rolling in the first over when he dismissed Namibia opener Jan-Berrie Burger. He claimed his next six wickets in his seven overs, as he finished with 7/15, including four maidens.

Andy Bichel (Australia) 7/20 vs England (2003)

Another Australia in the 2003 edition achieved World Cup record figures and it came from another pacer in Andy Bichel, who did the same against England in Port Elizabeth four days after McGrath’s feat. It was during Australia’s final group game against England when Bichel took all but one of the wickets to fall as the opposition folded for 204/8. He ran through the England top order picking up the wickets of Nick Knight, Michael Vaughan, Nasser Hussain, Alec Stewart, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff and Ashley Giles. Australia went on to win the game by two wickets.

Tim Southee (New Zealand) 7/33 vs England (2015)

Most recent to register record figures in the World Cup was Tim Southee, who scalped seven wickets in an innings in the 2015 edition against England at Wellington. He rattled their batting line-up to help dismiss them for just 123, finishing with 7/33, before New Zealand won by eight wickets. He castled openers Ian Bell and Moeen Ali, before picking up the wickets of James Taylor, Jos Buttler, Chris Woakes, Stuart Broad and Steven Finn.

Winston Davis (West Indies) 7/51 vs Australia (1983)

If you go to see, West Indies pace legend Winston Davis became the first man to take a seven-wicket haul at an ICC World Cup. It was in 1983 when Davis’ 7/51 were also the best ODI figures at the time. What made the record even more significant is that it was his World Cup debut. His wickets came in 10.3 overs (matches were 60-overs-a-side at the time), as reigning champions West Indies got their first win of the tournament against Australia. Davis’ record which he carried for 20 years was broken by McGrath in 2003.

Gary Gilmour (Australia) 6/14 vs England (1975)

Australia’s prodigious left-arm pacer Gary Gilmour single-handedly cleaned up England in a once-in-a-lifetime spell at Leeds in the semi-finals of the first World Cup in 1975. Gilmour picked the first six wickets to fall and reduced the opposition to 6/36. He collected match figures of 6/14 in 12 overs with 6 maidens, in one of the most economical spells ever bowled at the World Cup.