Six astonishing last-over finishes
Carlos Brathwaite was the hero for West Indies in Kolkata - but he's not the only player to have pulled a game out of the fire
Andrew McGlashan
04-Apr-2016
Michael Hussey hugs Mitchell Johnson after completing a miracle chase against Pakistan • Getty Images
Before Carlos Brathwaite's heroics, this was the most runs successfully hunted down in the final over of a T20I. Saeed Ajmal, whose first three overs had brought 1 for 23, was the man with the ball. Michael Hussey and Mitchell Johnson at the crease. Johnson faced the first delivery, squeezing it for a single, then it was over to Mr Cricket. Ajmal could not get the ball full enough, allowing Hussey to lever underneath the next three deliveries: two went for six over the leg side, followed by a boundary to level the scores through point. As with Brathwaite's display suddenly the scores were tied, despair for the bowler. Two balls remained. Hussey needed just one. A huge blow over long-on took Australia into the final.
This was the tour which started so badly that journalist Martin Johnson famously wrote "there are only three things wrong with the English team - they can't bat, they can't bowl, and they can't field". England went on to win everything on offer. Most significantly that included the Ashes, but there was one-day success as well. At the SCG, Allan Lamb carried England to a victory that was a long shot when he faced up to the final over from Bruce Reid. The first ball he drove through the covers for two (a better throw would have found Phil DeFreitas short). Next he swung a leg-stump delivery backward of square - "that makes it interesting," called Bill Lawry - followed up by a huge mow over deep midwicket for six. Six needed off three. Another two came with the help of an overthrow - "the wheels are coming off," exclaimed Lawry - then Lamb finished it with a ball to spare with a powerful whip off his pads.
Pakistan did not have much batting remaining - eight down - but Sohail Tanvir was at the crease and on strike for the start of the final over. In trying to push the game deep, George Bailey had used up all his quicks so it was over to Glenn Maxwell to bowl the last six deliveries. Surely Pakistan would scramble a couple somewhere. Tanvir didn't connect with the first. Still, two off five was okay. But then Tanvir swipes across the line and is bowled. Mohammad Irfan is at No. 11. Mohammad Irfan can't bat. He blocks his first ball, then tries to slog his second. Now it's two from two. He can only connect with fresh air again off the penultimate ball. The last delivery did find Irfan's bat … but looped straight up to cover. Maxwell had won it with a double-wicket maiden.
McCullum batting fireworks win a match for New Zealand. Nathan, though, not Brendon. The match had been reduced to 23 overs by rain; New Zealand's target a demanding 198 after the calculations. Jimmy Neesham scampered three off the first two balls against Rangana Herath, bringing McCullum on to strike with 17 needed off four balls. A six over cover kept the game open, but the odds were still with Sri Lanka. Then another boundary through the off side. Amazingly, the scores were levelled with a ball remaining when McCullum cleared long-off. And there were no half measures in finishing the comeback as a third six off the over sealed the deal.
The runs required were not completely beyond belief, but you had gnarled tournament veterans in Ireland against the newcomers of Oman. Having clawed back a strong Oman start, Ireland were fancied to hold on for victory, especially as the preceding over had brought just four runs and two wickets. Then it all went wrong. Max Sorensen lost control of a wet ball and could barely land it. A head-high full toss went for four and though the free hit only brought a single another full toss was then dispatched. It had become three from three. But was there another twist? Amir Ali, who had done so much to keep Oman alive, edged a catch behind. The No. 10 was on strike with three still needed. It was another booming full toss. Another no-ball. Munis Ansari missed. So did the wicketkeeper. Oman had their moment of history.
After South Africa's exit from the World T20, Russell Domingo defended the role of Charl Langeveldt as bowling coach, saying that he had been one of South Africa's best ever death bowlers. This was a day when he showed his skills. West Indies, led by Chris Gayle's 132, had marshalled their chase of 285 impressively. Gayle departed near the end, but with four needed and three wickets in hand it was all pointing West Indies' way, especially with Dwayne Bravo at the crease. Bravo regained the strike for the second ball of the final over - three off five needed - but could have been run out taking a single next delivery. It was the last ball he faced. Ian Bradshaw and Darren Powell missed leg-side heaves to length deliveries, then Corey Collymore was trapped lbw. Won with a hat-trick. Simple.
Andrew McGlashan is a deputy editor at ESPNcricinfo