World Cup History: First Century Scorers in Each Edition

The Cricket World Cup is the biggest sporting event in the world, and scoring a century in the tournament is one of the greatest achievements for a batsman. In this article, we take a look at the list of players who scored the first century in each edition of the World Cup:

World Cup History: List of Players Who Scored the First Century in Each Edition

The wait for a century in the 2019 Cricket World Cup finally came to an end in the first five matches, with England’s Joe Root and Jos Buttler scoring centuries in a losing effort against Pakistan.

Root became the first batsman to score a century in the tournament, and his achievement was particularly notable given that England were the tournament favorites and were expected to be high-scorers.

Hitting the first century of a World Cup is a big deal, and in the past, the feat has been accomplished by some of the greatest cricketers in the world. Here is a look at the players who have scored the first century in each edition of the Cricket World Cup

#1. Dennis Amiss Scores the First World Cup Century (1975 )

The first match of the 1975 Cricket World Cup was a historic event, marking the beginning of a new era in cricket. English opener Dennis Amiss made history by scoring the first century in the tournament, amassing a brilliant 137 runs against India. His powerful innings helped England post a formidable total of 334/4.

Amiss’s century came at an impressive strike rate, earning him the Man of the Match award.In stark contrast, Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar played one of the slowest innings in ODI history, scoring just 36 runs off 174 balls. This innings remains infamous for its unusually slow pace.

Dennis Amiss finished the inaugural World Cup as the second-highest run-scorer, with 243 runs in 4 innings. The West Indies ultimately won the tournament, defeating Australia in the final to become the first World Cup champions.

#2. 1979 World Cup: Gordon Greenidge

The West Indies were the defending champions at the 1979 Cricket World Cup, and they began their title defense in style by humiliating India in the first match of the tournament. Chasing a target of 191 was a breeze for the star-studded Windies batting lineup, and Gordon Greenidge made the job even easier by scoring a brilliant century.

Greenidge’s century guided West Indies to a nine-wicket victory, and he went on to finish the tournament as the top run-getter with 253 runs, including one century and two half-centuries.

#3. Allan Lamb Scores a Magnificent First Century in the 1983 World Cup

After losing to the West Indies in the 1975 Cricket World Cup final, England aimed to go further in the 1983 edition. They started strong with a convincing 106-run victory over New Zealand in their first match, thanks to Allan Lamb’s brilliant century.

Lamb scored 102 runs off just 105 balls, helping England post a massive total of 322/6. His innings combined power and elegance, setting a positive tone for England’s campaign.Despite Lamb finishing the tournament with 278 runs, England’s journey ended in the semi-finals, where they lost to India. India went on to defeat the West Indies in the final, becoming the second team to win the World Cup.

#4. Javed Miandad Scores Match-Winning Century in 1987 World Cup Opener

Javed Miandad, one of cricket’s greatest batsmen, had a talent for shining on big occasions, and the World Cup was no exception.In the opening match of the 1987 World Cup against Sri Lanka, Miandad scored a match-winning century, leading Pakistan to a 15-run victory.

His brilliant performance earned him the Man of the Match award.Miandad’s century was a masterclass in batting. He paced his innings perfectly, accelerating towards the end to help Pakistan post a competitive total.

He also played some stunning shots, including a six off the last ball of the innings.Miandad finished the tournament with 274 runs, but Pakistan couldn’t advance beyond the semi-finals, losing to Australia. Australia went on to win the tournament.

#5. 1992 World Cup: Martin Crowe

In the 1992 Cricket World Cup, co-hosts New Zealand and Australia faced off in the opening match. New Zealand, eager to improve their World Cup record, aimed to make a strong start on home soil.New Zealand captain Martin Crowe led by example, scoring a brilliant century.

His innings helped New Zealand post a total of 286/6. They went on to win the match by 37 runs, with Crowe earning the Man of the Match award for his performance.Crowe continued to excel throughout the group stage, finishing as the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 456 runs. His outstanding performances earned him the Player of the Series award.

#6. Nathan Astle: A Match-Winning Performance in the 1996 World Cup

Nathan Astle, a New Zealand cricketer known for his aggressive batting, made a significant impact in the 1996 World Cup. In the opening match against England, Astle scored a brilliant century that set the tone for New Zealand’s campaign.Coming to the crease with New Zealand struggling at 25/2, Astle batted with composure and confidence. He hit boundaries and sixes regularly, particularly targeting the English spinners.

Astle reached his century off 128 balls, with 18 fours and 2 sixes, helping New Zealand post a total of 239 runs.The Kiwi bowlers then restricted England to 229 runs, securing a 10-run victory for New Zealand. Astle was awarded the Man of the Match for his match-winning performance.

Although Astle couldn’t maintain his form throughout the tournament, scoring only 10 runs in the next five innings, his century in the opening match remains one of the most memorable innings of the 1996 World Cup. 

#7. Sachin Tendulkar’s 1999 World Cup Century

Sachin Tendulkar’s name is synonymous with the Cricket World Cup. The “Master Blaster” is one of the most successful players in the tournament’s history, and his century against Kenya in the 1999 edition is one of his most memorable innings.Just days before the match, Tendulkar’s father passed away.

Despite this personal tragedy, Tendulkar showed incredible mental strength to score a brilliant 140 off just 101 balls. His century helped India post a huge total, leading to a comfortable victory over Kenya.

#8. 2003 World Cup: Brian Lara, the Lone Warrior

In the 2003 Cricket World Cup, Brian Lara played a crucial innings for the West Indies in the opening match against South Africa. He scored a brilliant century, leading his team to a thrilling three-run victory. Despite this impressive start, Lara’s form declined, and he finished the tournament with 248 runs. The West Indies were eliminated in the league stage, winning only three games.

#9. 2007 World Cup Ricky Ponting

Ricky Ponting was one of the most successful captains in cricket history, and his performance in the 2007 World Cup was a prime example of why. Ponting was a true leader from the front, and he inspired his team to victory with his brilliant batting and astute captaincy.

Ponting began the tournament in style with a century against Scotland, and he continued to score runs consistently throughout the tournament. He finished as the third-leading run-scorer in the tournament, with 539 runs at an average of 67.37. Ponting’s most important innings came in the final against Sri Lanka, where he scored a match-winning 105 runs to lead Australia to their third consecutive World Cup title.

#10. 2011 World Cup: Virender Sehwag

In the first match of the tournament against Bangladesh, Virender Sehwag scored a stunning 175 runs off 140 balls, hitting 14 fours and 5 sixes. His powerful batting helped India reach a total of 370/4, leading to an 87-run victory. Sehwag’s performance silenced his critics after a period of poor form and set the tone for his aggressive play throughout the tournament. He ended up as India’s third-highest run-scorer, amassing 380 runs in 8 matches.

#11. 2015 World Cup: Aaron Finch

In a match against England, Australia’s opener Aaron Finch scored 135 runs off 128 balls, hitting 12 fours and 3 sixes. His aggressive innings helped Australia reach 342 for 9 in 50 overs. England’s bowlers struggled against Finch’s powerful shots and clever placements. Finch’s century set the tone for Australia’s strong performance in the tournament. They won six consecutive matches, stumbled against New Zealand, but recovered in the knockout stages to defeat Pakistan, India, and New Zealand, ultimately winning the World Cup.