Cricket World Cup 1975 - Part I

Background

It was the era of great West Indian teams, tearaway pace bowling of Lillee and Thomson, but more importantly it was an era of change in cricket. The new format of one day cricket was yet to become popular. There had been only 18 one day internationals before. It was a time to explore new exciting possibilities.

8 teams from West Indies, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and East Africa had joined the hosts England in June 1975 in what would be the first cricket world cup.

It was a tournament of a mere 15 matches where the format was so simple: Eight teams divided into two groups of four each with the top two teams of each group progressing to semi-finals. The star studded West Indies boosting big names of the likes of: Lloyd, Fredericks, Gibbs, Kallicharran, Kanhai, Richards, and Roberts were the firm favorites. Only Australia, England, and New Zealand were expected to provide any challenge to the Windies.

The Cricket World Cup gets underway
It was the very first match of cricket world cup history. However, it became well know not for that fact but for something else. England batted first and scored 334 for 4 in 60 overs with Dennis Ammis scoring 137. What happened afterwards, is history. India simply gave up without an attempt to go after the target and just used the overs for batting practice with Gavaskar batting through the 60 overs for 36 not out. India ended with 132 for 3 in 60 overs. Gavaskar later admitted that this was his "worst innings ever".

Favorites Through to the Semis
Although the world cup had its infamous start, the rest of the matches produced some exciting cricket. The top teams progressed as expected but West Indies received a real scare in their match against Pakistan at Edgebaston.

West Indies vs. Pakistan
Pakistan playing without their captain Asif Iqbal was led by Majid Khan. Batting first, Pakistan put an impressive score of 266/7 in 60 overs. West Indies got on to a disastrous start losing Grinidge for 4 with the score at 6. Fredericks, Kallicharan, Kanhai, and Richards did not last long against Pakistan bowling led by Safraz Nawaz and the score read 99/5. A half century by their captain Clive Lloyd took West Indies closer to the score but at 203 for 9, the writing was on the wall for West Indies. Then came a spirited fight back by the last pair, Deryck Murray and Andy Roberts which took West Indies closer to the target and gave them a glimpse of an unlikely victory. The pair hung on and brought the West Indies to the brink of victory. Needing 5 runs to win in the last over, Andy Roberts was facing Wasim Raja. Roberts attempted a pull off the first ball and missed. Second ball, with the help of a missed runout attempt brought 2 runs. A flick to the leg brought 2 more runs to Roberts and West Indies and tied the scores. Roberts took a single off the fourth ball to seal one of the most unlikely victories in World Cup history. This match may have given a little hope to other teams by showing that West Indies are after all human and can be defeated.

Watch Video - West Indian Innings

Watch Video - The Finish

West Indies vs. Australia
Having had a narrow escape against Pakistan, the West Indies then hammered Australia by seven wickets at the Oval to make a statement that the previous match was just a small hiccup in their march towards the world cup. Alvin Kallicharan led the way with 78 which included brutal attack on Dennis Lillee.

Watch Video - Kallicharan destroys Lillee

Next - First Semi Final

Garfield Sobers, cricket's greatest all rounder

Sir Garfield Sobers is without a doubt the greatest all rounder cricket ever saw. In 93 cricket tests, he scored 8032 runs at an average of 57.78 with a highest score of 365 which was a then world record. He also took 235 test wickets at an average of 34.03. He bowled different styles - fast-medium, slow orthodox, and chinaman were part of his repertoire.

See profile in cricinfo

Watch videos of Sobers in action

Hitting Six Sixes
(254) Australia vs. World XI, 1971-72
150 v England Lords 1973

Great Cricketers

Sir Donald Bradman
Sir Garfield Sobers

Bradman, the greatest batsman cricket ever saw

6996 in 80 innings in 52 test cricket matches, at an average of 99.94 with 29 centuries and 13 half centuries is a record that may never be broken. Sir Donald Bradman is without a doubt the greatest batsman cricket ever saw.

See him in action on video

The Bodyline Cricket Series

Background of the Bodyline Test Cricket Series

December 2, 1932 saw the start of arguably the most discussed test cricket series in the history of test cricket. MCC team led by Douglas Jardine, toured Austraia to fight for the ashes which they
lost in 1930. In 1930 Donald Bradman had scored, 254 at lords, 309 in a single day at Leeds on the way to 334, and 232 in the final test and ended the series with 974 runs at an amazing average of 139.14 giving Australia a series win. If England were to regain the Ashes they had to stop Bradman. Not many people would have guessed what length they would go to achieve that.

England resorted to the so-called leg theory or bodyline as it was later known, where they positioned all fielders on the leg side and bowled at the batsmen's head. At an age where no one used protective gear this made it almost impossible to bat without getting hurt.

First Test Cricket Match (Sydney)
At the absence of Bradman, McCabe scored 187 not out in the first innings fearlessly attacking balls heading toward his head, but England won by 10 wickets.
Scoreboard

Second Test Cricket Match (Melbourne)
Bradman returned and is bowled for a duck with the first ball. In the second innings, Bradman hits the first ball for a four and starts attacking. He scores an unbeaten 103 and Australia wins the test by 111 runs. Has Bradman tamed bodyline?
Scoreboard

Third Test Cricket Match (Adelaide)
The third test cricket match turned out to be the most infamous of them all. Australian captain Woodfull gets struck on the chest and W.A.S. Oldfield fractures his skull. England goes on to win by 338 runs.
Scoreboard

Fourth Test Cricket Match (Brisbane)
England wins by 6 wickets.
Scoreboard

Fifth Test Cricket Match (Sydney)
England wins by 8 wickets.
Scoreboard

England wins the series 4-1 and Bradman ends up with a (poor) average of 56 for the series.

Watch Video of Test Cricket Series Highlights
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Another summary

Australia's Cricket Tour of Sri Lanka 1983

Australia's first ever test cricket tour of Sri Lanka was in 1983 where they played a one-off test match at the picturesque Asgiriya Cricket Stadium in Kandy.

Sri Lanka went into the test match with a lead of 2-0 in the one day cricket series which took a break for the test match.

Scoreboard:
Australia 514/4 dec
Sri Lanka 271 & 205

Australia won by an innings and 38 runs

Match Summary

Note that those were the days when they used to have a rest day in a the middle of a test match. Those are the luxuries modern day cricketers do not have.

Tour Directory

Watch video highlights from the first day.

The last 2 one day matches ended in no result, giving Sri Lanka a series win.