5 best knocks by associate country batsmen

We often concentrate solely on the permanent members and tend to neglect the associate nations. In the process, we often miss out on some of the brilliance produced by the lesser-known teams (associate nations).

There’s a lot of argument about how a 10-team World Cup could improve the quality of cricket played by the Associate teams and also in the World Cups.

However, in recent times, the associate nations have shown that they are constantly improving and deserve more and more chances. Hence, here we look back at some of the best knocks played by associate nation players.

Special Mentions – Ryan Ten Doeschate 119 vs England, Nagpur (2011), Ed Joyce 160 vs Afghanistan, Belfast (2016)

---

#5 Shaiman Anwar 106 vs Ireland, Brisbane (2015)

In the 2015 World Cup, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) started decently despite the loss in their opening game, where they scored 285 in their opening game before Zimbabwe chased it down. In the next game against Ireland, UAE were wobbling at 78/4 after they lost the toss and were put into bat first.

At that moment, Shaiman Anwar who was playing just his 9th ODI, walked out to the middle. The Pakistan-born right-hander then saw a couple more wickets fall at the other end, as UAE were trouble at 131/6. But, Anwar then put his head down and played one of the best innings by a UAE batsman, as he became the second UAE batsmen to score an ODI hundred.

He scored an 83-ball 106 as UAE posted a very competitive total of 278. Anwar shared a very good 107-run stand with Amjad Javed for the seventh wicket, and UAE scored almost 10 runs per over in the last 15 overs which propelled them to such a competitive score.

However, UAE lost a thrilling game as Ireland sneaked home in the final over with two wickets in hand.

Follow Sportskeeda to keep yourself updated on all latest sports news.

#4 Calum MacLeod 140* vs England, Edinburgh (2018)

Calum MacLeod's unbeaten 140 took Scotland to their highest ODI score

The last time Scotland played one of the top 8 teams before they faced England earlier this month was back at the 2015 World Cup. And all the pre-match talk was about Scotland giving England a tough fight but they stunned the World as they beat the No. 1 ODI team in a nail-biting game.

The hero of the game was Calum MacLeod who starred with the bat scoring a scintillating ton.

After being put into bat on what looked like a belter of a pitch, Scotland began on an excellent note as the openers put on 103 inside 14 overs. But, the two openers were dismissed in successive overs and it seemed like the momentum Scotland had obtained would go away.

But MacLeod didn’t allow that to happen. After two quick wickets, he rotated the strike well and scored an odd boundary here and there before launching an attack on Moeen Ali. He brought up his fifty in 36 deliveries and continued in the same tempo.

MacLeod who had countered the threat of Rashid Khan beautifully in the World Cup Qualifiers, played the England spin twins of Moeen Ali and Adil Rashid wonderfully. Even against the pacers, he was well equipped as he scored runs all around the ground and eventually brought up his 7th ODI ton and that too in just 70 balls.

He wasn’t done yet as he finished unbeaten on 140 in 94 balls (which included 16 fours and 3 sixes), at the end of 50 overs, and was one of the main reasons why Scotland could get to 371.

He shared vital partnerships with Richie Berrington for the third wicket and George Munsey for the fourth wicket. MacLeod was awarded the Man of the Match as Scotland held their nerve to win by 6 runs.

#3 Samiullah Shenwari 96 vs Scotland, Dunedin (2015)

Samiullah Shenwari's 96 helped Afghanistan register their maiden World Cup win.

Afghanistan’s rise to the 2015 World Cup was an incredible one. It was just in 2009 that they made their ODI debut and in six years they were playing their first World Cup ahead of teams like Netherlands, Canada, and Kenya – all of whom had been a part of previous World Cups.

After losing their first two games of their campaign, Afghanistan were on the right track against Scotland.

They bowled Scotland out for 210 as the pacers Dawlat Zadran and Shapoor Zadran shared 7 wickets. In response, Javed Ahmadi scored a run-a-ball 51, but Afghanistan kept losing wickets at regular intervals. In fact, from 85/2 in 18 overs, the Mohammed Nabi-led side slipped to 97/7 in the 24th over.

Samiullah Shenwari was the only recognised batsman out in the middle. He slowly started to rebuild as he tried to hog much of the strike.

He bided his time in the middle and tried to put the bad balls away. He knew the target was not a huge one and the asking rate was not going to be much of a problem. Hence, he started off slowly but was looking solid as he brought up his half-century in the 37th over in 113 balls.

Shenwari then tried to up the ante once the required rate went beyond 6 runs per over. He tried to find the fence on a regular basis and he even struck Majid Haq for three sixes in the 47th over.

Unfortunately, he was dismissed in the same over for 96 and missed out on a well-deserved hundred. When he was dismissed, Afghanistan still needed a run-a-ball 19 and it was Dawlat Zadran and Shapoor Zadran who took the Afghans home and it gave them their first-ever World Cup win.

Shenwari was awarded the player of the match for his stupendous innings of 96.

#2 Kyle Coetzer 156 vs Bangladesh, Nelson (2015)

Kyle Coetzer

Calum MacLeod holds the record for 4 out of the 5 top scores made by a Scottish player in an ODI. And the only exception is Kyle Coetzer who is the only other batsman apart from MacLeod who scored more than 150 in an ODI for Scotland.

In a group stage game of the 2015 World Cup against Bangladesh, Coetzer scored a magnificent 156 in 134 balls to help Scotland post 318.

Coetzer who opened the batting was circumspect at the start before he cut loose. The then 30-year-old raised his fifty in 54 balls and continued in the same fashion where he picked the right balls to dispatch and rotated the strike.

He then got to his hundred in 103 deliveries as he became Scotland’s first centurion in World Cup history.

At the death, he then cut loose taking most of the Bangladesh bowlers apart. He finished with a stupendous 156 (which included 17 fours and 4 sixes). However, Scotland lost the game as Bangladesh chased it down easily.

#1 Kevin O'Brien 113 vs England, Bangalore (2011)

This innings from Kevin O’ Brien will undoubtedly go down as one of the best innings by an Irish player

Very few would argue against the fact that this innings from Kevin O’ Brien is one of the best while playing for an Associate Nation. This is one game not a lot of cricket fans will forget.

England who were involved in a thrilling high-scoring tie against India a couple of days earlier racked up 327 in their 50 overs. Ireland who had lost their first game to Bangladesh had their task cut out.

Ireland were in a spot of bother at 111/5 in the 25th over and required run-rate had gone over 8.5. It seemed the game was dead and buried and it was only a matter of time before England wrapped things up.

Kevin O’Brien then took center-stage and began well as he raced his way to 34 in just 21 deliveries. He then brought up his half-century in just 30 balls (which is the fastest by an Irishman), as he started to put pressure on the England bowlers.

He then went berserk as he went after every England bowler and stroked his way through to the fastest World Cup century (in 50 balls) to keep Ireland in the hunt.

O’Brien slowed down after his ton as John Mooney did the bulk of the scoring bringing the equation down to 12 in the last 2 overs.

The former was then run out and it brought an end to one of the finest World Cup innings by an Associate nation player. Mooney and Trent Johnston scored the remaining runs to cause one of the greatest World Cup upsets.

Get all the latest updates about today's sports news and much more only @Sportskeeda.