IN the third of our new weekly High 5s series, Peter Martini selects his top five international sporting shocks of all time.

NEW Zealand overwhelmed Australia at Elland Road on Saturday to achieve what many thought was more impossible than improbable.

Even Kiwi coach Brian McClennan said beforehand that it would need the "biggest upset in the history of rugby league" to overturn the Kangaroos.

As international sporting shocks go, that 24-0 result in the Tri-Nations final was therefore pretty huge, but for McClennan to describe it thus was surely more pre-match mind games than undeniable statement of fact.

And when it comes to shocks across the whole international sporting spectum, I'd argue it pales when compared to these five earth tremblers.

The first, ironically enough, also involves poor old Australia on these shores this year, when cricket's world champions met little Bangladesh for a one-day NatWest Series international.

The Aussies notched 249-5 after winning the toss and everyone thought they would knock the Bangladeshis over in double-quick time. But an unknown guy called Mohammad Ashraful picked up a bat, walked to the middle and hit a brilliant century - only the second-ever by a Bangladeshi in one-day cricket.

They still needed seven runs off the last over, but Aftab Ahmed swung his blade and lamped Jason Gillespie's first delivery for six, and a scrambled single brought a fairytale five-wicket victory - only their tenth win in 108 internationals.

The next shock in the countdown also involved two foreign teams playing in Britain - Italy and North Korea in the 1966 World Cup.

Twice winners Italy were one of the great bastions of international football, whereas the world had hardly heard of North Korea as a country, never mind a football team. The state was barely 20 years old, it had been at war with the West 13 years earlier and still wasn't recognised by the British Government. It was so secretive, many people didn't even know they played the game.

The only goal of the match, though, was scored by Pak Doo-Ik, sending Italy home to a reception of rotten vegetables while Pak became arguably the most famous North Korean in the world, even to this day.

Greece's triumph in Euro 2004 was surely the biggest tournament shock.

Rank outsiders at the start, they were still at 33-1 even after somehow scraping their way to the last four.

If defensive organisation was important, then downright luck was key as they saw off much-fancied France and Czech Republic to reach the final, where Angelos Charisteas' goal from their first corner of the match on the hour-mark left hosts Portugal in tears. Greece have done nothing before or since.

Similar could be said of heavyweight boxer James Douglas in 1990, but he too rocked the world.

Unbeaten Mike Tyson was unstoppable at that time, while 'Buster' Douglas was a second-rate 42-1 underdog, whose mother had died three weeks earlier.

Douglas was felled at the end of the eighth round and it all seemed over, but he picked himself up and, two rounds later, the 'baddest man on the planet' hit the deck, along with the jaws of the millions watching.

However, the biggest shock of the lot must surely involve the sport which legend has it coined the term 'upset' (after an unknown horse called Upset beat arguably the best racehorse ever, Man O' War, in 1919).

A plodding ned named Foinavon was given odds of 100-1 (and 444-1 on the Tote) in the 1967 Grand National, but if ever being slow was beneficial in horseracing, this was it.

A loose horse veered across the track and brought the field crashing down at a minor fence, but Foinavon was so far behind that he evaded the pile-up, scrambled over the fence and found himself 100 yards ahead, which was enough for him to trudge on to victory in the world's greatest steeplechase.

That fence has since been known as the Foinavon - while the horse himself went back to being a perennial no-hoper.

Have your say on this subject by sending your suggestions to the Sportsdesk, Evening Press, 76-86 Walmgate, YO1 9YN or via email to sport@ycp.co.uk. You could have your selection published on the High 5s page.

Updated: 10:30 Tuesday, November 29, 2005