CWC 2019: Australia – Statistical Review

Not many people had put Australia in the contention of winning the World Cup at the start of the year given their poor show in the ODI format. However, the defending champions’ golden run began in India where they won an ODI series 3-2 from being 0-2 down. The Aaron Finch-led team topped the points table for most of the part. However, a narrow defeat against South Africa in the last league game forced them to play England in Birmingham where their campaign came to an end.

All the stats and numbers recorded by Australia and their players in the World Cup 2019:

1 – Australia’s loss to England was their first-ever defeat in a semi-final in the history of the World Cup. They featured in seven semi-finals prior to this edition and won in six of them while another game ended in a tie. The 1999 edition semi-final between Australia and South Africa at Birmingham ended in a tie but the Aussies got through to the final due to head-to-head record in the tournament.

1 – Mitchell Starc became the first player to register three 5-wicket hauls and also the first with six 4-wicket hauls in the history of World Cup. Starc completed both the achievement when he took 5-fer at the Lord’s against New Zealand.

1 – David Warner became the first player in the history of the World Cup to score two 150+ scores. Warner scored 166 against Bangladesh in Nottingham and 178 against Afghanistan in 2015 World Cup at the WACA.

5 – Australia posted 300+ totals five times in this tournament; the joint 2nd most number of 300+ totals in a World Cup by a team. England had six such totals in this event while they also had five 300+ totals in the 2007 edition.

6 – David Warner and Aaron Finch shared six fifty-plus stands in this tournament; the 2nd most by any pair in a single World Cup edition. The former Australian pair of Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden had seven 50+ partnerships between them in 2007.

20 – Alex Carey has affected 20 dismissals in this World Cup; the 3rd most in a cricket World Cup edition. Adam Gilchrist in 2003 and Tom Latham in this edition took 21 catches each. Both Gilly and Latham did not affect a stumping in 2003 and 2019 respectively as they jointly hold the record for keeping dismissals in an edition (21 dismissals).

25 – Alex Carey’s 25-ball fifty against India is the joint-fastest fifty of the tournament. It is also the 2nd fastest fifty for Australia in the World Cup. Glenn Maxwell scored fifty in only 21 balls against Afghanistan in the 2015 edition.

27 – Number of wickets Mitchell Starc has taken in this World Cup; the most by any bowler in a single edition of the World Cup. Starc went past Glenn McGrath 2007 cricket World Cup tally of 26 wickets with the wicket of Jonny Bairstow in the semis.

92 – The 92-run knock by Nathan Coulter-Nile against Windies is the highest individual score in the World Cup by any player while at No.8 or lower position. Heath Streak’s 72 not out in 2003 against New Zealand is the previous highest as the then Zimbabwe skipper was batting at No.8 in that game.

122 – David Warner’s 122 against South Africa is the highest individual score for Australia in a World Cup defeat. Ricky Ponting’s 104 against India during the 2011 quarter-final in Ahmedabad is the previous highest CWC score in losing cause for the Aussies.

153 – Aaron Finch became the first Australian captain to score 150+ in the World Cup when he smashed 153 against Sri Lanka. The previous highest individual CWC score by an Australian skipper was 140* by Ricky Ponting in the 2003 final against India.

352/5 – India’s total of 352/5 is the first 350+ total by any team in a World Cup game against Australia. Prior to this World Cup, the Aussies conceded 300+ only once but three times alone in this edition.

381/5 – Australia’s total of 381/5 against Bangladesh at the Trent Bridge was their 2nd highest total in the World Cup and overall the 3rd highest ODI total. Their highest ODI total was 434/4 against South Africa in the 2006 Johannesburg ODI while the highest in World Cups is 417/6 was against Afghanistan in 2015.