8 Best matches from the Cricket World Cup

# 5 Sri Lanka Def England - 2007 World Cup

The 2007 World Cup in the West Indies was the first and also the last time that the World Cup had two group stages. After the World Cup, the group stage led directly to the knockout phase. The initial group stage threw up a series of upsets, with both Pakistan and India being eliminated in the group stage with Ireland and Bangladesh progressing to the next phase.

During the Super Eights, Sri Lanka and England faced off against each other with the results of these matches crucial in order to determine who would progress into the knock out phase and who wouldn't make the cut. Michael Vaughn, the English captain, won the toss and elected to bowl first and allowing the Sri Lankans to set the target. England, led by Flintoff and Sajid Mahmood, would bowl out Sri Lanka for 235 with Upul Tharanga and captain Mahela Jayawardene scoring half centuries.

England would lose both of their openers quickly, falling to 2/12 after 6 overs at the start of their chase. Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen would combine to add another 105 runs between them as England climbed to 3/121 after 30 overs, needing only 115 off of the last 20 overs with 7 wickets in hand. Pieterson, Collingwood, and Flintoff would then fall within the next 5 overs, leaving Ravi Bopara and wicketkeeper Paul Nixon to chase the rest of the runs. Needing 19 off the last two overs, Lasith Malinga would get Nixon out after he made 42 but Bopara would hit the last ball of the over for four to bring it down to 12 required off the last over.

Ravi Bopara hit a boundary off the second ball of the over, and thanks to a few quick singles and doubles, Bopara and Sajid Mahmood would need a 4 off the last ball of the game to win. Fernando would bowl the ball just back of a length with Bopara missing with a swing as the ball crashed into the stumps. At the end of the Super 8 stage, Sri Lanka would progress in 2nd on the table while England missed out on the cut by just 1 win.