Published: Feb 09, 2015, 03:16 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 09, 2015, 03:16 PM (IST)
Willis World Cup 1996 was dominated by leg-spinners, with Shane Warne, Anil Kumble, and Paul Strang all making their marks. Sri Lanka’s phalanx of slow off-spinners (Muttiah Muralitharan, Kumar Dharmasena, and Aravinda de Silva, with the left-arm spin of Sanath Jayasuriya) prevailed over others, while fast men (Waqar Younis or Allan Donald), accurate meanies (Curtly Ambrose) and those with the ability to move the ball around under lights (Damien Fleming and Chaminda Vaas) thrived.
Having said that, World Cup 1996 was the edition that took quick hitting to the next level; Sri Lanka, led by Jayasuriya at the top, petrified the bowlers, while Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara, already hailed as all-time greats, made the most of the conditions. Other class acts like Mark Waugh (who became the first to score three hundreds in a single World Cup) and Saeed Anwar stamped their authorities as well.
Batting records: Though Mark Waugh scored three hundreds, the tournament was dominated by Tendulkar (who scored 523), who became the first batsman to reach the 500-mark in a single edition of the World Cup. Five hundred would not be crossed again till 2003, when a new record (a whopping 673) was set by, well, Tendulkar.
| Most runs | ||||||||||
| M | I | NO | R | BF | HS | Ave | SR | 100s | 50s | |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 7 | 7 | 1 | 523 | 609 | 137 | 87.17 | 85.9 | 2 | 3 |
| Mark Waugh | 7 | 7 | 1 | 484 | 563 | 130 | 80.67 | 86.0 | 3 | 1 |
| Aravinda de Silva | 6 | 6 | 1 | 448 | 416 | 145 | 89.60 | 107.7 | 2 | 2 |
| Gary Kirsten | 6 | 6 | 1 | 391 | 434 | 188* | 78.20 | 90.1 | 1 | 1 |
| Saeed Anwar | 6 | 6 | 2 | 329 | 343 | 83* | 82.25 | 95.9 | 3 |
As in 1987, Arjuna Ranatunga topped the batting averages. While his achievements were overshadowed by Aravinda and Jayasuriya, he averaged more than Jayasuriya (more than thrice of what Jayasuriya did) and outdid Aravinda in terms of both average and strike rate.
| Highest batting averages (150 or more runs) | ||||||||||
| M | I | NO | R | BF | HS | Ave | SR | 100s | 50s | |
| Arjuna Ranatunga | 6 | 6 | 4 | 241 | 210 | 75* | 120.50 | 114.8 | 1 | |
| Aravinda de Silva | 6 | 6 | 1 | 448 | 416 | 145 | 89.60 | 107.7 | 2 | 2 |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 7 | 7 | 1 | 523 | 609 | 137 | 87.17 | 85.9 | 2 | 3 |
| Saeed Anwar | 6 | 6 | 2 | 329 | 343 | 83* | 82.25 | 95.9 | 3 | |
| Mark Waugh | 7 | 7 | 1 | 484 | 563 | 130 | 80.67 | 86.0 | 3 | 1 |
Jayasuriya won the Man of the Series despite scoring only 221 runs at 36.83, and there was a reason for that. Not only did he decide only two matches with his ruthless hitting, but he also instilled fear in the hearts of opposition bowlers: no longer were they safe, even during the first over. The fact that Ranatunga and de Silva occur at Nos. 2 and 3 tells a lot about Sri Lanka’s reasons for success.
| Highest strike rates (150 or more runs) | ||||||||||
| M | I | NO | R | BF | HS | Ave | SR | 100s | 50s | |
| Sanath Jayasuriya | 6 | 6 | 221 | 168 | 82 | 36.83 | 131.5 | 2 | ||
| Arjuna Ranatunga | 6 | 6 | 4 | 241 | 210 | 75* | 120.50 | 114.8 | 1 | |
| Aravinda de Silva | 6 | 6 | 1 | 448 | 416 | 145 | 89.60 | 107.7 | 2 | 2 |
| Brian Lara | 6 | 6 | 1 | 269 | 256 | 111 | 53.80 | 105.1 | 1 | 1 |
| Andrew Hudson | 4 | 4 | 275 | 271 | 161 | 68.75 | 101.5 | 1 | 1 | |
The relatively flatter tracks meant that the century count rose through the roof, reaching a staggering 16. Mark Waugh scored three of these and Aravinda and Tendulkar two each, while Gary Kirsten went past Richards’ 181 to register the highest score in World Cup cricket. His 188 remains the record.
