A total of 21 centuries were scored in the 2003 World Cup, a huge number, considering that in all previous editions, the highest number was 16, in the 1996 World Cup. The lowest number was recorded in the 1979 World Cup, where only two centuries were scored.
Sourav Ganguly topped the century list as he scored three. Interestingly, all came against the weak bowling attack of the non-Test playing nations.
In all, eight centuries were scored against non-Test playing nations, while in return the non-Test playing nations scored three centuries, out of which two were scored against each other (The Netherlands vs Holland match).
The captains too enjoyed with the bat, as they pounded seven centuries, and all turned out to be match-winning ones. The special one being the unbeaten 140 scored by Ricky Ponting in the final against India, an innings that might be counted among the best ODI innings of all-time.
The subcontinent teams also displayed their prowess with the bat as they plundered eight centuries. And the chief ones being Sourav Ganguly and Marvan Atapattu, who had five centuries amongst them.
Centuries in all World Cups
World Cup | Centuries |
1975 | 6 |
1979 | 2 |
1983 | 8 |
1987 | 11 |
1992 | 8 |
1996 | 16 |
1999 | 11 |
2003 | 21 |
TOTAL | 83 |
Details of centuries in all World Cups
WC | Batsman | Score | For | vs | venue |
1975 | DL Amiss | 137 | England | India | Lord's |
1975 | GM Turner | 171* | New Zealand | East Africa | Birmingham |
1975 | KWR Fletcher | 131 | England | New Zealand | Nottingham |
1975 | A Turner | 101 | Australia | Sri Lanka | The Oval |
1975 | GM Turner | 114* | New Zealand | India | Manchester |
1975 | CH Lloyd | 102 | West Indies | Australia | Lord's |
1979 | CG Greenidge | 106* | West Indies | India | Birmingham |
1979 | IVA Richards | 138* | West Indies | England | Lord's |
1983 | AJ Lamb | 102 | England | New Zealand | The Oval |
1983 | DI Gower | 130 | England | Sri Lanka | Taunton |
1983 | CG Greenidge | 105* | West Indies | Zimbabwe | Worcester |
1983 | TM Chappell | 110 | Australia | India | Nottingham |
1983 | IVA Richards | 119 | West Indies | India | The Oval |
1983 | Imran Khan | 102* | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | Leeds |
1983 | N Kapil Dev | 175* | India | Zimbabwe | Tunbridge Wells |
1983 | Zaheer Abbas | 103* | Pakistan | New Zealand | Nottingham |
1987 | Javed Miandad | 103 | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | Hyderabad (Pak) |
1987 | GR Marsh | 110 | Australia | India | Chennai |
1987 | DL Houghton | 142 | Zimbabwe | New Zealand | Hyderabad (Ind) |
1987 | IVA Richards | 181 | West Indies | Sri Lanka | Karachi |
1987 | DL Haynes | 105 | West Indies | Sri Lanka | Karachi |
1987 | Rameez Raja | 113 | Pakistan | England | Karachi |
1987 | Saleem Malik | 100 | Pakistan | Sri Lanka | Faisalabad |
1987 | GR Marsh | 126* | Australia | New Zealand | Chandigarh |
1987 | RB Richardson | 110 | West Indies | Pakistan | Karachi |
1987 | SM Gavaskar | 103* | India | New Zealand | Nagpur |
1987 | GA Gooch | 115 | England | India | Mumbai |
1992 | MD Crowe | 100* | New Zealand | Australia | Auckland |
1992 | DC Boon | 100 | Australia | New Zealand | Auckland |
1992 | Rameez Raja | 102* | Pakistan | West Indies | Melbourne |
1992 | A Flower | 115* | Zimbabwe | Sri Lanka | New Plymouth |
1992 | Aamir Sohail | 114 | Pakistan | Zimbabwe | Hobart |
1992 | PV Simmons | 110 | West Indies | Sri Lanka | Berri |
1992 | DC Boon | 100 | Australia | West Indies | Melbourne |
1992 | Rameez Raja | 119* | Pakistan | New Zealand | Christchurch |
1996 | NJ Astle | 101 | New Zealand | England | Ahmedabad |
1996 | G Kirsten | 188* | South Africa | UAE | Rawalpindi |
1996 | SR Tendulkar | 127* | India | Kenya | Cuttack |
1996 | GA Hick | 104* | England | Netherlands | Peshawar |
1996 | ME Waugh | 130 | Australia | Kenya | Visakhapatnam |
1996 | ME Waugh | 126 | Australia | India | Mumbai |
1996 | Aamir Sohail | 111 | Pakistan | South Africa | Karachi |
1996 | SR Tendulkar | 137 | India | Sri Lanka | Delhi |
1996 | RT Ponting | 102 | Australia | West Indies | Jaipur |
1996 | AC Hudson | 161 | South Africa | Netherlands | Rawalpindi |
1996 | PA de Silva | 145 | Sri Lanka | Kenya | Kandy |
