World Cup archiveICC World CupKenya, South Africa and Zimbabwe
2003 Cricket World Cup
Fourteen teams, two forfeits, a Kenyan semi-final and an Australian side that won all eleven of its matches.
The first World Cup in Africa was the biggest yet and the most political. Two teams refused to play where they were scheduled, the hosts went out on a misread rain calculation, and Australia never came close to losing.
Africa's World Cup
The eighth World Cup was the first played in Africa. South Africa staged most of it, with six matches in Zimbabwe and two in Kenya, and it opened with a ceremony at Newlands in Cape Town in February 2003. Fourteen teams took part, the most yet: the ten Test nations, plus Kenya, Canada, the Netherlands and Namibia, who were playing their first World Cup. The format of 1999 returned in a larger form: two groups of seven, a Super Six with points carried forward, then semi-finals and a final at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. Around 627,000 spectators went through the gates.
The tournament was also a hard one to stage. Zimbabwe was in political crisis under Robert Mugabe, and Kenya had recently suffered terrorist attacks. Both would cost the tournament a match.
A bad start for Australia, on paper
Australia arrived as favourites and soon lost two key players. Shane Warne, the leg-spinner who had won the 1999 semi-final and final, was sent home as the tournament began after testing positive for a banned diuretic, which he said had been a slimming pill from his mother. Jason Gillespie was injured during the tournament and flew home too.
It made no difference. In their first match, against Pakistan in Johannesburg, Australia were 86 for four when Andrew Symonds, a surprise selection, made 143 not out, and they won by 82 runs. Andy Bichel, a reserve fast bowler, took seven for 20 against England in Port Elizabeth and then made 34 not out to win the match with Michael Bevan. Glenn McGrath took seven for 15 against Namibia, the best figures in World Cup history. By the end of the tournament Australia had won all eleven of their matches, a record that stands alongside their own run four years later.
Harare and Nairobi
England were due to play Zimbabwe in Harare on 13 February. After weeks of argument with the ICC over security and politics, they refused to go, and the match was awarded to Zimbabwe. New Zealand refused to play Kenya in Nairobi for security reasons, and that match was awarded to Kenya. Both forfeits changed the tournament. England went out of the group by a margin smaller than the four points they had given up; Kenya and Zimbabwe used theirs to reach the Super Six.
In Harare, Zimbabwe's first match was the setting for one of the bravest protests in the sport's history. Andy Flower, their finest batter, and Henry Olonga, the country's first black Test cricketer, walked out wearing black armbands and issued a statement mourning the death of democracy in Zimbabwe. Neither played for their country again after the tournament; Olonga went into exile.
One run in Durban
South Africa, the hosts, had one of the strongest sides in the tournament and went out in the group stage. They lost their opening match to West Indies by three runs, lost to New Zealand, and came to their last group game, against Sri Lanka at Kingsmead on 3 March, needing to win.
Rain was coming. The dressing room worked out a Duckworth-Lewis target and sent it out to the batters, Mark Boucher and Lance Klusener. But the figure they had been given was the score needed to tie, not to win. With the rain arriving, Boucher hit a six to reach the number, then blocked the last ball of the over, believing the job was done. Play stopped, and the match was called as a tie. One more run would have taken South Africa into the Super Six. Shaun Pollock lost the captaincy soon afterwards, and the image of a home World Cup ending on a misread sheet of paper has never quite left South African cricket.
Tendulkar at Centurion
India were almost knocked out in the first week. After a poor win over the Netherlands, they were bowled out for 125 by Australia, and supporters at home attacked some of the players' houses. They did not lose again until the final. Ashish Nehra took six for 23 against England in Durban, the best bowling of the tournament by an Indian, and India's three fast bowlers, Zaheer Khan, Javagal Srinath and Nehra, were among the most effective in the competition.
The match everyone remembers came on 1 March at Centurion, against Pakistan. Pakistan made 273, with Saeed Anwar scoring a hundred. Sachin Tendulkar then took on Shoaib Akhtar, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, hitting Shoaib over third man for six in the second over, and made 98 from 75 balls. India won by six wickets. Tendulkar finished the tournament with 673 runs, a record for a single World Cup that stood for twenty years, and was named player of the tournament.
Kenya in the last four
Kenya were the story of the event. Captained by Steve Tikolo, they beat Sri Lanka in Nairobi, with the leg-spinner Collins Obuya taking five wickets, took the points from New Zealand's forfeit, beat Bangladesh and Canada, and in the Super Six beat Zimbabwe. They became the first team outside the Test nations to reach a World Cup semi-final. There India ended the run at Kingsmead, Sourav Ganguly making 111 not out, and Kenya were bowled out for 179.
