Record (ed) 194 - Charles Coventry

Coventry, with his unbeaten 194 off 156 balls against Bangladesh at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo on Sunday, has posted the joint highest individual score in the history of ODIs.  Coventry's outstanding knock is his career-best score - his maiden ODI hundred, bettering the 74 off 99 balls against India at Harare..
Unfortunately, Coventry finished on the losing side, thus creating an unwanted world record in ODIs, surpassing Matthew Hayden's unbeaten 181 against New Zealand at Hamilton on February 20, 2007.

Coventry's outstanding innings has contained 106 runs from boundaries (seven sixes and 17 fours) - which is also a record for most runs through boundaries for Zimbabwe in ODIs. It is also a record for most runs through boundaries against Bangladesh in an ODI innings.

Craig Wishart's unbeaten 172 off 151 balls against Namibia at Harare on February 10, 2003 was the previous highest individual score for Zimbabwe in ODIs.

The highest individual innings for losing cause in ODIs are:

Runs	Balls	Batsman	For	Vs.	Venue	Date
194*	156	Charles Coventry	Zim	Ban	Bulawayo	16.8.2009
181*	166	Matthew Hayden	Aus	NZ	Hamilton	20.2.2007
167*	163	Robin Smith	Eng	Aus	Birmingham	21.5.1993
164	105	Ricky Ponting	Aus	SA	Johannesburg	12.3.2006
152*	153	Chris Gayle	WI	SA	Johannesburg	4.2.2004

The elusive double hundred.. 

The players seem to miss the elusive 200, either because of bad luck, a poor shot or over enthusiasm and eagerness to get to that double hundred mark..

Several batsmen have neared the mark but fallen agonizingly short: Saeed Anwar ( prev post on Independence Day special records Anwar's 194)  probably had the best chance but was undone by the brutal May heat of Chennai, Sanath Jayasuriya's one-man demolition job in Sharjah ended 11 runs adrift, (both against India) and Herschelle Gibbs had raced to 175 as early as the 32nd over before holing out to long-on in the famous 438 game at the Wanderers.. In an unglamorous series in Bulawayo, Charles Coventry, joined that illustrious list.

Saeed  Anwar


Saeed Anwar had a runner from the 19th over itself as the heat at Chennai took toll on the players.. Saeed Anwar broke the record for the highest individual innings in a one-day international by scoring 194, from 146 balls, with 22 fours and five sixes, three in succession in one over from Kumble, which went for 2-2-6-6-6-4. He might have reached a double-hundred had he not top-edged a sweep to be caught at fine leg off Sachin in the 47th over. It was a remarkable exhibition of controlled aggression, even if he was helped by a runner, Shahid Afridi, for most of the innings (he was suffering from heat exhaustion and loss of fluid).

The mighty SIR Viv Richards

What is hitting in the air ? Century in an ODI !! I wouldn't say these were unheard of at 1984.. There were enough centuries and enough big ones by then.. Kapil Dev's untaped 175 against Zimbabwe could be cited as an example.. But the might of Viv is stamped on this innings, the greatest player of all time..

Almost single-handed he won the match for West Indies after they had been in deep trouble. Having won the toss and chosen to bat, they were 102 for seven in the 26th over of a 55-over match at Old Trafford on the last day of May in the 1st match of the Texaco trophy.. In a memorable display Richards received 170 balls and hit 21 fours and five sixes, one of these, a straight drive, going out of the ground at the Warwick Road end. In 14 overs for the last wicket Richards and Holding added 106, Richards's share being 93. He batted with daring and immense power..



The Matara Mauler


Sri Lanka defeated India by 254 in one of their most intimidating performances in the history of Sri Lankan cricket, in the finals of Coca Cola trophy at Sharjah 2000. The architect was, Sanath Jayasuriya, who rescued an innings that was dipping into the doldrums, with a breathtaking 189 from just 161 balls, the second equal highest score in the history of one-day international cricket.



At the start of the 49th over during the Sri Lankan innings, both the captains reached a stage where they couldn't care less, but for different reasons. While Jayasuriya was intent on throwing his bat at anything and everything without bothering about the results, Ganguly decided to bring himself on to bowl, as he must have thought that it could not get worse. Jayasuriya despatched the first ball for a four but got out the very next delivery. It was the only triumph for Ganguly on a day which otherwise was something short of a torture.


Gary Kirsten - 188* vs UAE at Rawalpindi in the world cup 1996.. G Kirsten 188* off 159 balls, 4 sixes, 13 fours. Highest ever individual score in World Cup matches, surpassing IVA Richards' 181* v SL at Karachi in 1987. 2nd highest ODI score of all time, needing 3 off last ball to equal Viv Richards' all time ODI record score of 189.

NOW, Charles Coventry.. 



How did he lose out ?

• Coventry was on 191, three short of equalling the record, when the final over started.
  49.1 Syed Rasel to Coventry, 1 run, full outside off, driven straight to deep cover, just the single
  Mupariwa needs to get a single now
  49.2 Syed Rasel to Mupariwa, OUT lbw Coventry will have to wait
  Utseya, the captain, walks in
  49.3 Syed Rasel to Utseya, FOUR, a boundary! They were on their way to get a single, picks the slower one wide of long-on, the fielder overruns it to concede a boundary, Coventry will have to wait again
  49.4 Syed Rasel to Utseya, 2 runs, short on leg stump, pulled away wide of fine leg.. why two? His partner's on the verge of a major landmark here, a single should have been fine
  49.5 Syed Rasel to Utseya, 1 run.
  Coventry has one ball to break the record. Three to get.
  The keeper comes up
  49.6 Syed Rasel to Coventry, 2 runs, full toss outside off, slaps it back past the bowler wide of long-off for a couple to equal the world record!!