New Cricket Web Feature In the Works...

[James]

The Cricket Web team are planning on putting together a section on the site for the Top 5 ODIs and Top 5 Test Matches for each nation since ODI and Test cricket began and we'd like everyones help in putting this together.

Often your suggestions on what you believe are the Top 5 Tests and/or ODIs for your country or another country that you follow.

Once decided, the CW team will have the final say on the list and the section will be put together

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Off the top of my head, WI v Aus 3rd Test in 1999 would have to be up there. Haven't put much thought into it yet, but the other recent classic I remember is the WI v Aus 4th Test in 2003.

[FaaipDeOiad]

I'll have a go. I'm sticking entirely to series I've seen myself, and picking them based purely on the Australian perspective and not on the overall quality of the games from a neutral view. In other words, there's no India 2001, because that will be in India's section. I'll do tests now, and try for ODIs later.

Most of these are of the "great moment/achievement" or "significant match" mould rather than the "entertaining contest" mould. Really depends on your critera, as only some games will meet both.


vs West Indies, 4th Test, Sabina Park, 29/04/1995
1-1 in the de facto world championship series, and with the game in the balance Steve and Mark Waugh put on 231 and Steve went on to his only test 200 to set up a big win and a series victory in the West Indies. Huge moment for Australian cricket.

vs South Africa, 1st test, Wanderers, 22/02/2002
Not a close match, but probably the pinnacle of Australia's domination of world cricket. Up against the second best team in the world after a home whitewash, the first test of the away leg, and the result really drove home the gulf between the sides. Gilchrist made a double century, Warne and McGrath shared 15 wickets, and Australia won by an innings and 360 runs.

vs Pakistan, 2nd Test, Hobart, 18/11/1999
Had to pick one with a great chase, and part of the record winning streak, so this one makes it. 5/126 chasing 369 against a good attack on the final morning, and Adam Gilchrist in his second test and Justin Langer fighting for his place in the side put on 238 and carry Australia home. Had a large part in creating the Gilchrist legend, and was probably the toughest win of all those in the 16 consecutive wins.

vs South Africa, 2nd Test, Durban (?), 14/03/1997
No team had beaten South Africa at home in a series since they were re-admitted to cricket, but Australia led this series 1-0 coming into the second test on a greentop. Australia were ripped out for 108 in their first innings and gave up a significant lead, and when South Africa cruised to 0/80 odd in their second innings it looked like they'd set an impossible target. Warne and Bevan took 5 on the third day and along with Gillespie kept the target in check, and then with Pollock injured Mark Waugh defied the rest of the home attack to make 116 in the fourth innings. Clearly the best innings of his career, and it helped to successfully chase down 290 and win the series, sealed with a Healy six.

vs India, 3rd Test, Nagpur, 26/10/2004
Australia conquer the final fronteir. Martyn and Clarke score big in both innings to make it hard for India on an unusual home pitch, and Gillespie bowls brilliantly with 9 for the match. Even Warne rises to the occasion in India, bowling reasonably well, and Australia win by almost 350 runs to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the series and complete the last leg of their sweep of world cricket between '95 and '05.

[silentstriker]

For India:

The Laxman Match (2001) - Obvious, India forced to follow on, post a huge second innings total, Laxman plays massively, and the rest is history

Port of Spain (1971) - Gavaskar and co. chase down 400+ fourth innings total to set a world record and beat the west indies

1952 (Madras): First ever Indian test victory

2003 (Adelaide): Victory in Australia!

2004 (Pakistan): Overseas series victory against Pak


ODI:

NatWest Final against England
World Cup Final against West Indies

[Can't think of any other truly memorable ones]

[chris.hinton]

Ashes 2005 has to be included

[age_master]

I'll have a go. I'm sticking entirely to series I've seen myself, and picking them based purely on the Australian perspective and not on the overall quality of the games from a neutral view. In other words, there's no India 2001, because that will be in India's section. I'll do tests now, and try for ODIs later.

Most of these are of the "great moment/achievement" or "significant match" mould rather than the "entertaining contest" mould. Really depends on your critera, as only some games will meet both.


vs West Indies, 4th Test, Sabina Park, 29/04/1995
1-1 in the de facto world championship series, and with the game in the balance Steve and Mark Waugh put on 231 and Steve went on to his only test 200 to set up a big win and a series victory in the West Indies. Huge moment for Australian cricket.

vs South Africa, 1st test, Wanderers, 22/02/2002
Not a close match, but probably the pinnacle of Australia's domination of world cricket. Up against the second best team in the world after a home whitewash, the first test of the away leg, and the result really drove home the gulf between the sides. Gilchrist made a double century, Warne and McGrath shared 15 wickets, and Australia won by an innings and 360 runs.

vs Pakistan, 2nd Test, Hobart, 18/11/1999
Had to pick one with a great chase, and part of the record winning streak, so this one makes it. 5/126 chasing 369 against a good attack on the final morning, and Adam Gilchrist in his second test and Justin Langer fighting for his place in the side put on 238 and carry Australia home. Had a large part in creating the Gilchrist legend, and was probably the toughest win of all those in the 16 consecutive wins.