In the other semi-final at Port Elizabeth, Symonds made 91 not out on a slow pitch, and Australia beat Sri Lanka by 48 runs on the Duckworth-Lewis method after rain.
Ponting at the Wanderers
The final on 23 March was India's chance for revenge after the first-week defeat. Ganguly won the toss and chose to bowl, hoping for movement early. Instead Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden put on 105 for the first wicket in fourteen overs, and then Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn, who was playing with a broken finger, added 234 unbroken for the third wicket. Ponting made 140 not out from 121 balls, with eight sixes, and Martyn 88 not out. Australia's 359 for two was the highest total in a World Cup final.
India needed a miracle and lost Tendulkar in the first over, caught off McGrath for four. Virender Sehwag made 82 and rain briefly threatened to wash the match out, which would have meant a replay the next day, but play resumed and India were bowled out for 234, beaten by 125 runs. Ponting was player of the match. Australia had won the World Cup for the third time and the second in a row. Chaminda Vaas of Sri Lanka was the leading wicket-taker with 23. The story continues in the Caribbean, at the 2007 World Cup.
Final result
Australia 359/2 v India 234. Australia won by 125 runs. Played on 23 March 2003 at New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg, with Ricky Ponting captaining Australia and Sourav Ganguly captaining India. Player of the match: Ricky Ponting.
The road to the final
| Round | Date | Match | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semi-final | 18 Mar | Australia 212/7 v Sri Lanka 123/7 | Australia won by 48 runs (D/L method) | St George's Park, Gqeberha |
| Semi-final | 20 Mar | India 270/4 v Kenya 179 | India won by 91 runs | Kingsmead, Durban |
Group tables
Group A
Group B
| Team | P | W | L | T | NR | Went on to |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | Super Six |
| Sri Lanka | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | Semi-finals |
| Kenya | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Semi-finals |
| South Africa | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | Group stage |
| West Indies | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | Group stage |
| Canada | 6 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | Group stage |
| Bangladesh | 6 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | Group stage |
Group-stage matches only, ordered by wins. The official tables awarded points, including for the forfeited matches listed below, and separated level teams on run rate, so a team's place here can differ from its official position. Qualifiers then played a Super Six round before the semi-finals.
Wins by team
- Wins
- Champions
Leading run-scorers and wicket-takers
| Batter | Team | Inns | Runs | HS | Avg | SR | 100s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sachin Tendulkar | India | 11 | 673 | 152 | 61.18 | 89.3 | 1 |
| Sourav Ganguly | India | 11 | 465 | 112* | 58.13 | 82.3 | 3 |
| Ricky Ponting | Australia | 10 | 415 | 140* | 51.88 | 87.9 | 2 |
| Adam Gilchrist | Australia | 10 | 408 | 99 | 40.80 | 105.4 | 0 |
| Herschelle Gibbs | South Africa | 6 | 384 | 143 | 96.00 | 100.8 | 1 |
| Marvan Atapattu | Sri Lanka | 10 | 382 | 124 | 54.57 | 84.5 | 2 |
| Andy Flower | Zimbabwe | 7 | 332 | 71 | 47.43 | 72.3 | 0 |
| Matthew Hayden | Australia | 11 | 328 | 88 | 32.80 | 80.0 | 0 |
| Andrew Symonds | Australia | 5 | 326 | 143* | 163.00 | 90.6 | 1 |
| Damien Martyn | Australia | 8 | 323 | 88* | 64.60 | 81.8 | 0 |
| Bowler | Team | Overs | Wkts | Best | Avg | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chaminda Vaas | Sri Lanka | 97 | 23 | 6/25 | 14.39 | 3.41 |
| Brett Lee | Australia | 84.4 | 22 | 5/42 | 17.91 | 4.65 |
| Glenn McGrath | Australia | 96 | 21 | 7/15 | 14.76 | 3.23 |
| Zaheer Khan | India | 109.2 | 18 | 4/42 | 20.78 | 3.42 |
| Shane Bond | New Zealand | 78 | 17 | 6/23 | 17.94 | 3.91 |
| Muthiah Muralidaran | Sri Lanka | 93.4 | 17 | 4/28 | 18.76 | 3.41 |
| Andy Bichel | Australia | 57 | 16 | 7/20 | 12.31 | 3.46 |