1996 | VG Kambli | 106 | India | Zimbabwe | Kanpur |
1996 | ME Waugh | 110 | Australia | New Zealand | Chennai |
1996 | BC Lara | 111 | West Indies | South Africa | Karachi |
1996 | CZ Harris | 130 | New Zealand | Australia | Chennai |
1996 | PA de Silva | 107* | Sri Lanka | Australia | Lahore |
1999 | SR Tendulkar | 140* | India | Kenya | Bristol |
1999 | R Dravid | 104* | India | Kenya | Bristol |
1999 | SC Ganguly | 183 | India | Sri Lanka | Taunton |
1999 | R Dravid | 145 | India | Sri Lanka | Taunton |
1999 | A Jadeja | 100* | India | Australia | The Oval |
1999 | ME Waugh | 104 | Australia | Zimbabwe | Lord's |
1999 | NC Johnson | 132* | Zimbabwe | Australia | Lord's |
1999 | Saeed Anwar | 103 | Pakistan | Zimbabwe | The Oval |
1999 | SR Waugh | 120* | Australia | South Africa | Leeds |
1999 | HH Gibbs | 101 | South Africa | Australia | Leeds |
1999 | Saeed Anwar | 113* | Pakistan | New Zealand | Manchester |
2003 | BC Lara | 116 | West Indies | South Africa | Cape Town |
2003 | ST Jayasuriya | 120 | Sri Lanka | New Zealand | Bloemfontein |
2003 | CB Wishart | 172* | Zimbabwe | Namibia | Harare |
2003 | SB Styris | 141 | New Zealand | Sri Lanka | Bloemfontein |
2003 | A Symonds | 143* | Australia | Pakistan | Johannesburg |
2003 | SP Fleming | 134* | New Zealand | South Africa | Johannesburg |
2003 | HH Gibbs | 143 | South Africa | New Zealand | Johannesburg |
2003 | SR Tendulkar | 152 | India | Namibia | Pietermaritzburg |
2003 | SC Ganguly | 112* | India | Namibia | Pietermaritzburg |
2003 | JM Davison | 111 | Canada | West Indies | Centurion |
2003 | Saeed Anwar | 101 | Pakistan | India | Centurion |
2003 | MS Atapattu | 124 | Sri Lanka | South Africa | Durban |
2003 | KJJ van Noortwijk | 134* | Netherlands | Namibia | Bloemfontein |
2003 | JF Kloppenburg | 121 | Netherlands | Namibia | Bloemfontein |
2003 | CH Gayle | 119 | West Indies | Kenya | Kimberley |
2003 | SC Ganguly | 107* | India | Kenya | Cape Town |
2003 | RT Ponting | 114 | Australia | Sri Lanka | Centurion |
2003 | NJ Astle | 102* | New Zealand | Zimbabwe | Bloemfontein |
2003 | MS Atapattu | 103* | Sri Lanka | Zimbabwe | East London |
2003 | SC Ganguly | 111* | India | Kenya | Durban |
2003 | RT Ponting | 140* | Australia | India | Johannesburg |
Centuries scored by captains in WC 2003
WC | Batsman | Score | For | vs | venue |
2003 | ST Jayasuriya | 120 | Sri Lanka | New Zealand | Bloemfontein |
2003 | SP Fleming | 134* | New Zealand | South Africa | Johannesburg |
2003 | SC Ganguly | 112* | India | Namibia | Pietermaritzburg |
2003 | SC Ganguly | 107* | India | Kenya | Cape Town |
2003 | RT Ponting | 114 | Australia | Sri Lanka | Centurion |
2003 | SC Ganguly | 111* | India | Kenya | Durban |
2003 | RT Ponting | 140* | Australia | India | Johannesburg |
Centuries by non-Test playing nations in WC 2003
WC | Batsman | Score | For | vs | venue |
2003 | JM Davison | 111 | Canada | West Indies | Centurion |
2003 | KJJ van Noortwijk | 134* | Netherlands | Namibia | Bloemfontein |
2003 | JF Kloppenburg | 121 | Netherlands | Namibia | Bloemfontein |
Centuries against non-Test playing nations in WC 2003
WC | Batsman | Score | For | vs | venue |
2003 | CB Wishart | 172* | Zimbabwe | Namibia | Harare |
2003 | SR Tendulkar | 152 | India | Namibia | Pietermaritzburg |
2003 | SC Ganguly | 112* | India | Namibia | Pietermaritzburg |
2003 | KJJ van Noortwijk | 134* | Netherlands | Namibia | Bloemfontein |
2003 | JF Kloppenburg | 121 | Netherlands | Namibia | Bloemfontein |
2003 | CH Gayle | 119 | West Indies | Kenya | Kimberley |
2003 | SC Ganguly | 107* | India | Kenya | Cape Town |
2003 | SC Ganguly | 111* | India | Kenya | Durban |
Centuries by subcontinent batsmen in WC 2003
WC | Batsman | Score | For | vs | venue |
2003 | ST Jayasuriya | 120 | Sri Lanka | New Zealand | Bloemfontein |
2003 | SR Tendulkar | 152 | India | Namibia | Pietermaritzburg |
2003 | SC Ganguly | 112* | India | Namibia | Pietermaritzburg |
2003 | Saeed Anwar | 101 | Pakistan | India | Centurion |
2003 | MS Atapattu | 124 | Sri Lanka | South Africa | Durban |
2003 | SC Ganguly | 107* | India | Kenya | Cape Town |
2003 | MS Atapattu | 103* | Sri Lanka | Zimbabwe | East London |
2003 | SC Ganguly | 111* | India | Kenya | Durban |