11 best all-round performances in Cricket World Cups

The World Cup is the pinnacle of cricketing glory. It is something that every cricketer dreams of. This is why players are more fired up when they take to the field to represent their country on the biggest stage of them all. So, not surprisingly, we get to witness some of the most unforgettable performances from the players. The enormity of the occasion brings out the best in some players, with both bat and ball. These performances have gone down in history books as the best all-round performances in the World Cup. Let's take a look at some of these performances:NOTE: This list is in chronological order starting with the oldest.

#1 Gary Gilmour: 6-14 and 28* vs England, Semi-final, 1975 World Cup

No matter what the stage, a game of cricket between Australia and England is always huge. Given that this game was the semi-final of the first ever World Cup, it was all the more special. With an array of stars in their team, Gary Gilmour was the unlikely hero for Australia as he dished out a performance worthy of a semi-final as the Aussies beat their bitter rivals by 4 wickets and made it to the finals. 

With his penetrative left-arm swing bowling, Gilmour picked up 6 wickets for just 28 runs as the hosts were bundled out for a paltry total of just 93 runs. Possessing one of the best batting line-ups in world cricket at that time, Australia were expected to make a mockery of the target set for them. However, some determined bowling from the Englishmen reduced the Aussies to 39/6 and the match was poised on a knife’s edge.

At this juncture, Gilmour walked out to the crease to play his maiden innings in ODI cricket. In the company of Doug Walters, a far more experienced campaigner, Gary soaked in the pressure and went about the task of chasing down the target. He scored an unbeaten run-a-ball 28 as he stitched a crucial partnership of 55 runs for the 7th wicket with Walters and took Australia over the line. For his all-round heroics, he was awarded the Man of the Match award.

The 2 videos below are an account of Gilmour’s heroic performance in that game: