Highest successful run chases in T20I history
T20 cricket is the most popular format these days, with the ability to produce action-packed cricket and cause ripples of excitement among fans regularly. Big hits and high scores are a feature of this format, and more often than not the teams scoring big in the first innings end up on the winning side. But there are occasions that even big scores haven’t been safe as the team chasing has produced monumental efforts to get over the line.
Here’s a look at three of the highest run chases in T20I history.
3. England chased South Africa’s 230
England and South Africa locked horns in the 18th match of the group stages of the 2016 T20 World Cup, which turned out to be a blockbuster. South Africa batted first on a flat Wankhede wicket and posted a mammoth 230 runs thanks to a late blitz from David Miller and JP Duminy who added 61 runs in just 24 deliveries at the death.
The result looked like a foregone conclusion, but the English players had other ideas. The opening pair of Jason Roy and Alex Hales started in rampant fashion as the pair added 48 runs in just 2.3 overs. After the blitz by the top order batters, it was Joe Roots’ masterful 83 of 44 balls that saw England get over the line with two balls to spare.
2. West Indies chased South Africa’s 231
It was West Indies who faced the Proteas at Johannesburg in 2015. South Africa didn’t have the greatest of starts to the game as they lost both the openers inside three overs. But South African skipper Faf du Plessis started an onslaught on the West Indian bowlers as he amassed 119 runs in just 56 deliveries. South Africa finished with 231/7 in their 20 overs. The West Indian team lost Dwayne Smith early, but the experienced pair of Chris Gayle (90 of 41) and Marlon Samuels (60 of 39) stitched together a 159-run partnership that saw the Caribbeans on the brink. After several quick wickets, the match seemed to be slipping out of their grip until skipper Darren Sammy’s (20 off 7 balls) timely cameo saw them home.
1. Australia chased New Zealand’s 245
Auckland’s crowd was treated to a spectacle when New Zealand hosted Australia in the 5th match of the Trans-Tasman Twenty20 Tri-Series. New Zealand’s destructive opening pair of Martin Guptill and Colin Munro set the tone for the innings with a 132-run opening stand in just 10.4 overs. Guptill recorded a wonderful 105 of 54 balls as New Zealand posted a massive total of 243 runs on the board. Australia responded with a typically aggressive approach to the chase as David Warner and D’Arcy Short added 121 runs in just 51 deliveries for the opening wicket. Important cameos from Aaron Finch (36 of 14) and Glenn Maxwell (31 of 14) saw the Aussies home with seven balls to spare.
