†AUSTRALIA v ENGLAND 1986-87

O'Donnell, driving DeFreitas twice for six, made a valiant attempt to take the finals to a third match by scoring 40 off 27 balls; but England's 187 for nine proved out of range. Australia had seemed well placed when Marsh and Border opened with a stand of 55, but Border's dismissal by Botham in the nineteenth over, caught by French off an edged leg-glance, changed the game. On yet another pitch below standard for a one-day international, lacking pace and bounce and taking a considerable amount of turn, Botham and Emburey gained control by denying batsmen room to play square of the wicket. Botham had a spell of three for 7 in 27 balls and Emburey disposed of Jones with a diving caught and bowled, left-handed. From 80 for four in the 29th over, Wellham and Waugh added 44 in eleven, steadily picking up pace. Then Waugh, attempting a second run to deep third man, was unfortunate to be judged run out by Foster's pinpoint throw and Australia lost momentum. When Wellham and Zoehrer fell to successive balls in DeFreitas's second spell, Australia needed 53 at 8 an over, and only O'Donnell's power and determination kept the margin to single figures.

Botham's 25 off 31 balls had given England a rapid start after Gatting had won the toss and wisely chosen to bat. He straight drove Davis so devastatingly that Border placed a long-off, rather than long-leg, as one of the two men allowed outside the oblong. When Botham was out in the eighth over, well caught by Ritchie at square leg, Broad (87 balls) and Lamb (39) carried England to what proved a winning score.

Man of the Finals: I. T. Botham. Attendance: 33,655.