With an Ashes series in England and the World Cup on the calendar, 2019 was always going to be a memorable year in cricket. However, nobody could have predicted some of the moments which took place over the last 12 months in the sport.
Here is a look back at four standout performances, and results which 2019 will be remembered for the most.
Australia Retaining the Ashes
Australia went into the Ashes in England as the defending champions and they were able to retain the urn after drawing the five-match series 2-2.
Given they had the home advantage, England went into the latest renewal of this fantastic rivalry as the marginal favourites with the bookmakers. However, that all changed when Australia took an early lead with victory at Edgbaston in Birmingham.
The Baggy Green guaranteed that they could not lose the series when they won the Fourth Test at Old Trafford, Manchester. They are now 1.50 in the cricket betting to win the next Ashes series in 2021/22.
Ben Stokes’ Innings In World Cup Final
England won their first-ever Cricket World Cup back in July when they beat New Zealand at Lord’s. They have Ben Stokes to thank for that win, as the all-rounder produced a fantastic innings of 84 not-out to help his side tie with the Kiwis to force a super-over.
In what was a nail-biting game from start to finish for supporters of both teams, England won the game with the final ball of the over when Jos Buttler stumped Martin Guptill to ensure the hosts were successful on boundary count.
The final was a thrilling end to what was a magnificent tournament, and showed how much love there still was for the 50-over format of the game.
Test Cricket Returns To Pakistan
Pakistan hosted Test cricket for the first time since 2009 when they played two matches against Sri Lanka in December.
Due to security threats over the last decade or so, Pakistan had been forced to play their home games elsewhere, with the majority of them taking place in Abu Dhabi. Now that Sri Lanka have travelled to Pakistan for this latest series, it opens the door for the country to once again be able to host other visiting countries in the near future.
The First Test between the two nations took place in Rawalpindi where they played out a draw. Pakistan went on to seal the series with a victory in the Second Test in Karachi.
Success For Australia Over Pakistan In World Test Championship
Although the World Cup didn’t quite go the way they would have wanted, overall it has been a very successful year for Australia.
The Baggy Green are nicely placed in the World Test Championship following their 2-0 series victory over Pakistan across November and December. Tim Paine’s side were comfortable winners in both Test matches.
Australia have also started their summer series against New Zealand well, with a victory in the opening Test in Perth.
With so much to look forward to in 2020, including the T20 World Cup in Australia, let’s hope next year is equally as good, or even better, as the last 12 months.
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