Dominating the batsmen, bowling-em-out of the game

Who said that T20 is a batsmen’s game. If you bowl within your limitations, you are bound to get the required results. There have been many such instances where a bowler had outperformed the batsmen and in the World T20 2014, we have already got 5+ scores of less than 100.

With figures of 3.3-2-3-5, Rangana Herath became the 11th cricketer to take 5 or more wickets in the T20I match. Overall it was 13th occasion when a bowler took 5 or more wickets in an innings in a T20I. We will have a look at the top 5 performances in T20I innings in this article. To begin with, let me tell you that 3 of the top 5 performances have been claimed in the World T20s.

5. Umar Gul (2.2-0-6-5) vs South Africa at Centurion on 3rd March 2013

After posting a daunting total of 195, Pakistan decided to break the backbone of South African batting when Hafeez decided to give the ball to Umar Gul. South Africa were cruising at 50-1 at one stage but Gul had other plans. In a space of 12 balls, they slipped from 50-1 to 53-6 and eventually folded for 100. It was Gul’s second best bowling figures in T20I (due to economy rate).

4. Umar Gul (3-0-6-5) vs New Zealand at The Oval on 13th June 2009

A destruction of the lower order by the most destructive bowler of T20 history, Umar Gul. New Zealand were never on track for a big score as they slipped to 55-4 and what Gul did was just applying a final nail in the coffin. Out of the 5 wickets Gul claimed that night, 4 of them were dismissed for single digits. His figures were then the best bowling figures by a bowler in T20I and it was claimed in World T20 2009.

3. Herath Mudiyanselage Rangana Keerthi Bandara Herath (3.3-2-3-5) vs New Zealand at Chittagong on 31st March 2014

Put into bat first, Sri Lanka were bowled out for 119. The ball had started to turn and so the pitch was at its worst. To make matters worse, dew joined in. Sri Lanka desperately needed to win to qualify for the knock-outs, their 4th in 5 editions. To begin with Herath and Sangakkara effected a run-out, and then the matters turned worse for New Zealand. They slipped to 32-6 and were eventually bowled out for 60, to be humiliated out of the World T20 2014. Rangana Herath was the wrecker-in-chief with 5 wickets, in which he gave 2 maidens and affected 2 run-outs.

2. Balapuwaduge Ajantha Winslow Mendis (4-1-16-6) vs Australia at Pallekele on 8th August 2011

It was a low scoring match at the Pallekele Stadium with Sri Lanka being restricted to 157-9 in 20 overs. Australia were off to a solid start as Watson scored a rapid-fire 57 off 22 balls but three quick wickets by Mendis and a chip-in by Herath had Australia  at 75-4 in 8.2 overs. The game was still on but Mendis returned with another spell of 3 wickets and returned with bettering the best bowling figures (4-1-18-6) as Australia fell short by 8 runs.

1. Balapuwaduge Ajantha Winslow Mendis (4-2-8-6) vs Zimbabwe at Hambantota on 18th September 2012

This time Mendis decided to better his own figures and also record the best bowling figures in World T20. The opposition was however Zimbabwe this time. Setting them an improbable 183 to win, Mendis and co. decided to launch an assault on the minnows folding them up for 100. A figure of 4-2-8-6 was recorded and it still remains the best bowling figures of T20Is and also the World T20s.

* Statistics are updated upto 31st March 2014