1987 Cricket World Cup knockout stage


This page describes the Knockout stage matches of 1987 CWC.

Knockout stage

In 1987 Cricket World Cup, the first semi-final was played between Pakistan and Australia at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, on 4 November 1987; Australia won by 18 runs. In the second semi-final England defeated India by 35 runs at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, on 5 November 1987. Australia and England met in the Final on 8 November 1987 at Eden Gardens, Kolkata, with Australia winning the trophy by 7 runs.

Semi-finals

Australia vs Pakistan

The Australian batsmen got off to a very good start, and they scored fluently, with David Boon top scoring, and making an 82 run second-wicket partnership with DM Jones. Australia were looking to reach 300 with strong batting before Imran Khan took 3 wickets for 17 runs in 5 overs. Australia lost 4/31, but a high number of extras from the Pakistani bowlers, as well as the solid batting from earlier on, brought Australia to 267.
Pakistan started badly, falling to 3/38. Imran Khan and Javed Miandad shared a partnership of 112 runs in 26 overs. However, with the required run rate at 7.87 runs when Miandad fell, there was just too much for the upcoming batsmen to do, and Pakistan lost 6/99 as they were bowled all out for 249. Earlier Steve Waugh scored 18 runs off the 50th over bowled by Saleem Jaffar and ironically Pakistan lost the match by 18 runs.

England vs India

India won the toss and chose to field. After reaching 2/79, Graham Gooch and captain Mike Gatting shared a partnership of 117 runs in 19 overs. After Gooch was finally stumped, 51 more runs were added, and England reached 254.
India made a bad start, falling to 3/73. The middle order scored fluently, with Mohammed Azharuddin, top scoring. Before Azharuddin was removed lbw by Eddie Hemmings, India were at 5/204, needing 5 runs an over from the last 10 overs, with 5 wickets in hand, and it looked like it would be a very close game. However, the middle and tailend order for India collapsed, as India lost 5/15. India were eventually bowled all out for 219, giving England both a berth in the final and a measure of revenge for the loss they suffered to India in the semifinal of the World Cup four years earlier in England.

Final


Australia won the toss and chose to bat. David Boon top-scored for Australia, whose batsmen scored fluently. Australia posted 253. Mike Veletta cut loose late in the innings, as Australia scored 65 runs from the last 6 overs of their innings.
In the English reply, opener Tim Robinson fell leg before wicket for a first ball duck. Bill Athey top-scored, and England were almost on target, when captain Mike Gatting handed back the initiative with the loss of his wicket, going for a reverse sweep which ended a growing partnership of 69 runs in 13 overs between him and Athey. Allan Lamb also posted a great innings, but it was in vain as the required run-rate for England began to rise. When England failed to score the last 17 runs from the final over, the cup went to Australia.