4 of the greatest World Cup innings of all time

# Kevin O'Brien: 113 vs England, 2011 World Cup

Kevin O'Brien

England have a habit of getting beaten by low-profile cricketing nations in ICC tournaments. They were beaten by the Netherlands in 2009 and the 2014 World T20.

And they were also stunned by an unexpected but marvelous performance by Ireland in the 2011 World Cup.

Batting first, England posted a mammoth score of 327, and it looked unlikely that Ireland would chase it down. Ireland were floundering at 106-4 when Kevin O'Brien came out to bat. Things became even worse when they lost another wicket, and the score read 111 for 5.

O'Brien was not only put under pressure by the number of wickets falling, but also by the ever-climbing run rate. However, he dealt with all of that very clinically.

His innings was a combination of a calm head, precise technique and brute force. He ended up smashing the fastest hundred ever in World Cup history, a record which still stands. A recovery from 111-5 to chase down 327 against a top-quality bowling attack was a moment of sheer magic.

Ireland is not a massive name in world cricket, but this victory gave them an identity. It will not be an overstatement to say that they rose from the ashes to win that contest.