10 greatest ODI performances of all time

#5 Joel Garner 5/38 vs England, 1979 World Cup final

Joel Garner cleaned up the English tail-enders with brutal Yorkers.

Having won the first ever World Cup, the West Indies were favourites to win the subsequent edition as well. Their bowling unit was formidable and boasted of a menacing pace-quartet in Andy Roberts, Joel Garner, Michael Holding and Colin Croft. But their fortunes fluctuated in the 1979 final.

At first, the West Indies were tottering at 99/4 but were catapulted to a formidable 286 by Collis Kings and Viv Richards. Then, England mounted a sedate but spirited response as Mike Brearley and Geoff Boycott stitched a 129 opening stand. With the asking rate climbing steadily, Clive Llyod knew that an English assault was coming and tossed the ball to Joel Garner in the 48th over for a second spell (Those were the days of 60 over ODIs).

Graham Gooch, who was looking good on 32, was the first to go – his stumps cleaned up by a Garner yorker. The elegant David Gower followed suit next, bowled for a duck. With Colin Croft dismissing Derek Randall, Ian Botham and Mike Hendrick at the other end, Garner accounted for Wayne Larkins, Chris Old and Bob Taylor (all for ducks).

Of the five wickets that Garner took that evening, four were by means of full pitched deliveries that struck timber. The match winning second spell from the 6ft 8in giant lasted just 11 balls but resulted in the hosts loosing 5 wickets for just four runs. England, at the receiving end of this astonishing outburst, collapsed from 183/2 to being bowled out for 194. Such was the ferocity of Garner that years later, Gordon Greenidge recalled that the spell was “great to watch but not nice to bat against.”