From 1 to 5,000 – The Historic Journey of ODI Cricket
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It began in January 1971 with a match between England and Australia. Step by step, ODI cricket has come a long way. After 55 years, the 5,000th ODI match has been played. The 50-over format reached this new milestone with the Scotland-Canada match.
Let's take a look at how the journey from the 1st to the 5,000th international ODI unfolded.
The First Match: January 5, 1971, Australia vs England, Melbourne
There was no plan for an ODI during this tour of England. After the third Test between the two teams was washed out by rain, Cricket Australia faced a loss of nearly $80,000.
To compensate for that loss, there was a thought of playing an additional Test, but the touring English players did not agree. Eventually, a decision was made to arrange a one-day match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. And that is how ODI cricket was born.
A crowd of 46,000 turned up at the ground to witness the first ODI in history. Although it was a 40-over match, each over at that time consisted of 8 balls.
In that match, England batted first and were bowled out for 190. Australia chased down the target in 34.6 overs, losing only 5 wickets. After the match, Don Bradman told the spectators, "You have witnessed history."
The 1000th Match: May 25, 1995, England vs West Indies, Nottingham
It took nearly 24 years – or 8,905 days – to reach the 1,000th ODI. By then, many rules had changed. From 40 overs of 8 balls, to 55 or 60 overs of 6 balls, the ODI format had largely settled into 50 overs with 6 balls per over.
Although this match at Nottingham was a 55-over contest, by that time the 50-over World Cup had already begun, though bilateral series in England were still played under this rule. In the 1,000th ODI, England defeated West Indies by 5 wickets. The Windies had batted first, scoring 199 runs for the loss of 9 wickets.
The 2000th Match: April 10, 2003, Zimbabwe vs Pakistan, Sharjah
From 1000 to 2000, it took less than 8 years for ODIs to reach that mark. Over time, this format has also gained tremendous popularity.
The 2000th ODI was the final of the Sharjah Cup, played between Zimbabwe and Pakistan. Pakistan defeated Zimbabwe by 8 wickets in that match.
3000th Match: June 22, 2010, England vs Australia, Southampton
Another 1,000 ODIs were played within just 2,630 days. This also set the record for the shortest time taken to play 1,000 ODIs. In this match at Southampton, England defeated Australia by 4 wickets.
4000th Match: March 17, 2018, Papua New Guinea vs Hong Kong, Harare
The 4,000th ODI was contested between two ICC associate nations. The match in Harare was part of the World Cup qualifiers. Batting first, Papua New Guinea were bowled out for 200. In reply, Hong Kong were bowled out for 142, losing the match by 58 runs.
5000th Match: August 7, 2026, Forthill Cricket Ground, Dundee
After 8 years, the 5,000th ODI featured two associate member nations, Scotland and Canada. The Scots won this match by 9 runs.
