Best bowling performances of Courtney Walsh

Here, we will take a look at the best bowling performances of Courtney Walsh. He played 132 Test matches for the West Indies between 1984 and 2001, and 205 One Day Internationals (ODIs) between 1985 and 2000. Walsh held the record for the most wickets by a bowler in Test match Cricket at one point, and finished his Test career with 519 wickets. He was the first bowler to reach the 500 wicket mark in Test cricket. Here, we a take a look at Walsh’s best bowling performances in the longest format of the game.

5-54 & 4-40 Vs India, 1987

The West Indies stormed to a comfortable 5-wicket victory against India in the first Test of the series at the Feroz Shah Kotla in New Delhi. In the second Test match of the four Test series at Bombay, India batted first and got off to a flying start thanks to a whirlwind-like innings from opening batsman Krishnamachari Srikkanth, who hit 57 off the 60 runs for the first wicket. Walsh was brought on as the first change bowler for the West Indies, and took the first wicket of the match not long after, dismissing Srikkanth’s opening partner Arun Lal. Walsh struck again a couple overs later, dismissing Mohinder Amarnath for just 1. Walsh wasn’t done just yet however, Srikkanth, who had raced to 71 off just 63 balls fell next and the West Indies were suddenly on top. Walsh returned to pick up two more wickets in the innings, those of India’s number nine batsman Arshad Ayub and then last man Maninder Singh, as India were all-out for 281 inside 68 overs.

West Indies ended their first innings on 337, to pick up a first innings lead of 56 runs. Walsh picked up four more crucial wickets in the second innings of the Test match, including that of Mohinder Amarnath for the second time in the game, to end the match with figures of 9-94. The Test match ended in a draw thanks to rain forcing no play on the second day’s play.

4-43 & 6-74 Vs England, 2000

In the second Test match of the 2000 Wisden Trophy between West Indies and England, Walsh put in a stellar bowling display that almost won the West Indies an improbable victory after they were bowled out for just 54 in their second innings. Walsh picked up 4-43 in the first innings of the match, and along with fellow fast bowler Curtly Ambrose who ended with figures of 4-30, reduced England to a meagre 134, giving the West Indies a healthy first innings lead of 133 runs. Walsh dismissed England opener Michael Atherton with the last ball of his very first over in the first innings.

However, a shocking batting display in the second innings saw the West Indies collapse to a total of just 54, with only wicket-keeper batsman Ridley Jacobs reaching double figures. Three England bowlers were needed for the job, which took less than 27 overs. Fast bowler Andy Caddick finished with figures of 5-16 from his 13 overs, including eight maidens. England were set a total of 188 runs to win the match and inspite of an early breakthrough by Walsh to remove opener Mark Ramprakash for 3, England raced to a total of 95-1, needing a further 93 runs to win the match with nine wickets in hand.

Walsh however had other plans at this stage, and picked up three wickets for 25 runs to reduce England to 120-4. England’s middle order resisted the on-slaught from Walsh but the persistance paid off when Walsh was rewarded with the wickets of England captain Alec Stewart and all-rounder Craig White in the very same over, to set the panic bells ringing in the England dressing room. England however still managed to sneak home thanks to a gutsy 33* from number nine batsman Dominic Cork.

4-25 Vs India, 1989

In 1989-90, Walsh took 4-25 off his 10 over spell, to help the West Indies to a 5-wicket victory in the first match of the Champions Trophy at the Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium in Sharjah. He was brought on as the second change bowler for the West Indies, dismissed both Indian openers, Srikkanth and Navjot Singh Sidhu, early in the Indian innings, before picking up two more wickets in his second spell. West Indies chased down India’s total of 170 in the 48th over and picked up four points in the process.

4-16 Vs Pakistan, 1993

In the ninth match of the Tri-series featuring West Indies, South Africa and Pakistan at the Newlands Cricket Ground in Cape Town, South Africa, Courtney Walsh led a West Indies attack that bundled out Pakistan for just 43 insde 20 overs. Walsh was the chief destroyer of a hapless Pakistan batting line-up, which saw just one batsman reach double figures. As many as six Pakistani batsmen fell for a duck and the West Indies stormed to victory in the 13th over of their innings. Walsh was named Man-of-the-Match for figures of 4-16 from his 9 overs.

7-37 & 6-18 Vs New Zealand, 1994-95

Courtney Walsh’s best bowling effort came at the Basin Reserve Cricket Ground in Wellington, New Zealand during the two match Test series between West Indies and New Zealand in February 1995. Batting first, three of the West Indies’ batsmen notched up centuries including Brain Lara, Jimmy Adams, and wicket-keeper Junior Murray as the West Indies piled on the runs to end their first innings on a massive total of 660-5 dec.

Walsh and his opening bowling partner, Curtly Ambrose tightened the screws and made run-scoring nearly impossible for the New Zealand batsmen. New Zealand’s openers inched their way to an opening stand of 50 but soon after, he struck to remove opener Bryan Young for 29. New Zealand never got going again in the innings as the pacer kept up the pressure and consistenly picked up wickets at regular intervals to bowl out New Zealand for 216 in their first innings. Walsh finally ended with figures of 7-37 in 20.4 overs.

West Indies decided to enforce the follow-on, and Walsh struck early to remove opener Bryan Young for 0. New Zealand never recovered from their early loss, and he led the way again, as he went through the New Zealand batting line-up from start to finish, ending up with figures of 6-18 in the second innings. West Indies won the match by a thumping margin of an innings and 322 runs, and also the series 1-0.