Best ending to a game

[Richard]

To be fair, from a Kiwi standpoint that would have been entertaining, it was from mine. I don't know too many non-Englishman who were watching that game that weren't backing the Kiwis. Yes the result was not in doubt, but boy that sort of ending to a test match doesn't happen often.

You watch Hoggard's reaction upon taking the last wicket and tell me the result wasn't in doubt.

 

[Richard]

For a test match finish I think the most surreal, if not the greatest, was us winning in the gloom in Karachi in the 3rd test in the 2000/01 series. It was practically night!

The disappointing thing about that is I have to turn down the brightness every time I watch it - the darn cameras take away all the atmosphere by making it look infinately lighter than it actually was.

 

[Richard]

World Cup 1999 semi-final - Australia v South Africa.

If Gilchrist had fumbled the ball, let it through his legs and Donald had made his ground it'd rate as my fave. Given that it didn't, it was one of the worst moments I've ever seen.
I can't believe no-one seems to have mentioned this, as it was not merely topsy-turvy 50 times over, but one of the most significant matches in the history of English cricket. Think of the lots of thick and not much thin that's happened since 2000, and think... if that match had gone the other way, it's very conceivable that we'd still be stuck in the dark-ages.

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

I'd trace it back further and say NZ's position at 252 for 6 was much worse than at 333 for 9.

Err, how? 333 for 9 is absolutely and utterly hopeless... one more wicket and the game is gone. 252 for 6 leaves plenty of room for heroics - that's only the number 8 batsman coming to the crease then, and there's always a top order batsman around.

 

[twctopcat]

After wharf had desroyed the middle order, butler comes in at 10 with Kent at 113-8 to win it for Kent by one wicket with 6 needed off the last ball.

http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/...RDS/29-31AUG2004/GLAM_KENT_NLF_29AUG2004.html

Saw that on sky, was a great match!

 

[Somerset]

After wharf had desroyed the middle order, butler comes in at 10 with Kent at 113-8 to win it for Kent by one wicket with 6 needed off the last ball.

http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/...RDS/29-31AUG2004/GLAM_KENT_NLF_29AUG2004.html

Wow, a fantastic match there, Alex Wharf who I don't rate particularly highly was brilliant. Not a bad performance from Ian Butler, 2/11 from 5 overs, and two sixes in his unbeaten 18.

 

[Somerset]

Surely best finish would be a close game where the result was actually in doubt?

At 9/333 the result obviously wasn't in doubt. At 9/450 I struggle to believe anyone was sticking with that. If Astle hadn't edged through to Foster, and had continued striking the ball the way he had been, then New Zealand, even though they were nine wickets down, still had a decent chance to win the match IMO.

 

[Black Thunder]

probably the most memorable for me would the Windies beating us by 1 run in Adelaide in 92/93. i remember it so clearly and i was only 8 at the time. Walsh was bowling - McDermott and May had put on about 50 and got to within one run when Walsh bowled it a little shorter. McDermott missed the ball by about a foot but was given out and Border slammed the cricket ball into the ground in the dressing sheds.

Remarkable finish to the fourth test in one of the great series of all time.

Another game WA people may be familiar with was the first grade grand final about 7 years ago. Whichever team batted first finished first on the table so batted as long possible getting to about 430. They then had the opposition 9/150-ish, and the two batsmen at the crease were fringe-WA players (Brad Olroyd was one i think, but can't remember who the other was). Anyway, neither had made it past 20 that season but both scored tons and won the game with a 250+ last wicket stand. Something along those lines anyway. Pretty remarkable that victory!

 

[PAKMAN]

the one with miandad six of the last ball at sharjah ,abdul qadir hitting 10 runs of the last three balls against w.indies,pakistan tied the match with srilanka with great bowling byAbdl Razzaq

 

[twctopcat]

England vs WI in the ODI at bourda last year when Chris Read rescued us from nowhere, poor old corey collymore.

 

[12th Man]

SA v Aus 1999
SA v Eng 2005
Eng v WI 2004 (ICC final)
Ind v Aus 2004 (final test)

 

[wpdavid]

I can't believe no-one seems to have mentioned (cue link to England vs WI at Lord's in 2000)this, as it was not merely topsy-turvy 50 times over, but one of the most significant matches in the history of English cricket. Think of the lots of thick and not much thin that's happened since 2000, and think... if that match had gone the other way, it's very conceivable that we'd still be stuck in the dark-ages.

Agreed about that being one of the alltime great finishes.
The 2nd Trinidad test in 1997/98 was also nailbiting stuff. IIRC Headley & Butcher saw us home, but it was mighty close.

 

[12th Man]

I forgot about zimbabwe v england test match at bulawayo in 96. i was a young kid watching that, what a finish

 

[Hit4Six]

eng vs ind natwest series final

 

[Sanz]

1987 tied test at Chepauk. One of my fav. test and when Greg Mathews finally had Maninder Singh LBW, history was created. One of the Memorable match for me.

Also I think the 1986 Sharjah Cup Final where Miandad hit Sharma for a six to win the final was the best ODI finish I have seen in my life. Only thing was it was against India.

 

[Richard]

Agreed about that being one of the alltime great finishes.
The 2nd Trinidad test in 1997/98 was also nailbiting stuff. IIRC Headley & Butcher saw us home, but it was mighty close.

Just a shame we'd managed to lose that Tufnell-over-the-wicket match the previous week.

 

[Richard]

England vs WI in the ODI at bourda last year when Chris Read rescued us from nowhere, poor old corey collymore.

That's the only time where I've ever thought the result of a match was a foregone conclusion and it's turned on it's head.
Remember - I didn't watch your avatar match. Nor did my Dad - he preferred to knock down a porch in front of the house they owned 8 houses ago.

 

[Richard]

At 9/333 the result obviously wasn't in doubt. At 9/450 I struggle to believe anyone was sticking with that. If Astle hadn't edged through to Foster, and had continued striking the ball the way he had been, then New Zealand, even though they were nine wickets down, still had a decent chance to win the match IMO.

Like I say

You watch Hoggard's reaction upon taking the last wicket and tell me the result wasn't in doubt.

 

[Richard]

Err, how? 333 for 9 is absolutely and utterly hopeless... one more wicket and the game is gone. 252 for 6 leaves plenty of room for heroics - that's only the number 8 batsman coming to the crease then, and there's always a top order batsman around.

The number-eight batsman who just happened to be Daniel Vettori (who, remember, was a much, much worse batsman at that time than he currently is), and with just 3 more wickets (2 of them being Ian Butler and Chris Drum) needing to be taken to win the match.
These heriocs you speak of - tell me, is it really thinkable that 300 runs could be scored in a partnership with Vettori (remembering that the only 2 expected to bat are total rabbits)? Or is it thinkable that these two could bat for 5 sessions to save the game?
I don't know whether or not you watched that Test, but Astle (who'd been scoring very fast anyway) started to cut loose once Vettori came to the wicket. The game was gone once Parore was out - there was no point (so we thought) in Cairns batting, rabbits were the only wickets left, and that was when Astle started to play more extravagantly. That was when I'd say the "finish" to the match, and the astonishing events, really started.

 

[Richard]

eng vs ind natwest series final

Another good one - just before Yuvraj is out, India are coasting. Yuvraj gets himself out, there are only tailenders to come. Harbhajan somehow manages to swing a big six, then Kaif hits another couple of fours. Then Harbhajan plays a crazy shot and is bowled, Kumble is incorrectly given out (by Bucknor) down leg-side, and the game's back in the balance. Then Khan gets the winning runs.