| Hundreds | |||
| Score | Against | Venue | |
| Gary Kirsten | 188* | UAE | Rawalpindi |
| Andrew Hudson | 161 | Netherlands | Rawalpindi |
| Aravinda de Silva | 145 | Kenya | Kandy |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 137 | Sri Lanka | Kotla |
| Mark Waugh | 130 | Kenya | Visakhapatnam |
| Chris Harris | 130 | Australia | Chepauk |
| Sachin Tendulkar | 127* | Kenya | Cuttack |
| Mark Waugh | 126 | India | Wankhede |
| Aamer Sohail | 111 | South Africa | Karachi |
| Brian Lara | 111 | South Africa | Karachi |
| Mark Waugh | 110 | New Zealand | Chepauk |
| Aravinda de Silva | 107* | Australia | Lahore |
| Vinod Kambli | 106 | Zimbabwe | Green Park |
| Graeme Hick | 104* | Netherlands | Peshawar |
| Ricky Ponting | 102 | West Indies | Jaipur |
| Nathan Astle | 101 | England | Motera |
Bowling records: Six bowlers managed to take 12 or more wickets, of whom four were spinners (and three leg-spinners). Kumble led the way with 15, while Waqar came second with 13.
| Most wickets | ||||||||
| B | R | W | BB | Ave | SR | Econ | 5WIs | |
| Anil Kumble | 416 | 281 | 15 | 3/28 | 18.73 | 27.7 | 4.05 | |
| Waqar Younis | 324 | 253 | 13 | 4/26 | 19.46 | 24.9 | 4.69 | |
| Paul Strang | 253 | 192 | 12 | 5/21 | 16.00 | 21.1 | 4.55 | 1 |
| Roger Harper | 348 | 219 | 12 | 4/47 | 18.25 | 29.0 | 3.78 | |
| Damien Fleming | 272 | 221 | 12 | 5/36 | 18.42 | 22.7 | 4.88 | 1 |
| Shane Warne | 411 | 263 | 12 | 4/34 | 21.92 | 34.3 | 3.84 |
Despite the presence of Kumble and Warne, Strang led the averages chart. One must remember that he did not get to play Zimbabwe, which made his performance even more incredible. Ambrose’s brilliance put him at second.
| Best averages (10 or more wickets) | ||||||||
| B | R | W | BB | Ave | SR | Econ | 5WIs | |
| Paul Strang | 253 | 192 | 12 | 5/21 | 16.00 | 21.1 | 4.55 | 1 |
| Curtly Ambrose | 339 | 170 | 10 | 3/28 | 17.00 | 33.9 | 3.01 | |
| Roger Harper | 348 | 219 | 12 | 4/47 | 18.25 | 29.0 | 3.78 | |
| Damien Fleming | 272 | 221 | 12 | 5/36 | 18.42 | 22.7 | 4.88 | 1 |
| Anil Kumble | 416 | 281 | 15 | 3/28 | 18.73 | 27.7 | 4.05 | |
Strang also led the strike rates chart, and though Fleming came second, Rajab Ali at third was a surprise package. Rajab claimed three three-wicket hauls, the most famous of them during Kenya’s historic win against West Indies at Pune. He also claimed three against Australia.
| Best strike rates (10 or more wickets) | ||||||||
| B | R | W | BB | Ave | SR | Econ | 5WIs | |
| Paul Strang | 253 | 192 | 12 | 5/21 | 16.00 | 21.1 | 4.55 | 1 |
| Damien Fleming | 272 | 221 | 12 | 5/36 | 18.42 | 22.7 | 4.88 | 1 |
| Rajab Ali | 248 | 190 | 10 | 3/17 | 19.00 | 24.8 | 4.60 | |
| Waqar Younis | 324 | 253 | 13 | 4/26 | 19.46 | 24.9 | 4.69 | |
| Anil Kumble | 416 | 281 | 15 | 3/28 | 18.73 | 27.7 | 4.05 | |
As expected, Ambrose and Allan Donald ranked quite highly in terms of economy rate, while Bryan Strang and Aasif Karim made surprise entries.
| Best economy rates (100 or more balls) | ||||||||
| B | R | W | BB | Ave | SR | Econ | 5WIs | |
| Brian McMillan | 258 | 127 | 6 | 3/11 | 21.17 | 43.0 | 2.95 | |
| Curtly Ambrose | 339 | 170 | 10 | 3/28 | 17.00 | 33.9 | 3.01 | |
| Aasif Karim | 288 | 171 | 4 | 1/19 | 42.75 | 72.0 | 3.56 | |
| Bryan Strang | 108 | 66 | 3 | 2/24 | 22.00 | 36.0 | 3.67 | |
| Allan Donald | 204 | 126 | 8 | 3/21 | 15.75 | 25.5 | 3.71 | |
While 1987 had a solitary fifer and 1992 none, 1996 was certainly an improvement. Fleming became the only one to do it against a Test-playing nation (India); Strang’s haul came against Kenya, while Shaukat Dukanwala, the ex-Baroda off-spinner, claimed five against Netherlands.
