List of 10 Best knocks in ICC Cricket World Cups

113 – Kevin O’Brien v England 2011

England met Ireland at M Chinnaswamy Stadium, Bangalore in a match which many considered in England’s pockets. And they were almost proved right; England scored a massive 327 on the backs of Jonathan Trott’s 92 and Ian Bell’s 81.

Ireland’s chase went from bad to worse in matter of overs. They lost their captain and opener William Porterfield for a duck on the first ball of the innings. But gradually they made some runs and got to 111/5, when Gary Wilson got out. England would have thought the win was in their grabs looking at the score, but they didn’t expect what came next. Kevin O’Brien walked in and took the attack to the English bowlers in form of a hurricane. He hit probably every bowler for a six or four and never took the foot off the gas pedal. English bowlers, who were on top of the world some time back, looked completely flabbergasted at the amount of abuse they were taking from Kevin O’Brien.

O’Brien scored the fastest hundred in World Cup history off just 50 balls and scored a total of 113 runs off 63 balls consisting of 13 fours and 6 sixes. The remainder of the match still proved to be a nail biter, but Alex Cusack (47) and John Mooney (33) took Ireland to victory despite England’s best efforts.

Kevin O’Brien was adjudged Man of the match and the match is considered as one of the classics in World Cup history.

*All stats updated till 17 March 2015.