On This Day In Cricket - November 19

Being the day of Australia’s sixth men’s World Cup triumph in 2023, Travis Head’s match-defining catch and majestic 137 sealed a six-wicket victory over unbeaten hosts India in Ahmedabad. On this day in 1986, Ian Botham’s blazing 138 and 22 runs off one Merv Hughes over powered England to a seven-wicket win in the Brisbane Ashes Test. In 1932, the first ominous hints of Bodyline emerged at the MCG, with Harold Larwood hitting Bill Woodfull and dismissing Don Bradman amid crowd bewilderment. Also born on 19 November were Kenya’s 1996 World Cup hero Rajab Ali, South Africa’s 300th Test wicket-taker Allan Donald (2000 milestone), and tragic England allrounder Billy Bates (1855).

On This Day - November 19, 2023 - Australia Wins the ODI World Cup 2023

The Finals of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 at Ahmedabad saw Australia produce a calm and clinical chase to defeat India by six wickets and lift their sixth world title. India posted 240 after being asked to bat first, with Rohit Sharma giving the innings early life through a quick 47 from 31 balls. Virat Kohli added stability with a composed 54, while KL Rahul worked hard for his 66 from 107 deliveries. However, regular wickets in the middle overs slowed the scoring rate, and India finished on 240 all out in the final over. Mitchell Starc led Australia’s attack with three wickets, while Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood took two each. 

(Australia defeated India by 6 wickets to win the 2023 ODI World Cup)

Australia’s chase began with a burst of wickets as Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah removed David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, and Steven Smith inside seven overs. At 47 for three, India sensed a way back, but Travis Head produced one of the great World Cup final innings. His 137 from 120 balls changed the match completely. Marnus Labuschagne offered firm support with an unbeaten 58 from 110 balls, guiding Australia through the chase with calm shot selection. The pair added a match-winning stand that carried Australia to 241 for four in 43 overs, sealing a memorable win with plenty of overs to spare.

On This Day - November 19, 1992 - Cameron Bancroft Was Born Today

A career that saw Cameron Bancroft rise through Australian cricket with patience and determination has been shaped by both promise and setbacks. Born in November 1992, Bancroft built his game as a right-hand opening batter and part-time wicketkeeper, known for long stays at the crease and a strong defensive technique. He made his international debut in early 2016 in a T20I against India, but it was Test cricket where he showed greater potential. Bancroft played 10 Tests between 2017 and 2019, scoring 446 runs with a best of 82 not out.

(Cameron Bancroft was born on November 19, 1992)

His average of 26.23 did not fully reflect his ability to absorb pressure, especially during the 2017 to 2018 Ashes. His first class record stands out far more. Across 184 matches, he has scored 12019 runs at 39.02 with 33 centuries and a highest score of 228 not out. In List A cricket, he has 3720 runs at an average of 40, including six hundreds. Bancroft has also been a steady performer in T20 leagues, scoring 3170 runs in 134 games with a top score of 95 not out. Although his Test career was halted after the 2018 ball tampering incident, he rebuilt his reputation through consistent performances for Western Australia and in franchise cricket, remaining one of the most reliable openers in Australian domestic cricket.

On This Day - November 19, 2022 - Australia defeats England by 72 Runs

Playing the second ODI at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Australia delivered a steady all-round performance to claim a comfortable seventy-two run win over England. After choosing to bat, Australia reached two hundred eighty for eight in fifty overs. Steven Smith was the anchor with a calm ninety-four from one hundred fourteen balls, while Marnus Labuschagne added a fluent fifty-eight. Mitchell Marsh chipped in with a useful fifty, helping Australia push past the two hundred eighty mark on a surface that was not the easiest for scoring. England’s attack was led by Adil Rashid, who took three for fifty-seven, while Chris Woakes and David Willey claimed two wickets each.

(Australia defeated England by 72 runs)

England’s chase fell apart right at the start with Mitchell Starc removing Jason Roy and Dawid Malan inside the first over. Josh Hazlewood joined in to leave England three down for almost nothing. James Vince and Sam Billings tried to rebuild with a stand of one hundred twenty-two, with Vince scoring sixty and Billings seventy-one. Once the partnership broke, the rest of the batting folded quickly. Starc finished with four for forty-seven and Adam Zampa added four for forty-five as England were bowled out for two hundred and eight in thirty-eight point five overs. The win gave Australia a two-nil lead in the series.

