World Cup History: Top three most expensive overs in the tournament

AB de Villiers lit up the SCG with a magnificent 162 against West Indies in the 2015 World Cup
AB de Villiers lit up the SCG with a magnificent 162 against West Indies in the 2015 World Cup

Sometimes, it only takes an over to change the course of a cricket match. The bowler only needs to miss his mark by a whisker and the batsman is more than happy to smash the ball over the boundary. Batting friendly tracks, shorter boundaries and bigger bats have not helped the bowlers either.

Over the years, the World Cup has been the stage for some of the most destructive batsmen to hit the hapless bowlers all over the park. These batsmen have displayed their ability to change the momentum of the game in a single over. With the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 off and rolling, we have a look at the 3 of the most expensive overs in World Cup history.


#1 Daan van Bunge to Herschelle Gibbs - 36 runs

Herschelle Gibbs
Herschelle Gibbs

Herschelle Gibbs grabbed the headlines as he became the first man to hit 6 sixes of an over in a World Cup match. This memorable feat came in the 2007 World Cup match against minnows Netherlands. The Proteas were 114 for 2 when Gibbs came in to join Jacques Kallis at the crease. Gibbs was circumspect in the early part of his innings and was batting on 32 off 30 deliveries when Daan van Bunge came on to bowl the 30th over.

Gibbs stepped out and dispatched the first ball over long-on for a monstrous six. The next ball was clobbered down the ground for a flat six. The third ball was a quicker delivery and Gibbs lofted it over long-off for another maximum. Van Bunge might have thought that Gibbs would rotate the strike after smashing the first 3 deliveries but the South African batsman was in no mood for singles.

Van Bunge aimed at bowling a yorker, but it turned into a low full toss and Gibbs was more than happy to hit it over the mid wicket boundary. The Dutch bowler kept on bowling quicker and quicker which made things worse for him as the next delivery was smashed straight down the ground for a six. Gibbs showed no mercy and smashed the last ball over mid wicket for another six.

Kallis' century and Gibbs' mind-boggling innings took the Proteas to 353. South Africa's pace battery was too much to handle for Netherlands as they managed to score only 132 and South Africa ended up winning the match by 221 runs.

Over: 6, 6, 6, 6, 6, 6

Also read - World cup most man of the match

#2 Jason Holder to AB de Villiers - 34 runs

AB de Villers
AB de Villers

South Africa had lost their previous match against India and were determined to turn things around against West Indies. This time it was the South African skipper who led from the front as he scored a match winning 162 of 66 balls.

Jason Holder came to bowl the 48th over of the innings and it was the West Indies skipper who was at the receiving end this time. The first ball was fuller in length and around off, AB de Villiers cleared his front leg and lofted it to the long-on fence for a four. The next ball was a no-ball, he went down on one knee and scooped it over the fine-leg boundary for a six. The third delivery went for only 2 runs.

Holder lost his footing once more and bowled another no ball and Mr. 360 smashed it to the deep backward square leg fence for a boundary. De Villiers capitalized on the free hit ball and smashed it for a four. The fifth ball went for another boundary. The final ball was hit over the deep mid wicket fence for a six, making it the second most expensive over in World Cup history.

De Villiers' stellar effort took the Proteas to a mammoth total of 408. The West Indies were bundled out for 151 runs and South Africa won the match by 257 runs

Over: 4, nb6, 2, nb4, 4, 4, 2, 6

#3 Rizwan Cheema and Harvir Baidwan to James Franklin and Kane Williamson - 31 runs

James Franklin
James Franklin

Canada were up against New Zealand in the 2011 World Cup and the Kiwis were expected to thrash the minnows comfortably. That is exactly what James Franklin did as he smashed Rizwan Cheema all over the place in the final over for 31 runs.

The first ball of the over was swatted away by Kane Williamson for a single. The second delivery was slower one but Franklin picked it and smashed over long on for a gigantic six. The New Zealand all-rounder cleared his front leg and heaved it across the line over mid wicket for another maximum.

The fourth ball was smashed to the deep extra cover fence for a boundary. The fifth delivery was a slower ball and Franklin was more than happy to deposit it over long on for a colossal six. The final delivery was a no ball but Franklin swung wildly and managed to get a four. This was the second beamer bowled by Cheema who was taken off from the attack. Harvir Baidwan bowled the last ball which went for 2 runs.

Brendon McCullum's brilliant century and some powerful shots down the order by Franklin took the Kiwis to a formidable total of 358. Canada could score only 261 runs and New Zealand won the match by 97 runs.

Over: 1, 6, 6, 4, 6, nb4, wide, 2

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Edited by Aditya Joshi