| Vasbert Drakes | West Indies | 59.2 | 16 | 5/33 | 13.00 | 3.51 |
| Javagal Srinath | India | 92.4 | 16 | 4/30 | 23.06 | 3.98 |
| Ashish Nehra | India | 70.4 | 15 | 6/23 | 19.27 | 4.09 |
Records of the tournament
Highest scores
- 172*
- 151 balls · Craig Wishart
- 152
- 151 balls · Sachin Tendulkar
- 143*
- 125 balls · Andrew Symonds
- 143
- 141 balls · Herschelle Gibbs
- 141
- 125 balls · Scott Styris
Best bowling
- 7/15
- 7.00 overs · Glenn McGrath
- 7/20
- 10.00 overs · Andy Bichel
- 6/23
- 10.00 overs · Ashish Nehra
- 6/23
- 10.00 overs · Shane Bond
- 6/25
- 9.10 overs · Chaminda Vaas
Team totals
- Highest
- 359/2
- Highest
- 340/2
- Highest
- 319/5
- Lowest
- 36
- Lowest
- 45
Every group stage and Super Six result
| Date | Round | Match | Result | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 Feb | Group B | West Indies 278/5 v South Africa 275/9 | West Indies won by 3 runs | Newlands, Cape Town |
| 10 Feb | Group A | Zimbabwe 340/2 v Namibia 104/5 | Zimbabwe won by 86 runs (D/L method) | Harare Sports Club, Harare |
| 10 Feb | Group B | Sri Lanka 272/7 v New Zealand 225 | Sri Lanka won by 47 runs | Goodyear Park, Bloemfontein |
| 11 Feb | Group A | Australia 310/8 v Pakistan 228 | Australia won by 82 runs | New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg |
| 11 Feb | Group B | Canada 180 v Bangladesh 120 | Canada won by 60 runs | Kingsmead, Durban |
| 12 Feb | Group B | Kenya 140 v South Africa 142/0 | South Africa won by 10 wickets (with 172 balls remaining) | North West Cricket Stadium, Potchefstroom |
| 12 Feb | Group A | India 204 v Netherlands 136 | India won by 68 runs | Boland Bank Park, Paarl |
| 13 Feb | Group B | New Zealand 241/7 v West Indies 221 | New Zealand won by 20 runs | St George's Park, Gqeberha |
| 14 Feb | Group B | Bangladesh 124 v Sri Lanka 126/0 | Sri Lanka won by 10 wickets (with 173 balls remaining) | City Oval, Pietermaritzburg |
| 15 Feb | Group A | India 125 v Australia 128/1 | Australia won by 9 wickets (with 166 balls remaining) | SuperSport Park, Centurion |
| 15 Feb | Group B | Canada 197 v Kenya 198/6 | Kenya won by 4 wickets (with 9 balls remaining) | Newlands, Cape Town |
| 16 Feb | Group A | Netherlands 142/9 v England 144/4 | England won by 6 wickets (with 160 balls remaining) | Buffalo Park, East London |
| 16 Feb | Group A | Pakistan 255/9 v Namibia 84 | Pakistan won by 171 runs | De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley |
| 16 Feb | Group B | South Africa 306/6 v New Zealand 229/1 | New Zealand won by 9 wickets (with 13 balls remaining) (D/L method) | New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg |
| 18 Feb | Group B | West Indies 244/9 v Bangladesh 32/2 | No result | Willowmoore Park, Benoni |
| 19 Feb | Group A | India 255/7 v Zimbabwe 172 | India won by 83 runs | Harare Sports Club, Harare |
| 19 Feb | Group B | Canada 36 v Sri Lanka 37/1 | Sri Lanka won by 9 wickets (with 272 balls remaining) | Boland Bank Park, Paarl |
| 19 Feb | Group A | England 272 v Namibia 217/9 | England won by 55 runs | St George's Park, Gqeberha |
| 20 Feb | Group A | Australia 170/2 v Netherlands 122 | Australia won by 75 runs (D/L method) | North West Cricket Stadium, Potchefstroom |
| 22 Feb | Group B | Bangladesh 108 v South Africa 109/0 | South Africa won by 10 wickets (with 228 balls remaining) | Goodyear Park, Bloemfontein |
| 22 Feb | Group A | England 246/8 v Pakistan 134 | England won by 112 runs | Newlands, Cape Town |
| 23 Feb | Group B | Canada 202 v West Indies 206/3 | West Indies won by 7 wickets (with 177 balls remaining) | SuperSport Park, Centurion |
| 23 Feb | Group A | India 311/2 v Namibia 130 | India won by 181 runs | City Oval, Pietermaritzburg |
| 24 Feb | Group B | Kenya 210/9 v Sri Lanka 157 | Kenya won by 53 runs | Gymkhana Club Ground, Nairobi |
| 24 Feb | Group A | Zimbabwe 246/9 v Australia 248/3 | Australia won by 7 wickets (with 15 balls remaining) | Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo |
| 25 Feb | Group A | Pakistan 253/9 v Netherlands 156 | Pakistan won by 97 runs | Boland Bank Park, Paarl |
