by Tony Becca

Lord's, the headquarters of cricket, was jam-packed for the first World Cup final on June 21, 1975, and before the start of play, not one of the 25,000 spectators even dreamt that the action would have been so exciting, so dramatic, and so tense from start to finish.

On the longest day of the year, the fans were treated to cricket of the highest order, to some splendid batting by West Indies captain Clive Lloyd and veteran Rohan Kanhai, to a wonderful innings by Australia's captain Ian Chappell, and to some brilliant fielding headed by Viv Richards of the West Indies.

After winning the toss and sending the West Indies to bat, Australia were riding high when, with only 50 runs on the board, the West Indies had lost Roy Fredericks, Alvin Kallicharran and Gordon Greenidge.

With the experienced Rohan Kanhai batting solidly at one end while scoring 55 runs off 108 deliveries, however, Lloyd launched into the Australian attack of Dennis Lillee, Jeff Thomson, Gary Gilmour and Max Walker to set up a magnificent recovery as the West Indies sped to 291 for eight off their allotted 60 overs and then dismissed Australia for 274 with 1.2 overs to spare.

In one of the most brutal innings in the history of the World Cup, Lloyd, 102, smashed two sixes and 12 fours while batting for 85 deliveries before he edged Gilmour to wicketkeeper Rodney Marsh at 199 for four.

Aggressive deliveries

( L - R ) Clive Lloyd

Although Kanhai, bowled by Gilmour, followed seven runs later, Keith Boyce turned up with an aggressive 34 off 37 deliveries to take the West Indies to what appeared a winning total.

After Rick McCosker was caught by Kallicharran off Boyce at 25 for one, however, Australia, thanks to two brilliant innings from Allan Turner, 40, and Ian Chappell, 62, were going great guns at 81 for one before a brilliant Richards, from either side of the pitch, stepped in and all but destroyed Australia's hopes of victory with three of five run-outs in the innings.

Turner, at 81 for two, was the first of Richards' victims - the batsman run-out by a direct hit from mid-wicket; Greg Chappell, at 115 for three, was the second of Richards' victims - also from a direct hit; and Ian Chappell, at 162 for four, was the third of Richard's victims - the batsman hesitating and then failing to beat wicketkeeper Deryck Murray after a glorious performance in which he hit six boundaries while batting for 93 deliveries.

Australia never recovered. They lost wickets at regular intervals, and after Walker was run-out by Vanburn Holder at 233 for nine, after Thomson and Lillee had given them hope with a 10th-wicket stand of 41, Murray threw down the stumps to run-out Thomson and to leave the West Indies winners by 17 runs.