Lording it at Lord's

Ottis Gibson produced a Man-of-the-Match display in the Friends Provident final at the weekend as his three wickets put Durham on course for their first trophy. Cricinfo looks back at 11 other players to have claimed Man-of-the-Match awards for starring in finals at Lord's

Clive Lloyd lifts the 1975 World Cup after scoring a hundred in the final © The Cricketer International Enlarge

Geoff Boycott, 146 v Surrey, Gillette Cup, 1965
Boycott's name wasn't often one associated with great one-day innings, but he had his moments. It was the third year of major domestic one-day finals (Sussex had won the first two Gillette Cup titles) and Boycott's 146 allowed Yorkshire to pile up an imposing 317. Even though it was 60-over cricket at the time, scores over 300 were a rarity. Boycott had been through a poor season, but as Wisden reported "he cast aside his troubles and played forcing shots all round the wicket". He struck 15 fours and three sixes, setting new records for highest individual score and highest partnership (192 with Brian Close); Yorkshire's total was also a record. Boycott's 146 remained his highest one-day score.

Clive Lloyd, 102 v Australia, World Cup, 1975
The game was still adjusting to one-day cricket, but West Indies were proving to be as adept at the shorter version as they were at Test cricket. Lloyd's outstanding century came off 82 balls against an Australian attack including Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson. Wisden said Lloyd "showed himself master of the situation". For good measure he added the wicket of Doug Walters, as West Indies withstood a brave Australia batting performance.

Viv Richards, 138 v England, World Cup, 1979
Richards had played his part in West Indies' victory in the first World Cup in 1975 with three run-outs, and their second title owed everything to a wonderful innings from him. He hit 11 fours and three sixes as England paid for trying to fill in for the lack of a fifth specialist bowler with three part-timers. The 12 overs from Boycott, Graham Gooch and Wayne Larkins went for 86. Richards added 137 with Collis King, and stayed until the end of the innings. It remained the highest score in a one-day match at Lord's until 2006 when in a women's match Claire Taylor hit 156 for England against India.

Viv Richards pulls a boundary during his unbeaten 138 in 1979 © Getty Images Enlarge

Geoff Cook, 111 v Derbyshire, NatWest Trophy, 1981
Last weekend Cook was holding the Friends Provident Trophy aloft as coach of Durham, but in 1981 he was at the centre of a thrilling NatWest Trophy final as captain of Northamptonshire. "Playing reassuringly straight", as Wisden later put it, he anchored their innings of 235, adding an opening stand of 99 with Larkins and striking 11 boundaries. However, John Wright and Peter Kirsten put Derbyshire on course in the run-chase, and they needed six off the last over with fewer wickets down. Cook spent two minutes setting his field for the final ball, but couldn't prevent the winning single. Still, his innings went a long way towards securing him a place on the winter tour.

Jim Love, 75 not out v Northamptonshire, B&H Cup, 1987
With wickets falling around him Love held his nerve and blocked the last ball of the final to hand Yorkshire (who had lost fewer wickets) the title. The limited-overs game was his forte, where he was able to provide vital impetus to the middle and late overs. In this match he struck only five boundaries in 93 balls, but it was the last of those deliveries that was the match-winner. Emotion took over and he punched the air as Yorkshire picked up a rare piece of silverware during a troubled time when infighting dominated the dressing room.

Asif Din, 104 v Sussex, NatWest Trophy, 1993
Still the greatest domestic final. Sussex had racked up 321, with David Smith making 124, and Warwickshire struggled in the early stages of the run-chase. At 93 for 3 there seemed only one winner, but Asif Din played the innings of his life with 104 off 106 balls. Gradually Warwickshire began to believe they could chase down the runs, but when Asif Din fell, 15 were still needed from the final over. Dermot Reeve, their inspirational captain, made 13 off five balls before Roger Twose lofted the final ball over cover. "I've now won three NatWest finals but this one was the best," said Reeve. "We plan to let the champagne flow in the dressing room tonight. Asif Din played magnificently."

Shane Warne celebrates a wicket in the 1999 World Cup final © AFP Enlarge

Aravinda de Silva, 112 v Lancashire, B&H Cup, 1995
It was an innings which deserved to bring a victory, but even de Silva's breathtaking 112 for Kent couldn't turn the tables on Lancashire. de Silva was known as a world-class batsman, but he had yet to receive the exposure of the 1996 World Cup. Entering at 37 for 2, he twice picked up good-length balls from Ian Austin and deposited them into the Mound Stand. Lancashire didn't quite know how to bowl at de Silva; pitch the ball up and he drove, drop it fractionally short and he pulled or cut. It was a one-man show - Graham Cowdrey's 25 was the next highest score - and when he was caught by Graham Lloyd on the deep square-leg boundary Lancashire were home and dry. But everyone left remembering de Silva's innings.

Glen Chapple, 6 for 18 v Essex, NatWest Trophy, 1996
Lancashire were making another of their regular appearances at Lord's - and their second of the season after winning the B&H Cup against Northamptonshire - but their ambitions of a double appeared to be disappearing as Essex's seamers made the most of helpful conditions. Lancashire laboured to 186 off their 60 overs, but what followed was one of the more dramatic collapses seen at Lord's. Peter Martin began the rout, then Chapple obliterated the middle and lower order with late swing. The Essex batsmen could barely lay bat on his sharp legcutters, and their 57 remains the lowest total in a final.

Shane Warne, 4 for 33 v Pakistan, World Cup, 1999
More than once it appeared that Australia were heading out of the World Cup, but they came through two thrilling encounters against South Africa (including the tie at Edgbaston) to take on Pakistan in the final. It turned into a cakewalk. Australia's attack had slowly improved during the tournament and was at its best when it mattered. Warne, still hurting from the 1996 final defeat against Sri Lanka in Lahore, turned on the style, ripping a delivery through Ijaz Ahmed and befuddling the middle order. Pakistan were humbled for 132 and Australia cruised home by eight wickets.

James Kirtley traps Nathan Astle lbw in the 2006 C&G final © Getty Images Enlarge

Mohammad Kaif, 87 not out v England, NatWest Series, 2002
When Ashley Giles bowled Sachin Tendulkar, India were 146 for 5 chasing 326 and nobody gave them much of a chance. That was before two young Indian batsmen came together and graced Lord's with a magnificent stand. Yuvraj Singh began the rescue act, but it was Kaif who carried the chase through to the end. He drove and pulled imperiously against England's quick bowlers, and wherever Nasser Hussain put his fielders Kaif found the gaps. He ran England ragged for 75 balls as India squeezed home with three deliveries to spare. It appeared another batting star had emerged, but Kaif struggled to maintain his form and by the time India arrived for their next main tour in 2007 he was playing A-team cricket.

James Kirtley, 5 for 27 v Lancashire, C&G Trophy, 2006
This was an emotional success for Kirtley, not only because it bowled Sussex to a 15-run victory but because it also signalled his revival after controversy over his bowling action threatened his career. The previous winter he had remodelled himself after being reported to the ECB, five years after encountering a similar problem on tour in Zimbabwe. Early in the 2006 season he couldn't find a place in the Sussex team, only slowly being reintroduced into the side. But his bowling at the start and end of the innings made him an asset in one-day cricket and he proved himself at the vital time. Sussex were defending an under-par 172, but Kirtley removed Mal Loye, Nathan Astle and Stuart Law in his first spell, returning to wrap up the win with his fourth and fifth lbws. A few weeks later Sussex added the County Championship title.