Tony Becca, Contributing Editor
( left - right )RICHARDS and LLOYD
THIRTY YEARS ago, the first Cricket World Cup was played in England. It was 60 overs per side, and the favourites were England and Australia. But after a narrow escape against Pakistan, the West Indies lifted the trophy - thanks to a magnificent century by captain Clive Lloyd and a wonderful half-century by veteran Rohan Kanhai.
In a long hot summer during which not even one ball in the 15 matches was lost to rain, a summer during which, but for one hiccup, they batted, bowled and fielded brilliantly, the West Indies defeated Sri Lanka by nine wickets. The West Indies went on to beat Pakistan by one wicket, Australia by seven wickets, and then picked off New Zealand by five wickets in the semi-finals.
The match of the tournament, up to then, was the one between the West Indies and Pakistan at Edgbaston on June 11.
Set a target of 267, the West Indies at 166 for eight before Deryck Murray, 61 not out, and Vanburn Holder, 16, added 37 valuable runs for the ninth-wicket, were sinking at 203 for nine in the 46th over. At this point, last man Andy Roberts, 24 not out, joined Murray in a 64-run last-wicket stand that handed the Windies victory with two deliveries to spare.
Although the West Indies - thanks to some superb bowling by Bernard Julien, Roberts and Keith Boyce and a magnificent innings by Alvin Kallicharran - had easily defeated Australia in the preliminary round, the final at Lord's on June 21, on the longest day of the year, was expected to be a thriller - and so it was.
The West Indies, batting first against Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson, Max Walker and Gary Gilmour after Australia had won the toss, were in trouble at 50 for three when Lloyd joined Kanhai.
PARTNERSHIP
In a lovely partnership, the pair posted 149 for the fourth-wicket with Kanhai scoring 55 and Lloyd 102 - his first one-day century coming off 85 deliveries and including two sixes and 12 fours.
With 292 needed for victory, Australia were going well at 81 for one in the 21st over. With Allan Turner and Ian Chappell at the crease - and with Greg Chappell, Doug Walters and Ross Edwards plus the dangerous Rodney Marsh and Gilmour to come - they appeared on top and simply waiting to make the charge.
Thanks to the brilliance of Viv Richards in the field, however, the charge never came. Australia were dismissed for 274 in 58.4 overs and lost by 17 runs.
Roberts, with 45 runs coming off his 12 overs; Boyce, with figures of four for 50 off his 12, bowled well - and so too did Lloyd with one for 38 off 12 overs.
In an innings, during which there were five run-outs, the star, however, was Richards.
Moving fast, picking up the ball cleanly, and then throwing with amazing accuracy, Richards, who had scored only five runs, knocked the stuffing out of Australia when he ran out Turner for 40 at 81 for two with a direct hit. Richards then ran out Greg Chappell for 15 at 115 for three with a direct hit, and then with another direct hit, he ran out Ian Chappell for 62 at 162 for four.
Stars at Lord's ... Lloyd and Richards.
