14 yrs since Australia made history with hat-trick World Cup win

Team Udayavani, Apr 28, 2021, 12:16 PM IST

It was on this day (April 28) in 2007 at Kensington Oval in Barbados, that Australian cricket sealed their place in the sport’s history with a hat-trick win in the ICC Cricket World Cup.

After their win in 2015, Australia raised their total wins to 5 (they had won in 1987, 1999, 2003) in the event that has been held 12 times since its debut in 1975 making them the most successful cricket-playing country.

The 2007 final was also a chance for Australia to take back the glory from Sri Lanka as these were the same finalists facing each other in the 1996 final which Sri Lanka won.

The day of the final began with much confusion as a slight drizzle led to a heavy downpour. However, by match time the sky was clear and the match began in earnest with the overs brought down to 38.

Opener duo Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden scored 172 before the fall of the first wicket – a new record. Gilchrist’s score of 149 in 129 balls was also the highest in a World Cup final.

The Aussies had made 281 with a fall of 4 wickets.

The Lankans Kumar Sangakkara and Sanath Jayasuriya added 116 till the second wicket and after the pair were out, the team chances diminished.

Rain again played spoilsport curtailing the overs further to 36 and the score to 269.

Mistakes and mismanagement followed as the match resumed.

The lights at the stadium developed technical difficulties and the umpires incorrectly announced that the match will continue the next day assuming that the minimum 20 overs rule will not apply as the match was stopped due to low lights and not rain. (Later the three umpires apologised for their mistake).

Sri Lanka needed 61 from 28 deliveries and Mahela Jayawardene agreed that returning the next day was not necessary.

The match then continued in complete darkness with Australia finally winning through the Duckworth-Lewis method.

The 2007 World Cup also had another controversy. Pakistan’s coach Bob Woolmer was found dead hours after the team was out of the tournament with West Indies investigators later delivering an open verdict over his death.