After the first two articles in the series related to batting and bowling, this one deals with the five best fielding efforts in the World Cup
Vivian Richards, 3 run-outs, Lord’s, 1975 World Cup: Viv Richards had come into the 1975 World as a precocious youngster, but in the final of the tournament, he hadn’t done much to justify that tag. However, it was in the field he fought back with a vengeance – running three Aussies out and winning the tournament for West Indies
Kapil Dev, caught Richards, Lord’s, 1983 World Cup This was the final of the 1983 World Cup and it looked like going West Indies’ way with Richards batting like he wanted to get done with it in half the overs. off one of the deliveries from Madan Lal, he top-edged his stroke and Kapil Dev ran backs from square-leg to deep square-leg and completed an excellent catch. Match over for West Indies.
Jonty Rhodes, runs out Inzamam ul Haq, 1992 World Cup: Rhodes is the epitome of what excellent fielding is all about. And in the 1992 World Cup he showed everyone what good fielding actually meant. In a game between Pakistan and South Africa, Inzamam nudged one down to the point region and took off for a single. Rhodes picked up the ball and instead of throwing the ball, ran towards it, with Haq trying to return back and dived into the stumps – demolishing them in the process and running the batsman out.
Steve Waugh/David Boon run out Venkatapathy Raju, Brisbane, 1992: India needed 4 to win off the last ball in the game and Javagal Srinath hit the ball in the air towards long-on. Steve Waugh ran many yards but dropped the catch. In the process the Indians had run two and were going for the third run before Waugh threw a long throw to the makeshift wicket-keeper, David Boon. The throw wasn’t accurate but Boon kept his wits about him and ran towards to the stumps to run Raju out and win the side the game by a run.
Dwayne Leverock catches Robin Uthappa, 2007 World Cup: It was the India-Bermuda game in which India batted first. With the score reading only three, Robin Uthappa edged one to the slips. Here, the ridiculously fat looking Dwayne Leverock threw himself to his right and took a catch that would have left even the Rhodes of the world stunned.