Batsmen are always in the limelight in ODI cricket but there have been times when bowlers have played a pivotal role by claiming wickets and bowled the opponent on the lowest scores.
Such instances can be mentioned as rare; nevertheless, they happen. Take, for example, Brett Lee’s five-ball over! Looking at such scenarios, one can’t help but notice that while rules, conditions, and umpire decisions along with other factors always play a role in presenting a fair balance between bat and ball, during such curious instances, it is the bowlers who prove their worth by scattering opposition batsmen on some very small islands of tolerance.
Whether you play online fantasy cricket or watch a cricket game on television, you would be interested to know the best bowlers to have a great team adding them to your team. Here is a short sample of some records which will make you gasp.
Lowest ODI Scores Ever Recorded in Cricket History
There are plenty of records in cricket history that still stand today because bowling performances like these are simply hard – or impossible to beat. Let’s have a look at the lowest ODI scores ever recorded in the history of cricket.
1. Zimbabwe vs. Sri Lanka, 2004 (Zimbabwe – 35 runs)
Sri Lankan skipper Marvan Atapattu won the toss and put Zimbabwe to bat. But it was the bowling attack, led by left-arm pacer Chaminda Vaas, that caused most of the trouble for Zimbabwe. Vaas went on to take 4 wickets at the cost of 8 runs, while Farveez Maharoof took 3 wickets for 11 runs.
Vaas and Maharoof were well supported by medium-pacer Dilhara Fernando, who took 2 wickets on debut as Zimbabwe were bundled out for an astonishingly poor score.
While none of the batsmen from Zimbabwe managed to reach double digits, Sri Lanka won the match without any difficulty, having lost just one wicket to reach the target cricket score in less than 10 overs!
2. Zimbabwe Vs. Sri Lanka, 2001 (Zimbabwe – 38 runs)
It happened again! Zimbabwe and Sri Lankans were fighting for the title. The game took place in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on February, 9th 2001. After winning the toss, Sri Lanka had the upper hand and decided to bowl, and Zimbabwe was easily out of the game by scoring 38 runs.
Captain Stuart Carlisle had scored the most runs, and the mighty Chaminda Vaas defeated the team, who wreaked havoc on Zimbabwe and took eight wickets. Muralitharan took the other two wickets.
Sri Lanka reached the target to emerge victoriously in a mere four overs where the captain Jayasuriya and Atapattu had a score of 13 and 23 respectively and defeated Zimbabwe.
3. Sri Lanka vs. South Africa, 2012 (Sri Lanka – 43 runs)
After winning the toss and choosing to bat, South Africa chose to show Sri Lanka a dire time. While Hashim Amla scored a glorious century and the partnership of AB de Villiers and Jacques Kallis brought South Africa 301 runs to win gloriously. Sri had scored more than 43 runs and only one player could pride himself on scoring in double digits.
4. Pakistan vs. West Indies, 1993 (Pakistan – 43 runs)
The ninth match of the tournament witnessed a crazy ride between Pakistan and West Indies. West Indies had won the toss and chose to field.
The victory of the West Indies was already written with the winning of the toss. Pakistan lost their merit while facing the strong group of West Indies and made a stopping 43 runs.
Courtney Walsh had shown Pakistan a tough time after taking four massive wickets in near about 16 runs!
5. Zimbabwe vs. Bangladesh, 2009 (Zimbabwe – 44 runs)
In the third ODI match between the teams Zimbabwe won the toss and elected to bat first. However, the Bangladeshi bowlers had other plans in mind, dismissing them for 44 runs, with all four of them performing well and picking up wickets.
Bangladesh had demonstrated a hefty chase for the target while losing four wickets before emerging victorious. Nazmul Hassan won the man-of-the-match title for his two wickets for 10 runs in an uncanny six overs.
6. Sri Lanka vs. India, 2000 (India – 54 runs)
It was the Coca-Cola Champions Trophy, and India had been playing some brilliant cricket, just like Sri Lanka. Sanath Jayasuriya won the toss and chose to bat first. He responded brilliantly with the bat scoring 189 runs as Sri Lanka notched up 299/5.
In reply, India was never in the contest and was skittled out for 54. Vaas took five enormous wickets and optimized the chances of winning for Sri Lanka. The captain prided himself on winning the aptly deserved “man of the match.”
Final Words
Cricket is a sport dedicated to passing time. It requires physical skill and dedication for the game. These attributes also help in decision-making and effective problem-solving.
Win any cricket match is not only about winning; it also requires a fair amount of teamwork; with accurate speculations and strategies aligned while bowling, the bowlers have made their mark in the history of cricket and won trophies for their countries.
Cricket is a game of uncertainty, and often analysts find it difficult to predict the outcomes. But it’s precisely this uncertainty that makes sports so entertaining and why people adore them because one never knows what will end up happening from one moment to the next!
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