Top 5 highest individual scores in losing cause in a World Cup match

Top 5 highest individual scores in losing cause in a World Cup match: Sometimes an A grade effort from a player goes to waste despite efforts from him and everyone in the team. Big scores, handful of wickets, extremely good fielding efforts sometimes goes in vain and teams lose match. Here are the Top 5 highest individual scores in a losing cause in World Cup cricket. 5. 137 Sachin Tendulkar v Sri Lanka 1996 Sachin Tendulkar scored 137. (Photo Source : AFP) India met Sri Lanka in a group match at Feroz Shah Kotla in Delhi. India batted first and scored 271/3 in 50 overs thanks to Sachin Tendulkar’s 137, his highest score at that time. Mohd. Azharuddin also contributed with 72 runs and added 175 runs for the 4th wicket. But Sri Lanka made light work of the total with Sanath Jayasuriya scoring 79 off 76 balls and Hashan Tillakaratne scored 70 unbeaten runs to take Sri Lanka to victory in 48.4 overs. So severe was the brutal hitting by Jayasuriya against Manoj Prabhakar, that Prabhakar resorted to bowling off spin bowling in his second spell. He still went for 47 runs off 4 overs, Prabhakar never played again for India and retired from cricket after this match. 4. 141 Scott Styris v Sri Lanka 2003 Scott Styris scored 141 runs.(Photo Source: AFP) New Zealand faced off against Sri Lanka in a Pool B match. Sri Lanka batted first and scored 272 with Sanath Jayasuriya scoring 120 off 125 balls and Hashan Tillakaratne scored 81 runs as his support. New Zealand was 94/5 in their chase but Scott Styris played a lone hand with 141 off 125 balls with 6 sixes and 2 fours. Chris Cairns gave him some sort of support with 32 runs but the rest of the team failed in making any runs and New Zealand was bowled out for 225 and lost the match by 47 runs. 3. 142 Dave Houghton v New Zealand 1987 Dave Houghton’s 142 went in vain as New Zealand won by 3 runs.(Photo Source: Getty Images) Zimbabwe and New Zealand met in Group A match at Hyderabad’s Lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium. New Zealand batted first and made 242 runs in 50 overs with Martin Crowe making 72 and Martin Snedden making 64 runs. Zimbabwe’s run chase was anchored by only 2 players, Dave Houghton who scored 142 off 137 balls and all-rounder Iain Butchart who made 54 off 70. These two added an almost match winning 117 runs together. But an aspiring catch from Martin Crowe which dismissed Dave Houghton sounded the death knell for Zimbabwe team. New Zealand won the match by 3 runs. 2. 143 Herschelle Gibbs v New Zealand 2003 South African opener Gibbs scored 143 runs in a losing cause. (Photo Source: Getty Images) New Zealand features in this list again and this time against South Africa in World Cup 2003. They faced off at the scenic Wanderer’s stadium and South Africa batted first. They scored 306/6 with Herschelle Gibbs scoring 143 off 141 balls, Jacques Kallis (33), Lance Klusener (33) and Graeme Smith (33) provided valuable support to Gibbs. New Zealand had to score 225 runs from 39 overs due to rain delay. New Zealand’s reply was built around Captain Stephen Fleming’s 134* off 132 balls including 21 fours. Nathan Astle supported him with 54* and New Zealand won the match with 9 wickets to spare making 229/1 in 36.5 overs. 1. 156 Kyle Coetzer v Bangladesh 2015 Scotland’s Kyle Coetzer scored 156 in his team’s 318/8 against Bangladesh. (Photo Source:ICC) Scotland’s Kyle Coetzer scored 156 in his team’s 318/8 against Bangladesh. He broke the highest score record by a non-test playing batsman in a loss previously held by Dave Houghton who scored 143 against New Zealand in 1987 World Cup. Coetzer got support from Captain Preston Mommsen (39), Matt Machan (35). But Tamim Iqbal’s 95 and a couple of sixties from Mahmudullah and Mushfiqur Rahim got Bangladesh to the required 322 in 49th over. Shakib-Al-Hasan made 52 and Sabbir Rahman’s 42 took Bangladesh to the finish line with 6 wickets in hand. Kyle Coetzer now holds the unwanted record of highest score in a losing cause in a World Cup match. Stats Source : Bharath Seervi *All stats updated till 5th March 2015.