On This Day in Cricket - June 5

Coming to June 5, the day has seen some truly memorable moments in cricket history. In 2009, the Netherlands shocked England with a last-ball win in the T20 World Cup opener at Lord’s. Back in 1997, England stunned Australia in the Ashes opener at Edgbaston, with Nasser Hussain scoring a career-defining 207. On this day in 1948, Eric Hollies famously bowled Don Bradman for a duck in his final innings. In 2022, Joe Root crossed 10,000 Test runs at Lord’s, guiding England to victory. It’s also the birthday of cricketers like Sid Barnes, Mervyn Dillon, and Andrew McDonald.

On This Day - June 5, 2024 - India knocks off Ireland to start their T20 World Cup Journey!

In the 2024 T20 World Cup, India kicked off their campaign with a smashing 8-wicket win over Ireland on June 5 in New York. Ireland, batting first, struggled on a lively pitch and were bowled out for 96 in 16 overs. Gareth Delany top-scored with 26 off 14, but India’s bowlers ran riot. Jasprit Bumrah was the star, taking 2/6 in 3 overs to earn Player of the Match, while Hardik Pandya grabbed 3/27. Arshdeep Singh chipped in with 2/35, and Axar Patel took 1/3. Ireland’s innings never got going, slumping to 50/8 before a late flicker.

(India defeated Ireland by 8 wickets)

Chasing 97, India made light work of it, finishing at 97/2 in 12.2 overs. Rohit Sharma led the way with a cracking 52 off 37 balls, including 4 fours and 3 sixes, before retiring hurt after a blow to the arm. Rishabh Pant sealed the chase with an unbeaten 36 off 26, hitting 3 fours and 2 sixes. Virat Kohli fell early for 1, and Suryakumar Yadav made 2. Mark Adair (1/27) and Ben White (1/6) took wickets, but India cruised home with 46 balls to spare.

On This Day - June 5, 1981 - The Birth of Australia’s Current Cricket Coach, Andrew McDonald

The current coach of the Australian cricket team, Andrew McDonald, celebrates his 44th birthday today, June 5, 2025. Born in Wodonga, Victoria, “Ronnie” was a tall all-rounder who played 4 Tests for Australia in 2009, scoring 107 runs at 21.40 with a best of 68 and taking 9 wickets at 33.33 with his right-arm medium pace. His Test debut came against South Africa in Sydney, where he showed grit despite a tough Morne Morkel bouncer.

(Andrew McDonald with Pat Cummins)

In first-class cricket, he scored 4,825 runs at 39.54, with 11 centuries, and took 201 wickets at 28.73. In T20s, he smashed 1,743 runs at 124.41 and grabbed 82 wickets, shining for Leicestershire and IPL’s Delhi Daredevils. McDonald’s real magic came after retiring in 2016. He coached Victoria to a Sheffield Shield title, led Leicestershire, and was head coach for Rajasthan Royals. In 2019, he joined Australia as assistant coach, becoming interim head coach in 2022 after Justin Langer’s exit. Made permanent that April, he led Australia to the 2023 World Test Championship and ODI World Cup titles.

On This Day - June 5, 2010 - Ravichandran Ashwin makes his ODI Debut for the Indian Team

Making his ODI debut for India on June 5, 2010, Ravichandran Ashwin showed his spark in the 5th ODI of the Zimbabwe Triangular Series against Sri Lanka at Harare Sports Club. India posted 268/9 in 50 overs, with Virat Kohli’s 68 and Yusuf Pathan’s 44 leading the way. Ashwin, batting at No. 8, played a handy knock of 38 runs off 32 balls, including 4 fours and a six, boosting India’s total with a strike rate of 118.75. With the ball, he was impressive, taking 2 wickets for 50 runs in his 10 overs, dismissing Upul Tharanga and Dinesh Chandimal, who scored a match-winning 111.

(R Ashwin made his ODI Debut for the Indian team in 2010)

Sri Lanka chased 270/4 in 48.2 overs, winning by 6 wickets, thanks to Chandimal’s ton and Jeevan Mendis’ unbeaten 35. Ashwin’s bowling kept India in the fight, but Sri Lanka’s steady batting sealed the deal. Thilan Thushara’s 3/57 earned him the key wickets for Sri Lanka. Despite India’s loss, Ashwin’s all-round effort—38 runs and 2 wickets—marked him as a promising talent. His debut performance hinted at the big things to come, setting the stage for his rise as one of India’s finest spinners.