| Five-wicket hauls | |||
| Figures | Against | Venue | |
| Paul Strang | 5/21 | Kenya | Patna |
| Shaukat Dukanwala | 5/29 | Netherlands | Lahore |
| Damien Fleming | 5/36 | India | Wankhede |
Fielding and wicket-keeping: The usual suspects — Ian Healy, Rashid Latif, Steve Palframan, Jack Russell, and Nayan Mongia — topped the charts, though it was somewhat surprising that Romesh Kaluwitharana did not make it to the top five.
| Most dismissals as wicket-keeper | |||||
| M | C | S | D | D/M | |
| Ian Healy | 7 | 9 | 3 | 12 | 1.71 |
| Rashid Latif | 6 | 7 | 2 | 9 | 1.50 |
| Steve Palframan | 6 | 8 | 8 | 1.33 | |
| Jack Russell | 6 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 1.33 |
| Nayan Mongia | 7 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 1.00 |
The most surprising feat of the World Cup was perhaps Kumble finishing with eight catches — the most in the tournament. Not only did he top the chart, no one else took more than five.
| Most catches as fielder | |||
| M | C | C/M | |
| Anil Kumble | 7 | 8 | 1.14 |
| Alastair Campbell | 6 | 5 | 0.83 |
| Chris Cairns | 6 | 5 | 0.83 |
| Sanath Jayasuriya | 6 | 5 | 0.83 |
| Graham Thorpe | 6 | 5 | 0.83 |
Record partnerships: The Waugh twins put up a 207-run stand for the third wicket against Kenya, which remained the best in the tournament for any wicket. Stuart Law and Michael Bevan played out of their skins to add 138 in the semi-final at Mohali, while the seventh-wicket stand of 44 between Hitesh Modi and Thomas Odoyo was instrumental in Kenya’s triumph over West Indies.
| Highest partnerships | |||||
| Wicket | Runs | Batsman 1 | Batsman 2 | Against | Venue |
| 1 | 186 | Gary Kirsten | Andrew Hudson | Netherlands | Rawalpindi |
| 2 | 138 | Shivnarine Chanderpaul | Brian Lara | South Africa | Karachi |
| 3 | 207 | Mark Waugh | Steve Waugh | Kenya | Visakhapatnam |
| 4 | 168 | Lee Germon | Chris Harris | Australia | Chepauk |
| 5 | 138 | Stuart Law | Michael Bevan | West Indies | Mohali |
| 6 | 80* | Saleem Malik | Wasim Akram | New Zealand | Lahore |
| 7 | 44 | Hitesh Modi | Thomas Odoyo | West Indies | Pune |
| 8 | 62 | Dermot Reeve | Darren Gough | Sri Lanka | Faisalabad |
| 9 | 80* | Arshad Laeeq | Shaukat Dukanwala | South Africa | Rawalpindi |
| 10 | 17 | Craig Matthews | Fanie de Villiers | England | Rawalpindi |
| Craig Matthews | Paul Adams | West Indies | Karachi | ||
Team aggregates: Sri Lanka broke the One-Day International (ODI) record with a whopping 398 for five against Kenya at Kandy, but there were several other scores in excess of 300. South Africa did it twice, both times at Rawalpindi, against UAE at Netherlands.
| Highest team scores | |||
| Team | Score | Against | Venue |
| Sri Lanka | 398/5 (50) | Kenya | Kandy |
| South Africa | 328/3 (50) | Netherlands | Rawalpindi |
| South Africa | 321/2 (50) | UAE | Rawalpindi |
| New Zealand | 307/8 (50) | Netherlands | Vadodara |
| Australia | 304/7 (50) | Kenya | Visakhapatnam |
Not only was West Indies’ humiliation against Kenya at Pune an all-time low in their World Cup history, it was also the only two-digit score of the tournament. The next-lowest score by a Test-playing nation was by England, who were blown away by South Africa at Rawalpindi, their favourite hunting ground.
| Lowest team scores (excludes rain-reduced matches) | |||
| Team | Score | Against | Venue |
| West Indies | 93 (35.2) | Kenya | Pune |
| Kenya | 134 (49.4) | Zimbabwe | Patna |
| UAE | 136 (48.3) | England | Peshawar |
| England | 152 (44.3) | South Africa | Rawalpindi |
| Zimbabwe | 154 (45.3) | Australia | Nagpur |
Biggest margins of victory
By runs: 169
South Africa 321/2 (50) beat UAE 152/8 (50)
By wickets: 9
UAE 109/9 (30) lost to Pakistan 112/1 (18) — 33-over match
By balls to spare: 123
Zimbabwe 151/9 (50) lost to West Indies 155/4 (29.3)
Smallest margins of victory
By runs: 5
Australia 207/8 (50) beat West Indies 202 (49.3)
By wickets: 4
Australia 229/6 (50) lost to West Indies 232/6 (48.5)
By balls to spare: 7
Australia 229/6 (50) lost to West Indies 232/6 (48.5)
