Top 5 Performances from World Cricket in March 2015

The Cricket World Cup dominated March and subsequently the performances for the month come from the tournament. There were some incredibly individual showings during the tournament, and we’ve picked the top five. These, of course, are subjective so do add your thoughts in the comments section. We’d love to know what your top five individual performance from March are.

1. Mitchell Starc vs. New Zealand in the World Cup Final

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All through the World Cup, Mitchell Starc was superb. His pace, his skill and his swing were on point. He only took two wickets in the final against New Zealand, but he did so with an economy rate of 2.50, an incredible effort on a flat track.

His role in building pressure was integral to helping the Aussies seal victory, and dismissing Brendon McCullum in the first over set the tone for how Australia approached the rest of the match.

2. Brendon McCullum vs. South Africa in the World Cup Semi-Final

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McCullum started off New Zealand’s chase against South Africa with a flurry of boundaries. He set the tone and the foundation for New Zealand to build toward the victory total.

Although some will argue that he should have taken a more responsible role and not given his wicket away so easily, that is just not the way the Baz, as he is affectionately known, plays. He goes at it all guns blazing and inspires his teammates to take on an equally aggressive approach.

3. Wahab Riaz vs. Australia in the World Cup Quarter-Final

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You’ll have to wait quite some time before seeing a bowling spell as good as Wahab Riaz’s in the quarter-final against Australia. It was aggressive, it was probing and although his fielders let him down, it was superb. Riaz might not have gotten all the rewards he deserved, and Pakistan might have been knocked out of the World Cup in that match, but as far as spells of fast bowling go, it was one for the ages.

4. Mahmudullah vs. England at the Adelaide Oval

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Bangladesh had a fairly decent World Cup. One of their most impressive wins came over England at the Adelaide Oval. After the top order stuttered, Mahmaudullah anchored the innings, hitting 103 off 138.

Sure, it didn't exactly have the fireworks of some of the other hundreds hit during this tournament, but in context, it was a vital knock. Bangladesh went on to win by 15 runs and, subsequently, knocked England out of the World Cup.

5. Martin Guptill vs. West Indies in Wellington

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Martin Guptill's unbeaten 237 off just 163 balls was definitely one of the highlights of the World Cup. Of course he was helped by playing on a small ground and against a lacklustre West Indies attack, but it was still an incredibly entertaining effort.

While scoring double hundreds in ODIs is becoming a more frequent occurrence, it still takes immense skill, patience and fitness to do so. Guptill’s knock was a great batting masterclass.