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On this day in 1987, Australia won their first Cricket World Cup under Allan Border, defeating England at Eden Gardens with key contributions from David Boon and Mike Veletta.
On This Day in 1987: Led by the legendary Allan Border, the Kangaroos defeated England in a thrilling finale played in front of a packed crowd at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. (Image: cricketcomau/X, formerly Twitter)
On This Day In 1987 Cricket World Cup: Before cementing their status as cricket’s undisputed great, Australia reached the game’s summit, lifting their maiden global title after winning the 1987 Reliance World Cup on this day. Led by the legendary Allan Border, the Kangaroos defeated arch-rivals England in a thrilling finale played in front of a packed crowd at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata.
After unsuccessful attempts at the 1975, 1979 and 1983 editions of the quadrennial event, the Aussies finally managed to clinch the coveted crown in the subcontinent and ushered in a new era glittered with their dominance, which has now brought them the World Cup trophy on six occasions.
It all started with Border’s men turning a corner against their Ashes rivals with a spirited bowling effort, restricting them to 246/8 after posting 253/5 in their 50 overs. Electing to bat first after winning the toss, Australia endured their stutters on a dry surface and needed a steady knock of 75 from opener David Boon to overcome their hiccups.
Fellow opener Geoff Marsh (24) and No.3 Dean Jones (33) missed out after getting in, while Border, the skipper, got run out for 31 after looking in great control. Later on, an influential end-overs assault from Mike Veletta saw him blaze an unbeaten 45 of 31 balls and propel the Aussies past the 250 mark despite tight spells from Eddie Hemmings (2/48) and Neil Foster (1/38).
In response, England lost opener Tim Robinson on the very first ball of the chase before senior pro Graham Gooch was joined by Bill Athey for a partnership that steadied the ship. Gooch soon fell for 35, but Athey stitched another fluent and skilful stand for the third wicket with captain Mike Gatting. The Athey-Gatting duo added 69 runs and looked like taking the game away from the Aussies.
At 135/2, England seemed firm favourites to upstage the Aussies. But then, in an inspiring move, Border brought himself on and forced an error from Gatting. The English captain was out caught behind on 41 after infamously attempting a high-risk reverse sweep at a critical juncture of the match and giving Australia a way back into the contest.
Not long thereafter, Athey’s departure for 58 piled on the pressure for the Three Lions and paved the way to a collapse.
Even as Allan Lamb gutsed it out there with his 45, he kept losing partners at the other end. England ultimately fell seven runs short of the biggest glory, with Border (2/38) and young Steve Waugh (2/37) emerging as unexpected heroes with the ball for the Australians.
Nibandh Vinod is a seasoned journalist with nearly three decades of experience, known for his in-depth coverage of events and festivals, as well as his expertise in SEO-driven content at News18.com. A tech-savv…Read More
Nibandh Vinod is a seasoned journalist with nearly three decades of experience, known for his in-depth coverage of events and festivals, as well as his expertise in SEO-driven content at News18.com. A tech-savv… Read More
November 08, 2025, 08:00 IST
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