4 Of the best bowling spells in World Cups

As the saying goes, "Batsmen set the game up for you, it's your bowlers who win you the game."

There are several means by which you can give yourself the chance to win a game. However, if you can pick up wickets at any stage of the game, you give yourself the best chance. There is nothing as valuable as penetrative bowling spells.

When you are playing a big tournament like the World Cup, you want your bowlers to be on top on their game and leave no stone unturned. If your bowlers perform effectively and consistently, you are likely to deliver highly clinical performances.

The batsmen build the platform and the bowlers destroy the opposition to win you the tournament.

ICC Cricket World Cup is now only a few days away. It is expected to be a real blockbuster with all the teams looking good and any team can pip the other team on its day. Hence, there will be no room for complacency.

With all the teams having potent ball-strikers, the bowlers will have to show real character to deliver in what is expected to be a high-scoring World Cup owing to flat pitches in England.

They can seek some inspiration from some of the memorable spells in the previous editions of the World Cup. These performances are not the "top 4", rather are "four of the best" bowling performances in World Cup history.

These bowling spells are in no specific order.

---

#1 5/14 by Glenn McGrath versus the West Indies in the 1999 World Cup

Glenn McGrath

McGrath who is widely regarded as one of the best fast bowlers to have played the game was not quite express-pace. His accuracy in his line and length and the ability to move the ball both ways were enough to trouble some of the best batsmen around the world.

McGrath came into this game under pressure which he built himself by claiming that he would topple one of the best batsmen going around- Brian Lara. Australia was defeated by New Zealand and Pakistan before this game and it had to win this game to progress to the Super Six stage.

McGrath thrived under pressure as he blew the West Indies batting line with a magical spell of 5/14 in 8.4 overs with three maidens. He picked up three early wickets reducing the West Indies to 20-3. Brian Lara as McGrath promised got a ripper of a delivery and he found his off-stump flattened. McGrath came back to the attack later and cleaned up the tail quickly to bowl them out for a meager 110.

The chase, therefore, was a piece of cake for the Australian batsmen and they did it in style. This performance gave them the much-needed momentum after having a not-so-great tournament until that point. This boost allowed them to eventually lift the trophy in 1999.

#2 6/14 and 5/48 by Garry Gilmour in back to back matches in the 1975 World Cup

Gary Gilmour

Garry Gilmour is not a massive name in world cricket. A small career in which he played just five One-Day Internationals for Australia had an achievement which Gilmour can always be proud of.

He was the twelfth-man in most part of the 1975 World Cup campaign for Australia. However, he finally got a go in the Semi-Final clash against England. It could be said that England had prepared for Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thompson but their test came out of the syllabus. On a grassy Headingley pitch and with a cloud cover, this newbie blew England away.

He bowled 12 overs on the trot to finish with the figures of 6/14 and England was skittled for 93 all out. His in-swinger was particularly deadly as it accounted for five English batsmen. This was the first time, a bowler had picked up six wickets in a One-Day International.

It was a masterstroke by Greg Chappel to pull off a surprise package in such a big match and Gilmour did not disappoint. His Man-of-the-match performance helped Australia to advance to the final.

Gilmour continued with his amazing performance in the Finals against the West Indies as he claimed 5/48. However, it was not good enough to stop the West Indies from lifting their second successive World Cup title.

Strangely, Gilmour went on to play just one more ODI for Australia after that.

#3 6/23 by Ashish Nehra versus England in the 2003 World Cup

Ashish Nehra

It is astonishing to know that a person whose international career that spanned over 19 years had only 120 One-Day Internationals in it for India. Injuries and inconsistency had always pulled him back. However, Ashish Nehra never failed to give his 100% whenever he was given an opportunity in the blues.

He once again won the hearts of one and all with a match-winning spell of 6/23 against England in Durban in the 2003 World Cup.

India would have sealed its spot in the Super 6 if it had won that game. For that to happen, India needed to defend just about a par-total of 250. It required early in-roads into the English top-order by the new-ball bowlers.

At 18/2, England looked to consolidate. That's where Nehra came and bowled 10 overs without a change of ends. He put on a tremendous display of seam bowling by angling the ball across the right-handers from over-the-wicket, Consequently, the batsmen were expecting all the balls to be around off-stump.

However, Nehra surprised the batsmen by suddenly pitching the ball on the middle-stump. The batsmen could not predict that and Nehra took 3 wickets in 9 balls that he pitched on the middle stump.

His figures still remain the best by an Indian bowler in a World Cup game.

#4 7/20 by Andy Bichel versus England in the 2003 World Cup

Andy Bichel

2003 World Cup was going to be a tough challenge for Australia with two of their main players: Shane Warne and Darren Lehmann. However, the commitment levels that Australians show is unmatched. They have a tendency to find new heroes in every tough situation.

One of those heroes was Andy Bichel in the 2003 World Cup game against England. Bichel was carrying drinks for the most part of the tournament. However, Australian teams have always ensured that their bench-strength is as strong as the eleven playing on the field.

Andy Bichel finally got a go in a game that England needed to win to make it to the Super Six. It got off to a brisk start of 66/0. That's when Bichel came and destroyed the English batting order. England lost 3 wickets in 8 balls and could never recover from that shock.

It managed its way through to 204 which was below-par total. Bichel's figures still remain the second-best figures in World Cup history. However, that day belonged to Bichel because of heroics not only with the ball but also with the bat.

Australia were crushed and reduced to 135/8 chasing down the score. A win seemed unlikely. That's when he stitched a 73-run stand with Michael Bevan and finished the game off in style which ended England's World Cup hopes in 2003.