On This Day - June 5, 2009 - Netherlands defeats England in the T20 World Cup League Match

One of the major upsets of the T20 World Cup happened on June 5, 2009, when the Netherlands stunned England in a thrilling opener at Lord’s. England posted 162/5 in 20 overs, with Luke Wright smashing 71 off 49 balls and Ravi Bopara adding 46 off 34. Ryan ten Doeschate grabbed 2/35 for the Dutch, keeping things tight. Chasing 163, the Netherlands pulled off a miracle, finishing at 163/6 on the last ball to win by 4 wickets. Tom de Grooth was the hero, blasting 49 off 30 balls, earning Player of the Match.

(Netherlands celebrates after defeating England by 4 wickets)

Peter Borren chipped in with 30 off 25, and Ryan ten Doeschate’s unbeaten 22 off 17 sealed the deal. James Anderson led England’s bowling with 3/23, but it wasn’t enough. The Dutch lost early wickets, slumping to 23/2, but a 50-run stand between de Grooth and Borren turned the tide. Needing 7 off the final over, Stuart Broad’s wayward throw gifted a crucial run, and the Netherlands scrambled home.

On This Day - June 5, 2022 - Joe Root gets the 10000 Test Runs Milestone

During the 1st Test between England and New Zealand at Lord’s from June 2-5, 2022, England pulled off a thrilling 5-wicket win, chasing 277. New Zealand crumbled to 132 in their first innings, with debutant Matthew Potts (4/13) and James Anderson (4/66) shining. England’s reply was shaky at 141, Tim Southee taking 4/55. New Zealand fought back in their second innings with Daryl Mitchell’s 108 and Tom Blundell’s 96, setting 285. Potts (3/55) and Stuart Broad (3/76) kept England in the game. Chasing 277, England wobbled at 69/4, but Joe Root’s unbeaten 115 off 170 balls, alongside Ben Stokes’ 54 and Ben Foakes’ 32*, sealed the victory on day 4.

(Joe Root entered the 10000 Test Runs Club on 5th June 2022)

Root’s knock was extra special—on June 5, 2022, he reached 10,000 Test runs, becoming England’s second player after Alastair Cook to hit the milestone. His match-winning ton earned him Player of the Match. Kyle Jamieson’s 4/79 tested England, but Root’s calm brilliance turned the tide. This win, under new captain Stokes, kicked off England’s 2022 home summer with a bang, showing their grit in the World Test Championship. Root’s milestone and clutch performance lit up Lord’s, leaving fans buzzing.

On This Day - June 5, 2019 - Rohit Sharma scores a Century to defeat South Africa by 6 wickets

The first match of the Indian team in the 2019 World Cup was a cracker on June 5 at Southampton, where they beat South Africa by 6 wickets. South Africa batted first, scraping to 227/9 in 50 overs. Faf du Plessis made 38, Chris Morris hit 42, and Kagiso Rabada chipped in with 31, but Yuzvendra Chahal’s 4/51 kept them in check. Jasprit Bumrah also grabbed 2/35, rattling the top order.

(Rohit Sharma scored 122 runs against South Africa in the 2019 ODI World Cup)

Chasing 228, India leaned on Rohit Sharma, who played a match-winning knock of 122* off 144 balls, with 13 fours and 2 sixes. His steady batting, praised by Virat Kohli as his best ODI innings, held the innings together after early wobbles at 54/2, losing Shikhar Dhawan (8) and Kohli (18). KL Rahul added 26, and MS Dhoni’s 34 off 46 gave support. A dropped catch by du Plessis early on proved costly for South Africa. Hardik Pandya’s quick 15* off 7 sealed the deal with 15 balls left. Rabada took 2/39, but Rohit’s calm century stole the show.

On This Day - June 5, 2019 - New Zealand defeats Bangladesh by 2 wickets in the 2019 ODI World Cup

In the 2019 Cricket World Cup, New Zealand and Bangladesh gave fans a heart-pounding showdown on June 5 at The Oval. Bangladesh batted first, putting up 244 before getting bowled out in 49.2 overs. Shakib Al Hasan was the star, stroking a smooth 64 off 68 balls, and Mohammad Saifuddin gave a quick 29 off 23 to push the score. New Zealand’s Matt Henry was on fire, snagging 4 wickets for 47, while Trent Boult backed him up with 2 for 44, keeping Bangladesh from running away with it.

(New Zealand defeated Bangladesh by 2 wickets)

New Zealand had to chase 245, and it wasn’t easy. Ross Taylor held things together with a gritty 82 off 91 balls, and Kane Williamson chipped in with a steady 40 off 72. Bangladesh fought hard—Saifuddin grabbed 2 wickets for 41, and Mosaddek Hossain nabbed 2 for 33—but New Zealand’s lower order dug deep. They got there at 248/8 with just 11 balls left, winning by 2 wickets. It was a proper thriller! Shakib’s class kept him among the top run-makers, and Taylor showed why he’s a big-game player.