On This Day - November 19, 2021 - India defeats New Zealand by 7 Wickets

Between the two sides, India delivered a confident and composed performance to seal a comfortable seven-wicket win over New Zealand in the second T20I at Ranchi. New Zealand posted 153 for 6 after being sent in, starting quickly through Martin Guptill who struck 31 from just 15 balls. Glenn Phillips added energy with 34 from 21, while Daryl Mitchell made 31 from 28, but regular breakthroughs kept India in control. Harshal Patel impressed on debut with figures of 2 for 25 from his four overs and was supported well by Ravichandran Ashwin, who gave away only 19 runs and claimed a wicket.

(India defeated New Zealand by 7 wickets)

Chasing 154, India’s openers set the tone with a strong stand. KL Rahul scored a steady 65 from 49 balls and Rohit Sharma struck 55 from 36, hitting five sixes. Their partnership of 117 ensured India stayed ahead of the required rate. Although Tim Southee picked up all three wickets for New Zealand with an excellent spell of 3 for 16, the target was already within reach. Venkatesh Iyer and Rishabh Pant completed the job, guiding India to 155 for 3 in 17.2 overs. The win handed India the series lead at 2 to 0, with Harshal earning the Player of the Match award for his all-round impact.

On This Day - November 19, 2014 - Australia defeats South Africa by 73 Runs

The match where Australia faced South Africa in the third ODI of the November 2014 series at Canberra turned out to be a thrilling contest. Australia batted first and posted a commanding total of 329 for 5 in 50 overs. Aaron Finch led the charge with a brilliant 109 off 127 balls, supported by David Warner’s 53 and Shane Watson’s 40. Steven Smith played a quickfire 73 not out from 55 balls, giving the innings a strong finishing boost. Extras added 12 runs, while Morkel and Hazlewood were the pick of the bowlers for South Africa.

(Australia defeats South Africa by 73 runs)

Chasing 330, South Africa struggled despite a solid 102 from Hashim Amla. AB de Villiers scored a rapid 52 off 34 balls, but wickets fell at regular intervals, with Mitchell Starc taking 4 crucial wickets. The Proteas managed only 256 in 44.3 overs, handing Australia a 73-run victory. This win put Australia ahead 2-1 in the five-match series. Steven Smith’s aggressive 73 earned him the Player of the Match award, and his innings drew praise from AB de Villiers and Aaron Finch. 

On This Day - November 19, 2012 - India defeats England by 9 Wickets

Defeating the mighty England, India dominated the first Test at Ahmedabad in November 2012, winning by nine wickets. Batting first, India posted a massive 521 for 8 declared, led by Cheteshwar Pujara’s unbeaten 206. Virender Sehwag contributed a quick 117, and Yuvraj Singh added 74, while Gautam Gambhir and Sachin Tendulkar provided solid starts. Graeme Swann took five wickets for England, but India’s total was too strong to challenge. In reply, England struggled in their first innings, being bowled out for 191. Pragyan Ojha starred with five wickets, and Zaheer Khan and Ashwin supported well. 

(India defeats England by 9 wickets)

Following on, England improved but still managed only 406, with Alastair Cook scoring 176 and Matt Prior 91. Ojha and Umesh Yadav picked up key wickets to keep England under pressure. Chasing a small target of 77, India wrapped up the match in just 15.3 overs. Pujara remained not out again with 41, and Sehwag added 25, securing a comfortable nine-wicket victory. Pujara’s exceptional batting in both innings earned him the Player of the Match award. The win gave India a 1-0 lead in the four-match series and highlighted India’s batting depth and Ojha’s spin dominance on a turning pitch, leaving England with plenty to rethink ahead of the next Tests.

On This Day - November 19, 2021 - Tim Paine Resigns as Australia’s Test Captain

Resigning from the post of Australia’s Test captain, Tim Paine stepped down just weeks before the Ashes after an old investigation into explicit text messages resurfaced. The messages were exchanged with a female co worker in 2017, shortly before Paine returned to the Test side after a long absence. Although a joint Cricket Australia and Cricket Tasmania inquiry in 2018 found no breach of the code of conduct and deemed the interaction consensual, the matter became public in 2021 through a media report. Paine addressed the media in Hobart and said he believed stepping down was the right decision for his family and for Australian cricket. 

(Tim Paine resigns as Australia’s Test Captain)

He apologised to his wife, family, team mates and supporters, accepting that his actions did not match the standards expected of a national captain. He added that he would still be available for the Ashes selection. Cricket Tasmania confirmed that the issue came to their notice only when unrelated charges were laid against the employee in 2018. They stated that the exchange happened once and involved two adults. Cricket Australia chair Richard Freudenstein said the board respected Paine’s decision and thanked him for his service. With his resignation, the process to appoint a new Test captain will now be fast-tracked, with Pat Cummins seen as the leading candidate.