ICC Cricket World Cup 1987

Tournament Overview

Series Overview

The 1987 Reliance World Cup was a watershed moment in cricket history: the first World Cup held outside England, co-hosted by India and Pakistan. The decision to take the tournament to the subcontinent was transformational — vast crowds, electric atmospheres, and the realisation that cricket's spiritual home for the one-day game might not be Lord's at all. In the final at Eden Gardens, Calcutta — in front of over 80,000 roaring fans — Australia faced England. David Boon's composed 75 built the foundation of a 253/5 total that proved just sufficient. England's chase was tense and controlled until the moment that has haunted English cricket ever since: Mike Gatting, needing 17 from the last over, attempted a reverse sweep off Allan Border's first delivery. The miscued shot — a dismissal that is replayed at every major cricket event to this day — caught England off guard and off balance. England finished at 246/8, seven runs short of the target. Craig McDermott had been Australia's bowling spearhead, and David Boon won the Player of the Tournament for his batting consistency. For Australia, it was the beginning of a World Cup dynasty: they would go on to win the tournaments of 1999, 2003, 2007, and 2015.

Key Highlights

• 1Australia won their first World Cup with a thrilling 7-run victory in one of the closest finals in history
• 2England needed 17 runs off the final over — Mike Gatting's reverse sweep off Allan Border brought his side undone
• 3The tournament was the first held outside England — India and Pakistan co-hosted to massive subcontinental crowds
• 4Eden Gardens in Calcutta hosted the final with over 80,000 fans — the atmospheric backdrop was unforgettable
• 5David Boon's 75 was the foundation of Australia's 253/5 — a target that proved just out of England's reach

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