The ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier (CWCQ) will be staged in New Zealand from January 13th to February 1st, 13 months before the finalists return to New Zealand and Australia for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.
We take a trip down memory lane to relive some of the champagne moments of the previous nine editions of the ICC CWCQ.
1979 – England
The English Midlands provided the locale for the inaugural edition. The finalists, Canada and Sri Lanka, qualified for the ICC CWC 1979 in the West Indies. Sri Lanka, which overturned the disadvantage of forfeiting points earlier in the tournament, won the title after defeating Canada by 60 runs in the 60-over final at Worcester.
Duleep Mendis, who was the highest scorer of the tournament with 221 runs, also top-scored for Sri Lanka with 66 in the final. And given that no batsman could reach three figures in the tournament, Mendis’ tally of three half-centuries (the most by any batsman in the event) made him the most valuable batsman of the ICC Trophy 1979.
1982 – England
In the ICC Trophy 1982, bad weather affected play throughout, with numerous games being washed out. Zimbabwe defeated Bermuda by five wickets in the final at Leicester to qualify for the ICC CWC 1983, which was staged in the same country.
Bermuda skipper Colin Blades and his team-mate Elvin James topped the batting and bowling charts, respectively. Blades scored 310 runs from eight matches at an average of 103.33, while James took 15 wickets at an average of 12.46 and strike rate of 26.40.
Current India coach Duncan Fletcher, who led Zimbabwe in that tournament, was the pick of the bowlers in the final, taking 3-34.
1994 – Kenya
The ICC Trophy 1994 offered, for the first time, three teams (the two finalists and the winner of the 3rd/4th place play-off) a chance to qualify for the next edition of the ICC CWC.
The Netherlands beat Bermuda by 103 runs in the play-off, while the United Arab Emirates beat host Kenya by two wickets in a nail-biting final in Nairobi. As a result, the UAE, Kenya and the Netherlands qualified for the ICC CWC 1996 in Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka.
2005 – Ireland
In 2005, Ireland hosted the ICC Trophy, but was beaten by 47 runs in the final by Scotland.
This edition offered a chance for the most number of teams (the top five finishers) to qualify for the ICC CWC 2007. Apart from Scotland and Ireland, Bermuda, Canada and the Netherlands booked their places for the ICC CWC 2007.
Bas Zuiderent of the Netherlands finished on top of the batting charts, with 474 runs from seven matches at an average of 118.50.
Paul Hoffmann of Scotland and Edgar Schiferli of the Netherlands were the joint-highest wicket-takers, with 17 wickets each to their name.
2009 – South Africa
In 2009, the ICC Trophy was renamed the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier, and was played in South Africa as the final event of the ICC World Cricket League 2007-09.
The tournament offered the top four finishers a place in the ICC CWC 2011 in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. The top four after the Super Eight stage – Ireland, Canada, Kenya and the Netherlands – qualified for the ICC CWC 2011.
In the final, Ireland comprehensively beat Canada by nine wickets to claim its first ICC CWCQ title.
David Hemp of Bermuda was the tournament’s leading run-getter with 557 runs, while Edgar Schiferli of the Netherlands was the leading wicket-taker with 24 to his name.
