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2019 in Review

2019 in review: Wisden’s top five ODI innings of the year

by Wisden Staff 2 minute read

Eoin Morgan, Carlos Brathwaite, Rohit Sharma, Jonny Bairstow and Ben Stokes. These are the five players who struck the best ODI innings of 2019. Their efforts were each profiled on wisden.com:

No.5: Eoin Morgan, 148 (71)

England v Afghanistan
Manchester
ICC Men’s World Cup, Match 24
June 18

“Despite England going into the tournament as favourites, and as world No.1, early optimism had been tempered by some missteps in the tournament. Fittingly, it was Eoin Morgan, the man who led England’s ODI revolution after the 2015 debacle, who helped remind just what England could do.”

Read Rupin Kale’s full account of the innings here.

No.4: Carlos Brathwaite 101 (82)


West Indies v New Zealand
Manchester
ICC Men’s World Cup, Match 29
June 22

“To make a mark, he had to deliver the goods against a team that occupied the top-spot in the round-robin standings at that point. A nervous start: a thick outside edge that landed inches short of Ross Taylor at first slip, ricocheting off his bucket hands towards the boundary behind the keeper. A confident drive through the extra cover off Ferguson and a clean hoick through the line against Santner followed soon. He was away.”

Read Roshan Gede’s full account of the innings here.

No.3: Rohit Sharma 140 (113)

India v Pakistan
Manchester
ICC Men’s World Cup, Match 22
June 16

“Rohit can sometimes be vulnerable against leg-spin, but this wasn’t one of those days. In Shadab Khan’s first over, he first dispatched him over deep mid-wicket with an elegant flick from outside off, and then slashed one through point to bring up a 34-ball fifty.”

Read Rishad D’Souza’s full account of the innings here.

No.2: Jonny Bairstow 111 (109)

Jonny Bairstow put India’s spinners to the sword during England’s must-win World Cup group game with India

England v India
Edgbaston
ICC Men’s World Cup, Match 38
June 30

“This might seem hyperbolic, but Bairstow has a reasonable claim to be regarded as the best ODI opener of all time. As an opener, he averages 51.58 at a strike-rate of 109.06. Those are phenomenal numbers. For context, Adam Gilchrist averaged 36.50 at a strike rate of 98.02. Bairstow and his opening partner Roy both possess the ability to give England flying starts while still being more than reliable runscorers. It has become a formality for England to be 70-0 at the end of the powerplay.”

Read Yas Rana’s full account of the innings here.

No.1: Ben Stokes 84* (98)

Stokes leaves the field after taking the match to a super over

New Zealand v England
Lord’s
ICC Men’s World Cup, Final
July 14

When he subsequently launched Jimmy Neesham to wide long-off, the end was in sight, with the safe hands of Trent Boult primed to end the contest. And for a brief moment, Boult had the ball and the World Cup in the palm of his hands. A second later, he was lying behind the rope, with the honest Martin Guptill signalling six. Stokes, firmly entrenched in that peculiar place they call “the zone”, repeated the signal. No-one had any idea that the chaos was only just getting started.

Read Taha Hashim’s full account of the innings here.

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