Tony Becca

The favourites to win the first World Cup in 1975 were Australia. and there was no question about it - especially so after they had just thrashed England 4-1 in the Ashes series.

The World Cup, with a limit of 60 overs per innings, called for quick scoring, fast bowling, and electric fielding. that was the kind of cricket for which the West Indies were famous, and to some people, the West Indies were expected to do well.

Not many, however, gave them a chance to win it - not with Australia looking so strong in batting and bowling.

A few months earlier, Australia had defeated England 4-1 after winning the first Test by 168 runs a few months earlier, the second Test by nine wickets, the fourth Test by 171 runs, and the fifth Test by 163 runs before losing the sixth by an innings and four runs. they boasted batsmen like Alan Turner and Rick McCosker, Ian Chappell, Greg Chappell, Doug Walters, and Ross Edwards plus wicketkeeper Rodney Marsh. they paraded bowlers like pacers Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thomson, Max Walker and Gary Gilmour along with off-spinner Ashley Mallett, and they were awesome.

At Headingley in their first match of the Cup, they demonstrated their strength with a 73-run victory over a strong Pakistan team. This was a team that included batsmen such as Sadiq Mohammed, Majid Khan, Zaheer Abbas, Mushtaq Mohammed, Asif Iqbal, Wasim Raja and Imran Khan and two top-class bowlers in Sarfraz Nawaz and Asif Masood.

Batting first, Australia, after chipping to 63 without loss, rattled up 278 for seven with Turner scoring 46, Greg Chappell 45, and Edwards, stroking the ball nicely and hitting it to all parts of the ground, scoring an undefeated 80.

Good pitch

On a pitch that was good for batting, a pitch on which Greg Chappell and Edwards paraded their stroke play, Pakistan, with their strong and exciting batting, were expected to at least make a challenge.

Chasing Australia's imposing total, however, Pakistan were soon in trouble, and after losing Sadiq Mohammed at 15 for one and Abbas for eight at 27 for two, never recovered and were bundled out for 205 in 53 overs with Lillee pocketing five wickets for 34 runs off his 12 overs.

In registering the first five-wicket haul in the World Cup, Lillee started by bowling Sadiq Mohammed for four. After Thomson had got rid of Abbas for eight and Walters had taken care of Mushtaq Mohammed for eight at 68 for three, and Mallett had cut down Majid for 65 at 104 for four, he returned to remove Asif Iqbal for 53, Sarfraz for zero, Wasim Bari for two, and Asif Masood for six as Australia stormed to victory.

Gilmour did not play in the match, but Lillee was well supported by Thomson - one for 25 off eight overs, and by Walker - the man with the kangaroo jump in his delivery stride who took two for 32 off his 12 overs.