Chasing 300 -That Mammoth Maneuver

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Chasing 300 or more in an ODI is a colossal task. Despite the advent of power hitting and T20 cricket, scoring more than a run a ball in an ODI is a test of character and perfect execution for an outfit. 

Sri Lanka chasing down 311 at Hambantota against Zimbabwe was their tenth successful 300 plus run chase in ODIs. By securing an emphatic 8 wicket win, Sri Lanka recorded not only their first ever successful 300 plus run chase on home soil, but also overtook Australia (9) in the list, only to be behind India who has sealed it on 15 occasions. Many may argue yesteryear  Sri Lanka having strong bowling attacks which would not let opponents even to reach closer to 300, thus not being forced to chase such mammoth targets. Or one might contend that with T20 cricket, 300 plus targets have been more common. To analyze this, let’s take a closer look at the numbers and figures.

Note: The records include targets of 300 (where the opposition has scored 299) 

India tops the list of highest number of 300 plus run chases in ODIs with 15. They are followed by Sri Lanka (10), Australia (9), Pakistan (6), South Africa (6), England (6), New Zealand (4), Bangladesh (3), Zimbabwe (3), Ireland (3) and West Indies (1).

In 1992, Sri Lanka became the first ever side to chase down a total more than 300, when they defeated Zimbabwe at New Plymouth during the World Cup.

For the next 6 years, no team was able to pull off such feat until India chased down 315 against Pakistan at Dhaka 1998. The highlight of this was that India chased down the total in a match that was reduced to 48 overs. The thrilling last ball victory gave India the Silver Jubilee Independence Cup, a tournament which was decided by three finals.

The year 1998 saw its second 300 plus run chase in November, when Australia beat Pakistan at Lahore by 6 wickets. This was the first time a side managed to chase down more than 300 before losing half the side. Adam Gilchrist (103) and Ricky Ponting (124*) starred in this pursuit, Australia’s first ever.

Nasser Hussain vs Pakistan in 2000 (Image courtesy - AllSport UK Ltd)
Nasser Hussain vs Pakistan in 2000 (Image courtesy – AllSport UK Ltd)
England recorded their first 300 plus chase in 2000 against Pakistan at Karachi. It was the first time that no player from either side was able to score a ton in an eventual 300 plus run chase. Andrew Flintoff was the highest scorer with 84 runs.
On 4th of February 2004, against West Indies at Johannesburg, South Africa chased their first successful 300 plus total in ODIs. It was not until 2005 that New Zealand had their first taste of success. At Christchurch against rivals Australia, the home side cruised to a 332 run target with an over to spare. Scott Styris scored a scintillating century which was backed by Brendon McCullum’s 50 -run cameo which came in 25 deliveries later in the game.
In the following year, Pakistan beat India by 3 wickets at Ahmedabad to record their first ever 300 plus ODI run chase. The 316 run target was chased down by Pakistan in 48 overs.
In 2007, Canada became the first ever Associate team to reach the feat as they beat Ireland by 6 wickets at Nairobi. In 2009, Bangladesh beat Zimbabwe by 4 wickets at Bulawayo to stamp their name in history despite an unbeaten 194 by Charles Conventry which equaled the record for the highest ever individual score in an ODI. Opener Tamim Iqbal’s 138-ball 154 innings saw the visitors obtaining victory in the penultimate over.
Two years later, Bulawayo witnessed Zimbabwe’s first ever 300 plus chase. The hosts pulled off a stunning victory, chasing 329 against a formidable New Zealand which featured skipper Ross Taylor (119) and Kane Williamson who went on a rampage to score a ton in 69 balls earlier in the innings. The chase was spearheaded by Malcolm Waller who fell just short of a deserving century. His 74- ball blitzkrieg annexed 99 runs.
After four decades of ODI cricket, two time world champions West Indies finally broke a hoodoo by chasing 300 plus against Pakistan at Guyana in April 2017.
Ranatunga, the pugnacious leader who always defended his team (Image Courtesy – Getty Images)
Ranatunga, the pugnacious leader who always defended his team (Image Courtesy – Getty Images)
Sri Lanka’s second ever 300 plus chase came in the infamous Carlton and United series in 1999. Against England at Adelaide which was remembered for the Murali-Ross Emerson controversy, the fretful encounter saw Mahela Jayawardene scoring 120 off 111 balls that led to a memorable victory for the Sri Lankans.
Upul Chandana’s heroic 89 in 71 balls saw Sri Lanka in an unforgettable chase against West Indies at Barbados in 2003 while Sanath Jayasuriya (152) and Upul Tharanga (109) broke the record for the highest opening stand (286) in a 322 -run pursuit, pulverized England inside 38 overs at Leeds in 2006.
Jayasuriya flayed England with 152 in 99 balls (Image courtesy – Getty Images)
Jayasuriya flayed England with 152 in 99 balls (Image courtesy – Getty Images)

During the 2015 CWC group stage, Sri Lanka chased down 310 against England. Lahiru Thirimanne (139) and Kumar Sangakkara (117) starred in this run chase that secured an outstanding 9 wicket win, Sri Lanka’s most dominant victory after chasing more than 300.  This victory put England at the receiving end of most of Sri Lanka’s successful 300 plus chases (3).

Out of 3902 ODIs in history, there have been only 510 occasions where teams batting first have set a target of 300 or more. Only 68 games out of those have seen successful run chases. That’s a mere 13.33% of success rate, a rare moment witnessed only in 1.74% of games in ODI history.

Out of the 68 run chases, 57 have come after the introduction of international T20 cricket, a staggering 83%. A significant rise had seen in the chasing 300 plus targets since 2011. Following the dawn of 2011 there had been 37 run chases (54% of total), 21 of those have come after the beginning of 2015, (30% of total) in the last two years.

David Miller’s scripted the highest ODI run chase under floodlights (Image courtesy – AFP)
David Miller’s ton scripted the highest ODI run chase under floodlights (Image courtesy – AFP)
It includes 32 instances the team batting second chased the target under floodlights. Sri Lanka’s win against England in 1999 was the first instance a team won in a 300 plus chase in a day night encounter. Interestingly, Sri Lanka won the toss and decided to field in that game. South Africa chasing 372 against Australia at Durban in 2016 remains the highest successful run chase under floodlights. In 30 games, the teams that successfully chased down 300 plus have opted to field first after winning the toss while in only 11 instances teams have opted to chase down under floodlights.
In World Cups, there had been only 7 instances where targets over 300 have been chased. Amazingly, Ireland has engaged in the hunt 3 times, including the highest run chase in a World Cup, 329 against England in 2011.
There had been on 6 instances where teams have chased down a target of 350 or more. Out of the 6 games, India has achieved it 3 times, South Africa twice, including the highest run chase of 435 and England once. Australia has been in the losing side in the top 4 run chases.