On this day in 2004: West Indies win Champions Trophy 2004 in a stunning fashion

A come-from-behind victory more often than not is remembered for a long time. Add to it a high-profile tournament and two strong oppositions, and it further garners the audacity of the occasion. Back then in 2004, the West Indies team wrote one such script that the cricketing fraternity is in awe of even today.

The epic chase

Things weren’t going quite well for West Indies as their batting line-up experienced a collapse whilst chasing 215. When Andrew Flintoff picked up the wicket of Brian Lara, the team was reduced to 72-4 and England was well in control of the game. Shivnarine Chanderpaul (47) then held the fort for the side before Paul Collingwood removed him in the 34th over and West Indies were in a spot of bother with the scoreboard reading 147-8.

Post this, Courtney Browne and Ian Bradshaw took up the mantle for West Indies. They stitched in an unbroken ninth-wicket stand of 71 runs to sail the team to an incredible win. Bradshaw hit Alex Wharf for a four in the 49th over and sealed the deal for West Indies thrillingly. Browne (35*) and Bradshaw (34*) took the team past the total.

After having won the toss in the crucial match, West Indies opted to bowl first at Kennington Oval, London. Ian Bradshaw struck early on for West Indies and removed England opener Vikram Solanki (4). Marcus Trescothick hit his eighth One Day International century in the match and top-scored for England. Skipper Michael Vaughan (7) also lost his wicket to Bradshaw.

Wickets kept falling frequently and by the time Paul Collingwood (16) walked back to the pavilion, England was already reduced to 123-5. Apart from Marcus Trescothick, Ashley Giles was the only other batter who provided some resistance to the side as he added valuable 31 runs to the team’s account. England was thus wrapped up at 214 by West Indies.