Australia vs England 1987: The Historic 1987 World Cup Final
The 1987 Cricket World Cup, called the Reliance World Cup, was the fourth edition of the tournament. It was hosted by India and Pakistan from October 8 to November 8. This World Cup introduced a key change each team would now play 50 overs per side instead of 60, which became the standard for One Day Internationals (ODIs) afterward. The final, played between Australia and England at Eden Gardens, turned into a nail-biter, with Australia emerging victorious.
Australia’s Journey to the Final
| Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Oct | Chennai | India | Won | 1 run |
| 13 Oct | Chennai | Zimbabwe | Won | 96 runs |
| 18 Oct | Indore | New Zealand | Won | 3 runs |
| 22 Oct | Delhi | India | Lost | 56 runs |
| 27 Oct | Chandigarh | New Zealand | Won | 27 runs |
| 30 Oct | Cuttack | Zimbabwe | Won | 70 runs |
| 4 Nov | Lahore | Pakistan | Won | 18 runs |
| 8 Nov | Kolkata | England | Won | 7 runs |
The 1987 World Cup used a round-robin format with eight teams: India, Pakistan, Australia, England, West Indies, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, and Zimbabwe. Both Australia and England finished second in their respective groups to advance to the knockout stage.
Australia, under Allan Border’s leadership, started strong with a thrilling one-run victory over India. After winning four of their six group games, they defeated Pakistan in the semi-final. David Boon’s 65 and Mike Veletta’s 48 helped Australia post 267/8, which was defended thanks to Craig McDermott’s five-wicket haul.
England’s campaign began with a win over West Indies, followed by victories against Sri Lanka and West Indies in the group stage. In the semi-final, they beat India by 35 runs, with Graham Gooch scoring a century and Mike Gatting contributing a half-century.
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Australia vs England 1987 World Cup Final – A Classic Rivalry
Match Summary:
| Australia | 253-5 (50 Overs) |
|---|---|
| David Boon | 75 (125) |
| Mike Veletta | 45 (31) |
| Dean Jones | 33 (57) |
| England | 246-8 (50 Overs) |
|---|---|
| Bill Athey | 58 (103) |
| Allan Lamb | 45 (55) |
| Mike Gatting | 41 (45) |
Australia batted first after winning the toss. Their openers, David Boon and Geoff Marsh, built a strong partnership of 75 runs. Boon top-scored with 75 runs, while middle-order contributions from Dean Jones (33) and Allan Border (31) pushed Australia forward. Mike Veletta’s aggressive 45 off 31 balls helped Australia reach 253/5.
In response, England’s innings got off to a shaky start, but middle-order players like Bill Athey (58), Allan Lamb (45), and captain Mike Gatting (41) kept them in the game. However, Gatting’s controversial reverse sweep off Allan Border, which resulted in his dismissal, became the turning point of the match. Border’s part-time bowling (2/38) and Steve Waugh’s (2/37) tight spells restricted England, who fell just 7 runs short.
Australia’s victory in 1987 was the first of their five World Cup wins, with Allan Border becoming the first Australian captain to lift the trophy. The win marked the beginning of Australia’s dominance in World Cup cricket.
Top Performers of the 1987 World Cup
- Top Run-Scorers:
- Graham Gooch (England): 471 runs in 8 innings (Average: 58.87)
- David Boon (Australia): 447 runs in 8 innings (Average: 56.87)
- Top Wicket-Takers:
- Craig McDermott (Australia): 18 wickets in 8 innings
- Imran Khan (Pakistan): 17 wickets in 6 innings
India’s Performance
India, led by Kapil Dev, performed well in the group stage, winning five out of six matches. However, they were eliminated by England in the semi-final. Sunil Gavaskar was India’s top scorer with 300 runs, and Navjot Singh Sidhu impressed with 276 runs. In the bowling department, Maninder Singh took 14 wickets, tying for the third-highest wicket-taker of the tournament
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