The best of the bilaterals: the top non-World Cup ODI innings of 2019
by Ben Gardner
@Ben_Wisden 5 minute read
Ben Gardner picks out 10 non-World Cup innings from 2019 that deserve not to be forgotten.
It’s perhaps to be expected that Wisden’s ODI year in review lists are all filled with performances from a six-week period in England’s early summer.
The World Cup, won in unforgettable fashion by England, dominates and the non-World Cup bilateral series are shunted to the side, with some deeming those played before the global event as little more than glorified warm-ups.
And yet, there was plenty of exciting 50-over action to be had outside of that 10-team tournament in England and Wales, with records smashed, thrillers contested, and players discovered. Here are the 10 best non-World Cup ODI innings of 2019.
John Campbell, 179
Ireland v West Indies
Dublin
May 5
WHAT. A. PARTNERSHIP. ?
John Campbell and Shai Hope have smashed the world record for the highest ODI stand, falling just eight runs shy of breaking the record for any wicket. ?
Absolutely incredible! ?#IREvWI pic.twitter.com/paPdsvC2Zt
— ICC (@ICC) May 5, 2019
Imam-ul-Haq, 151
England v Pakistan
Bristol
May 14
Imam-ul-Haq’s monster knock took Pakistan to a formidable total after a shaky start
From 27-2 and 95-3, Imam-ul-Haq’s 151 helped Pakistan make 358-9 against the future world champions. A run-a-ball to his hundred and then significantly quicker after, this was a knock to show Imam could be the modern opener Pakistan needed. This being England, the runs were knocked off comfortably, but the lasting impression was that Pakistan had found one.
Babar Azam, 115
Pakistan v Sri Lanka
Karachi
September 30
Babar Azam scores the first ODI century in the National Stadium, Karachi since 2009!https://t.co/U62lhUFlwR pic.twitter.com/QiaksiAyP9
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) September 30, 2019
Rohit Sharma, 159
India v West Indies
Visakhapatnam
December 18
Rohit Sharma’s 159 is only the sixth highest score of his ODI career
Every year since 2013, the highest score for that particular 12-month period has been made by a certain Rohit Sharma. And if his 2019 best was a minor monster for a man with three doubles, it was still typically brilliant. As ever, he took his time before exploding, but just as comforting as that familiar sight was that of KL Rahul learning in his wake. The pair added 227 before the latter fell for 102. Perhaps Rohit’s work will finally be done when one of those aspiring to be him ends top of the tree come the end of a December.
Shimron Hetmyer, 139
India v West Indies
Chennai
December 15
On a pitch no one else truly got to grips with, including Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, Shimron Hetmyer stood tall above the rest. While Hope played the anchor role, Hetmyer shimmered and sparkled, stroking seven sixes in all. The margin makes it look like a cruise, but without his buoyancy, West Indies would have been sunk.
Chris Gayle, 162
West Indies v England
St George’s
February 27
Universe Boss was trumped by Universe Jos
Before West Indies’ ODI series against England, Chris Gayle confirmed that we were seeing the last of the Universe Boss on the big stage, with his retirement set for after the World Cup. It wasn’t all that surprising, with the Jamaican’s powers seemingly on the wane and upstarts clambering for his place. The sense lingered that he was jumping before being pushed. Then, chasing 419 in the fourth ODI, Gayle rediscovered his form, smashing 14 sixes in his 162 as the hosts almost pulled off the impossible. Soon after he hinted at his “un-retirement”, and he might yet feature in our 2020 year-end lists.
Jos Buttler, 150
West Indies v England
St George’s
February 27
The high point of an odd sort of year for Jos Buttler, with England’s white-ball genius reduced to a supporting role in their World Cup campaign. There were plenty of demonstrations of his ODI brilliance before it, but this was something else, 150 off 77 balls, having come in with just under half the innings to play. Universe Boss was no match for Universe Jos.
Andrew Balbirnie, 145*
Afghanistan v Ireland
Dehradun
March 5
Andrew Balbirnie was appointed captain of Ireland in all three formats after William Porterfield stepped down from the role
Ireland didn’t make the World Cup, and Afghanistan did, the 10-team format supposed to maintain competitiveness. But Andrew Balbirnie showed there was no sizeable gap between the best and the rest with his unbeaten 145*, which levelled a series Ireland would go onto draw. In a low-scoring series in unfamiliar conditions, the tourists were struggling at 29-3 and 73-4 in pursuit of 258, but Balbirnie held firm, sweeping Rashid Khan to distraction to secure a memorable victory.
Thisara Perera, 140
New Zealand v Sri Lanka
Mount Maunganui
January 5
In its own way, Thisara Perera’s innings set the tone for 2019, when the spectacular lone-hand effort became commonplace. Chasing 320, Sri Lanka looked gone as the slid to 128-7, only for Thisara to blitz 13 sixes in an incredible 74-ball assault. With plenty of dropped catches helping his cause, he took his side within 22 runs of a victory that might have topped anything we would later see before holing out. That it was the all-rounder’s maiden international hundred, after more than a decade on the scene, only made it all the more sensational.
Ashton Turner, 84
India v Australia
Mohali
March 10
What a finish from @Ashtonturner_70 in Mohali!
In just his second ODI, he has hit 84* from 43 balls to give Australia their highest ever successful ODI chase, overturning India’s 359/8 with 13 balls remaining!
Scorecard ? https://t.co/FczOVeimPP pic.twitter.com/49qlL4K6GF
— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) March 10, 2019
