One Day International cricket reached a historic milestone on Friday as the Scotland-Canada ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 fixture in Dundee became the 5,000th men’s ODI, exactly 55 years, seven months and three days after the first-ever ODI was played between Australia and England in Melbourne on 5 January, 1971.
The inaugural 40-over match was staged after a rain-hit Test was abandoned and was later recognised as the first official ODI by the ICC.
The milestone being achieved by two Associate nations also underlined the format’s remarkable global growth beyond the traditional Full Member teams.
