From the ICC Cricket World Cup to Ashes 2019, cricket witnessed some high-voltage drama and many mind-boggling matches which proved to be a feast for the fans. Some clashes of utmost significance were witnessed this year where teams fought neck to neck and left no stones unturned. Several fantastic knocks and spells were also seen this year which enhanced the thrill of the encounter. However, there were also some individual performances which no one saw coming and turned the fate of the match. Below we’ll look at some such individual flashes of brilliance which were seen in 2019. Year Ender 2019: From Jofra Archer to Mayank Agarwal, List of Emerging Cricket Stars This Year.

Cricket is known to be a game of uncertainty and one can never say that anything is inevitable in the gentlemen’s game. Well, this quote certainly came true in some of the matches this year which left the fans baffled. From Kusal Perera’s jaw-dropping knock to Ben Stokes’ splendid effort, there were some individual performances which avoided the inevitable. Some matches were turned around from the moment where the result looked just a matter of time and many fans would also turn off their TV sets. However, the expected result was avoided and everyone was taken by surprise. So, as the end of 2019 is around the corner, let’s look at some of those great performances.

1. Ben Stokes- 135* Against Australia in Leeds

2019 will certainly be a year to remember for Ben Stokes as the England all-rounder put on some magnificent performances and guided them to many victories too. After guiding England to their first-ever World Cup, Stokes had the onus to guide his team over the line in the third Test of Ashes 2019. However, chasing a total of 359 runs in the last innings of the match, the home side were tottering at 286/9. Australia were all set to clinch the clash but Stokes wasn’t ready to put his guards down. He added 76 runs with the 11th man Jack Leach, with the latter contributing with just one run. At last, England registered a famous one-win win which levelled the series 1-1.

2. Kusal Perera – 153* Against South Africa in Durban

The Lankans were supposed down to chase down a total of 304 runs for victory in the opening Test of the series. However, they were reduced to 226/9 and the Proteas looked all set to cross the line. The likes of Dale Steyn, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada were breathing fire and most of the visitor’s batsman looked completely clueless against them. However, Kusal Perera wasn’t ready to go down and he decided to put a fight back. The wicket-keeper unleashed his beast mode and scored runs all over the park. His century helped his side to register a historic victory by one wicket.

3. Ashton Turner- 84* Against India in Mohali

Turner, a veteran of one ODI, put up a jaw-dropping performance in the fourth ODI of the series and became an overnight sensation. Chasing a total of 360 in a do or die encounter, the Aussies were reduced to 229/4 in the 36th over with the likes of Aaron Finch, Usman Khwaja and Glenn Maxwell back in the hut. However, Turner had some different ideas and he decided to put up a fight. The right-handed batsman smashed the likes of Jasprit Bumrah and Kuldeep Yadav to score 84 runs off mere 43 deliveries. The effort guided the Men in Yellow to a four-wicket victory.

4. Lasith Malinga- 4/43 Against England in Leeds

England arguably had the strongest batting line-up in the 2019 World Cup and no total would have looked safe against the three lions. They were supposed to chase 233 for victory against Sri Lanka which didn’t look a challenging task. With Lasith Malinga not in his best ‘shape’, the chase looked a bread and butter task for Eoin Morgan and Co. Nevertheless, the old warhorse displayed that he still has the fire in him and he ran through the hosts’ batting line-up. He dismissed the likes of Jonny Bairstow, Joe Root and Jos Butter to put his side on the driver’s seat. The maestro’s sensational spell restricted England t0 212 runs and England registered a 20-run victory.

5. Mohammed Shami- 4/40 Against Afghanistan in Southampton

Playing his first match of 2019 World Cup, Shami put up an inspired bowling performance which turned the game on its head. Batting first, the Indian side could only manage 224 runs in the first innings of the match which might not have been enough of the Indian pacer wouldn’t have come to the party. Defending 16 runs in the last over, a well set Mohammad Nabi scored a boundary of the second ball of the favour and a big upset looked on the cards. However, the speedster bowled three brilliant deliveries back to back and bagged a hattrick, guiding the Men in Blue to an 11-run win.

The upcoming year will see the ICC T20 World Cup approaching and the ICC World Test Championship going to the next level. So, one can expect some more of these extraordinary performances in a nail-biting clash. With young stars like Nicholas Pooran and Marnus Labuschange emerging and veterans like Virat Kohli and Mitchell Starc being at their prime, cricket fans should buckle up to witness some fantastic action in the 22 yards.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 21, 2019 07:13 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).