Upsets
Due to the large gap in funding and skill set between non-Test playing nations and test playing nations, it is rare for a non-test playing nation to defeat a test playing nation. Often these performances help Associate nations earn Test Status. Full member nations receive automatic qualification to the World Cup, while Associates have to qualify (with the exception of Kenya for the 2003 and 2007 World Cups). Victories by Associates over Full members have happened 13 times over 10 tournaments. Bangladesh has caused the most number of upsets with four, while England have suffered the most number of upsets with three.
| Associate Nation |
Full member Nation |
Year | Result | Description |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sri Lanka | India | 1979 | Sri Lanka won by 47 runs. | The first time an Associate member of the ICC defeated a test playing nation. Sri Lanka would go onto become a test playing nation several years later. |
| Zimbabwe | Australia | 1983 | Zimbabwe won by 13 runs. | One of the greatest upsets of all time, led by future England coach Duncan Fletcher (69* and 4-42) Zimbabwe won their very first international. |
| Zimbabwe | England | 1992 | Zimbabwe won by 9 runs. | Zimbabwe earned their first win after 18 defeats since beating Australia on their World Cup début in 1983. Zimbabwe would earn test status later in 1992. |
| Kenya | West Indies | 1996 | Kenya won by 73 runs. | A team composed of 100 per cent amateurs and only accustomed to playing cricket one day a week during their cricket season stunned two time world champions West Indies. |
| Bangladesh | Pakistan | 1999 | Bangladesh won by 62 runs. | Odds of 33-1 were available against a win for Bangladesh and some bookmakers were asking for a pds 80 stake to win pds 1 on victory for Pakistan. Bangladesh would be granted test status later in the year based on this victory. |
| Kenya | Sri Lanka | 2003 | Kenya won by 53 runs. | An electric display by Collins Obuya (5/24) in Kenya's only home world cup match to date. |
| Kenya | Zimbabwe | 2003 | Kenya won by 7 wickets. | Kenya defeated Zimbabwe and qualified for the semi finals. In what is probably the greatest cinderella World Cup campaign, Kenya had no sponsor throughout the competition. |
| Ireland | Zimbabwe | 2007 | Match tied | Zimbabwe and Ireland encountered to a third ever tie in World Cup. |
| Ireland | Pakistan | 2007 | Ireland won by 3 wickets (D/L). | On St. Patrick's Day, Ireland sent Pakistan crashing out of the competition only 4 days after it began. Niall O'Brien (72) led the way in a tense run chase. |
| Ireland | England | 2011 | Ireland won by 3 wickets. | Ireland chased down a massive target, 327, set by England. Till date, it remains the highest run chase in a World Cup. Struggling for 111-5, Kevin O'Brien smashed a rapid 100, off just 50 balls, the fastest century in a World Cup, leading to one of the greatest upsets in cricket. |
Read more about this topic: Cricket World Cup Teams
Famous quotes containing the word upsets:
“Praise to Christ who feeds the hungry, frees the captive, finds the lost,
Heals the sick, upsets religion, fearless both of fate and cost.
Celebrate Christ’s constant presence—Friend and Stranger, Guest and Host.”
—The Iona Community (founded 1938)
“Americans are very friendly and very suspicious, that is
what Americans are and that is what always upsets the
foreigner, who deals with them, they are so friendly
how can they be so suspicious and they are so
suspicious how can they be so friendly but they just
are and that certainly has something to do with their
having tucked their capital, their capitals away.”
—Gertrude Stein (1874–1946)