Top 5 Bowling Spells In ODIs Without Taking A Wicket

It is a done thing that captains always introduce bowlers into the attack for taking a wicket, especially in ODIs. It is only by picking wickets that a team can restrict any opposition to as minimum total as possible. Yet, the economy rate of a bowler plays as crucial a role as wickets, if not more.

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Over the years, many top-notch ODI bowlers have delivered some miserly bowlers against some reputed batting line-ups. While wickets have not arrived, they made life difficult for the batsmen and allowed them not to lose focus. On the other hand, bowling like it consistently facilitated the rest of the bowlers to make inroads from the other end.

We take a look at the top five best bowling figures in an ODI without a wicket. We chose match-winning bowling figures with at least seven overs of bowling by the bowlers:

Sir Richard Hadlee – 9-4-12-0:

Sir Richard Hadlee was arguably one of the greatest all-rounders during his playing days. Hadlee was also the catalyst to New Zealand’s rise in world cricket. As an all-rounder, his greatest achievement was leading the Kiwis to their first and only Test series victory in Australia till date.

Meanwhile, he recorded his bowling figures of 9-4-12-0 against Sri Lanka at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 1988. From the other end, Ewen Chatfield’s four-wicket burst helped New Zealand skittle Sri Lanka for 174 in 48.2 overs. The 69-year old boasted of an economy rate of 1.33.

Later, the Black Caps gunned down the total of 175 with four wickets and eight balls to spare. Hence, the Canterbury-born’s enterprising bowling spell, consisting of four maidens played a crucial role.

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Saqlain Mushtaq – 8-2-12-0:

Pakistan suffered a top-order collapse as only Saeed Anwar and Inzamam-Ul-Haq got to double figures amongst the top six at the Gabba, Brisbane against Australia in 2000. The lower-order consisting of Moin Khan, Saqlain Mushtaq, and Wasim Akram scored in the mid-30s while Waqar Younis chipped in with 23 to take Pakistan to 184.

The tourists gave Australia their own taste of medicine with the pace trio of Akhtar, Younis and Abdul Razzaq tearing through the batting line-up. But as a lone spinner, Saqlain did not give an inch amid the pacemen’s carnage. While the pacers were amongst the wickets, the off-spinner curbed the run-scoring with an economy rate of 1.50, the best of the match.

Also Read: Top 10 Non-Retired Bowlers With Most Wickets In ODI Cricket

Wasim Akram – 7-1-11-0:

Wasim Akram was probably the finest amongst the seam bowlers produced by Pakistan and was also one of the greatest exponents of reverse swing bowling. In 1997 against Zimbabwe in Sharjah, captain Wasim Akram was amongst the seven batsmen, who could not get to double figures. Moin Khan top-scored with 61 as Pakistan trudged to 151 in 50 overs.

If Heath Streak grabbed four for Zimbabwe, leggie Mushtaq Ahmed did too, being the pick of the bowlers in their 32-run victory. But the captain, with the new ball, set the tone through his economy rate of 1.57 in seven overs. while Waqar Younis and Saqlain Mushtaq played partners-in-crime for Mushtaq Ahmed.

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John Traicos – 10-4-16-0:

Zimbabwe’s batting line-up did not stand a chance against the runners-up of the 1992 World Cup at Albury. David Houghton top-scored with 29 while Ian Botham and Richard Illingworth took three wickets each to bundle them for 134 in 46.1 overs.

In response, the much-vaunted batting line-up of England could not withstand the pressure piled on by the ultimate underdogs. Eddo Brandes outclassed star all-rounder Ian Botham with the ball by picking up four wickets while John Traicos recorded the best economy rate of the match with 1.60 in ten overs to stun England by nine runs.

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Joel Garner – 10-2-17-0:

English bowlers broke the back of the West Indian bowling line-up with all six bowlers accounting for one wicket each in 1980 at Kingstown. Only Desmond Haynes and Faoud Bacchus reached double figures with the latter making 62 in the team total of 127, lasting 47.2 overs. And the West Indian bowlers were not going to leave any chance to prove why they were the best bowling line-up.

It is for occasions like these that they live. Colin Croft spearheaded with a stunning six wickets from nine overs while Andy Roberts and Michael Holding accounted for three between them. Yet, Joel Garner’s miserly ten overs conceded only 1.70 and without him picking a single wicket, the Englishmen found themselves two runs short.

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