Simon O'Donnell 54 off 69 Balls 115 Mins 2 Four 2 Six vs Pakistan 2nd Match, Sharjah, April 03, 1987

Name: Simon O'Donnell 54 off 69 Balls 115 Mins 2 Four 2 Six vs Pakistan 2nd Match, Sharjah, April 03, 1987
Uploaded: 2025-05-31T06:05:28+00:00
Duration: 6 min 42 s
Channel: Mr. Devotor

Mr. Devotor

5/31/2025

Relive a forgotten classic from April 3, 1987, at Sharjah!
Australia was in deep trouble against Pakistan, losing 3 wickets for just 8 runs. In came Simon O'Donnell, the dependable all-rounder, who played a gritty and composed innings of 54 runs off 69 balls, spending 115 minutes at the crease, hitting 2 boundaries and 2 massive sixes.

Partnering with David Boon, O'Donnell rescued the innings with a 114-run partnership, showing great patience and power. While Australia didn’t win the match, O'Donnell’s knock stood out as a symbol of resilience and class under pressure.

This video is a must-watch for true cricket fans who love the golden moments of 80s cricket.

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I hope you like the video of Simon O'Donnell, 54 off 69 Balls, 115 Mins, 2 Fours, 2 Sixes vs. Pakistan, 2nd Match, Sharjah, April 03, 1987.

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00:00On April 3, 1987, the sun was blazing over Sharjah, and so was Pakistan's bowling attack.

00:07In the second match of the tournament, Australia was off to a nightmare start, reeling at three

00:12wickets for just eight runs.

00:13The top order had crumbled and all hope seemed lost, but out walked Simon O'Donnell, calm

00:19and determined he was not there to just survive, he was there to fight back.

00:24Partnership with the dependable David Boone, Simon O'Donnell helped steer the Australian

00:29innings out of danger.

00:30Together they staged a crucial 114-run partnership that brought life back into that inning.

00:36Simon O'Donnell was a perfect mix of patience and power.

00:40He scored 54 runs from 69 balls, spending 115 minutes in the middle, with just two boundaries

00:46and two towering sixes.

00:48It was not about flashy strobe play, it was about standing tall when the team needed him

00:53the most.

00:54Though Australia did not win that day, but Simon O'Donnell's inning was a reminder of what

00:58cricket is truly about.

01:00Grit, character and resilience.

01:02Moments like these often slip through the cracks of history.

01:05But for those who love the game, watching old matches like this is a delightful treat.

01:11They take us back to a time when every run was earned and every partnership was a battle.

01:16Simon O'Donnell may not always be in the headlines, but on that day in Sharjah, he was the anchor

01:22Australian to separately needed.

01:24Full toss, down to deep square, a long chase for Torsif there.

01:43And that could be a six, yes, over point, it's a very rare thing to see, but he really hammered

01:54that one and it went square of the wicket over point.

01:59He gets a bat to it.

02:10And that is, I think, evidence of what I was saying.

02:13That little snick down the leg side might not...

02:16Now on 35.

02:19That's a six.

02:24Over square leg, a magnificent shot, picked from roundabout, the middle in the leg, swung

02:32away gloriously.

02:34And finally, this is the 29th over.

02:41And that's going to be another four.

02:43A jazz, a wonderful and big crowd.

02:49And that's the 50, four O'Donnell, the two landmarks and the same over.

03:02A superb 50 from him, a fighting one, which has brought Australia back into the game.

03:11Simon O'Donnell is shocked.

03:13A jazz, a jazz, a jazz, a jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz, jazz

03:43Now his asphalt was a fielder, a good throw right on the top of the stump, taken

03:51and it was very close, it was a line ball I would have thought, a bit dejected and a bit disappointed

04:02Simon MacDonald, I think it's done a tremendous job for Australia, having put them in a very

04:10secure position now, I think he was a bit unlucky.

04:16Simon O'Donnell was a talented athlete who started out playing Australian rules football.

04:23He had a bright future in that sport but chose to leave it behind to fully focus on cricket.

04:28That decision turned out to be a smart one as he became an important player for Australia's

04:34one-day cricket team. Simon O'Donnell was known as a powerful all-rounder.

04:39While he played many useful knocks in the middle order and lower order, fans especially remember

04:45his strong and calm shots, particularly his straight drives and hits through mid-down.

04:50One of his most famous performances was in 1990 when he smashed a half century in just

04:5518 balls against Sri Lanka. That record stood as the fastest 50 in one-day international for nearly six

05:02years. But Simon O'Donnell was not just a big hitter. His smart and steady fast medium balling

05:08also played a key role in Australia's success during the 1987 Cricket World Cup while he did not score

05:15much with the bat. He helped the team with the ball by taking important pickets and being very economical

05:22in his bowling. His performance was a big reason behind Australia's surprise victory in that tournament.

05:28Sadly, right after that World Cup O'Donnell was diagnosed with cancer. However, he showed great strength

05:35for the illness and made a successful comeback to international cricket in the 1988-89 season.

05:42After retiring from playing, Simon O'Donnell did not leave the cricket world. He joined Australia's

05:47Nine Network as a commentator and became the regular host of the cricket show, which airs during test

05:54match lunch breaks. Simon O'Donnell played 87 one-day international for Australia between 1985 and 1992,

06:02scoring 1,242 runs at an average of 25.34, including 950s with a high score of 74. As a bowler,

06:12he took 108 figures at an average of 28.57, with the best figure of 4 for 24. In test cricket,

06:19he appeared in six matches, scoring just 206 runs and taking six wickets. While his test career was

06:26brief, he made a strong mark in the ODA format as a reliable all-rounder. Simon O'Donnell was specially

06:33known for his big hitting ability and economical bowling, making him a valuable asset seen Australian's

06:39limited-class limited-over setup during his era.

Simon O'Donnell 54 off 69 Balls 115 Mins 2 Four 2 Six vs Pakistan 2nd Match, Sharjah, April 03, 1987

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