| 26 Feb | Group B | Bangladesh 198/7 v New Zealand 199/3 | New Zealand won by 7 wickets (with 99 balls remaining) | De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley |
| 26 Feb | Group A | India 250/9 v England 168 | India won by 82 runs | Kingsmead, Durban |
| 27 Feb | Group A | Australia 301/6 v Namibia 45 | Australia won by 256 runs | North West Cricket Stadium, Potchefstroom |
| 27 Feb | Group B | South Africa 254/8 v Canada 136/5 | South Africa won by 118 runs | Buffalo Park, East London |
| 28 Feb | Group A | Zimbabwe 301/8 v Netherlands 202/9 | Zimbabwe won by 99 runs | Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo |
| 28 Feb | Group B | Sri Lanka 228/6 v West Indies 222/9 | Sri Lanka won by 6 runs | Newlands, Cape Town |
| 1 Mar | Group B | Kenya 217/7 v Bangladesh 185 | Kenya won by 32 runs | New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg |
| 1 Mar | Group A | Pakistan 273/7 v India 276/4 | India won by 6 wickets (with 26 balls remaining) | SuperSport Park, Centurion |
| 2 Mar | Group A | England 204/8 v Australia 208/8 | Australia won by 2 wickets (with 2 balls remaining) | St George's Park, Gqeberha |
| 3 Mar | Group B | Canada 196 v New Zealand 197/5 | New Zealand won by 5 wickets (with 162 balls remaining) | Willowmoore Park, Benoni |
| 3 Mar | Group A | Netherlands 314/4 v Namibia 250 | Netherlands won by 64 runs | Goodyear Park, Bloemfontein |
| 3 Mar | Group B | Sri Lanka 268/9 v South Africa 229/6 | Match tied (D/L method) | Kingsmead, Durban |
| 4 Mar | Group A | Pakistan 73/3 v Zimbabwe | No result | Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo |
| 4 Mar | Group B | West Indies 246/7 v Kenya 104 | West Indies won by 142 runs | De Beers Diamond Oval, Kimberley |
| 7 Mar | Super Six | Australia 319/5 v Sri Lanka 223/9 | Australia won by 96 runs | SuperSport Park, Centurion |
| 7 Mar | Super Six | Kenya 225/6 v India 226/4 | India won by 6 wickets (with 13 balls remaining) | Newlands, Cape Town |
| 8 Mar | Super Six | Zimbabwe 252/7 v New Zealand 253/4 | New Zealand won by 6 wickets (with 16 balls remaining) | Goodyear Park, Bloemfontein |
| 10 Mar | Super Six | India 292/6 v Sri Lanka 109 | India won by 183 runs | New Wanderers Stadium, Johannesburg |
| 11 Mar | Super Six | Australia 208/9 v New Zealand 112 | Australia won by 96 runs | St George's Park, Gqeberha |
| 12 Mar | Super Six | Zimbabwe 133 v Kenya 135/3 | Kenya won by 7 wickets (with 144 balls remaining) | Goodyear Park, Bloemfontein |
| 14 Mar | Super Six | New Zealand 146 v India 150/3 | India won by 7 wickets (with 56 balls remaining) | SuperSport Park, Centurion |
| 15 Mar | Super Six | Sri Lanka 256/5 v Zimbabwe 182 | Sri Lanka won by 74 runs | Buffalo Park, East London |
| 15 Mar | Super Six | Kenya 174/8 v Australia 178/5 | Australia won by 5 wickets (with 112 balls remaining) | Kingsmead, Durban |
Scheduled matches with no scorecard
2 fixtures were never started, so there is no scorecard to show. 52 of the 54 scheduled matches are in the archive.
| Match | Fixture | Venue | What happened |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 8 | Zimbabwe v England | Harare Sports Club | Forfeited: England refused to play in Harare on political and security grounds, and Zimbabwe took the points. |
| No. 21 | Kenya v New Zealand | Nairobi Gymkhana | Forfeited: New Zealand refused to play in Nairobi on security grounds, and Kenya took the points. |
Who played
Every player who appeared for each team at the tournament, with the number of matches played. Taken from the scorecards, so players who were in a squad but never played are not listed.
Australia · Champions
India · Runners-up
New Zealand · Super Six
Sri Lanka · Semi-finals
Kenya · Semi-finals
England · Group stage
South Africa · Group stage
West Indies · Group stage
Pakistan · Group stage
Zimbabwe · Super Six
Canada · Group stage
Netherlands · Group stage
Bangladesh · Group stage
Sources
- Scorecards: CricArcade ODI match archive, linked from every result
- 2003 Cricket World Cup (Wikipedia): format, groups and unplayed matches
- ESPNcricinfo: ICC World Cup 2002/03, results and scorecards
- Wikipedia: Cricket World Cup (history of the tournament)