vs South Africa, 2nd Test, Durban (?), 14/03/1997
No team had beaten South Africa at home in a series since they were re-admitted to cricket, but Australia led this series 1-0 coming into the second test on a greentop. Australia were ripped out for 108 in their first innings and gave up a significant lead, and when South Africa cruised to 0/80 odd in their second innings it looked like they'd set an impossible target. Warne and Bevan took 5 on the third day and along with Gillespie kept the target in check, and then with Pollock injured Mark Waugh defied the rest of the home attack to make 116 in the fourth innings. Clearly the best innings of his career, and it helped to successfully chase down 290 and win the series, sealed with a Healy six.

vs India, 3rd Test, Nagpur, 26/10/2004
Australia conquer the final fronteir. Martyn and Clarke score big in both innings to make it hard for India on an unusual home pitch, and Gillespie bowls brilliantly with 9 for the match. Even Warne rises to the occasion in India, bowling reasonably well, and Australia win by almost 350 runs to take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the series and complete the last leg of their sweep of world cricket between '95 and '05.

yep some great matches there, that Hobart test is my favourite out of all the matches i have seen

[Samuel_Vimes]

Heh, Bangladesh will be a challenge. This match, Pakistan, both Zimbabwe Tests in 2005, maybe the first one where they made 400?

[Ming]

Top ODI for NZ has to be the world-record chase in Christchurch. McCullum take a bow.

[vic_orthdox]

Zimbabwe vs Pakistan. The "Flowering" of Zimbabwean cricket

[Jungle Jumbo]

Heh, Bangladesh will be a challenge. This match, Pakistan, both Zimbabwe Tests in 2005, maybe the first one where they made 400?

Seeing as I'll probably end up writing them...

Inaugural Test vs India
One-wicket loss vs Pakistan
Draw vs West Indies
First win vs Zimbabwe
Current Test vs Australia

[GIMH]

My personal favourites as an Englishman are all from my own era only, so I don't expect to see them in the Top 5 at all. Just off the top of my head here are some I personally enjoyed

V Australia, Edgbaston 97
V Australia, Edgbaston 05
V Australia, Trent Bridge 05
in West Indies, Barbados 04
V South Africa, Headingley 98

I'd probably change that if I thought about it more, in fact I know I would, they were just matches that sprung to mind quickly.I have to go to work now but next time I am on I shall explain my choices.

[Xuhaib]

For Pakistan

In Tests.
1.England 1954 Oval
2.Aus 1976 Sydney
3.WI 1986 Faislabad
4.Wi 1988 Guyana
5.Ind 1999 Chennai

[Neil Pickup]

My personal favourites as an Englishman are all from my own era only, so I don't expect to see them in the Top 5 at all. Just off the top of my head here are some I personally enjoyed

V Australia, Edgbaston 97
V Australia, Edgbaston 05
V Australia, Trent Bridge 05
in West Indies, Barbados 04
V South Africa, Headingley 98

I'd probably change that if I thought about it more, in fact I know I would, they were just matches that sprung to mind quickly.I have to go to work now but next time I am on I shall explain my choices.

Edgbaston is in the top five Tests of all time, full stop. That much is given...

[Blaze]

Edgbaston is in the top five Tests of all time, full stop. That much is given...

I think there are others that could challenge it. Probably is in the Top 6-7.

[GIMH]

V Australia, Edgbaston 97

Okay, the first match of the 97 Ashes, it was the first time Cricket really got me interested, and we battered them, Nasser got 207 and Thorpe 138, and in the end we won by nine wickets. Unfortunately we didn't win again until the 6th Test, which was a dead rubber, but 3-2 was as close as we got til last year lol

V Australia, Edgbaston 05

Do I need to say anything?

V Australia, Trent Bridge 05

Another dull match, cricket is boring. All that happened here was, England romped to 477 all out with Flintoff scoring 102, then bowled the Aussies out for 218, and forced them to follow-on. i think most agree in retrospect maybe we shouldn't have chosen the follow-on, but how were we to know that Jones would only bowl 4 overs in the second innings? They set us a measly target of 129, Trescothick and Strauss could get that on their own, couldn't they? Er....

in West Indies, Barbados 04

England wrapped up their first series win in the Carribean in 35 years (I think) here, it was a match posied to be close after the first innings, only for England to bowl out the Windies for 94 in the second innings , which included a Matthew Hoggard hat-trick, as he removed Sarwan, Chanderpaul and Hinds. A monumental victory for England, even if West Indies were nowhere near as strong as they have been in the past, it was an hsitoric victory nonetheless, and an ultimately memorable one.

Oh and it was also the first time Flintoff got a 5 wicket haul in Tests

V South Africa, Headingley 98

A very tense and close match, I think it was the first time I watched England win a series, and againt a Saffies side including Kallis, Cronje, Donald etc. Butcher century in the first innings, but England trailed by 20 runs or thereabouts, yet when play ended on Sunday England needed 2 wickets for victory, but South Afirca needed only 35 runs. I was only 14, and spent the night biting my nails and the like, and could not wait. While it wasn't quite Edgbaston close, it was too close for comfort, though with play ending at 11.30, I was left a bit bummed about what to do with the rest of my day LOL.. Notable for a pair from Flintoff and Gough's 100th test wicket.

They are my personal choices. You may find them strange, you may not but hopefully you now understand my reasons