While the current West Indies team might be muddled in mediocrity due to a flimsy board and economic strife, there was an era when the team from the Caribbean dominated the cricketing landscape. The West Indies won the first two World Cups in 1975 and 1979, with the latter being a fairly one-sided affair thanks to a spectacular knock by a certain Vivian Richards.
On the 23rd of June, 1979, West Indies defeated England by 92 runs at London’s Lord’s Stadium to win their second World Cup title. After being invited to bat first, the West Indies lost Gordon Greenidge early for single figures, but incoming Vivian Richards took the English bowlers to the cleaners.
Playing with his usual style and swagger, the right-handed batsman scored 11 fours and three sixes as he got the third highest score at World Cup finals. Even the most celebrated English bowlers like Ian Botham, Chris Old, Phil Edmonds were toothless against the class of Sir Viv as he piled on 138 runs in that final.
Richards was well supported by all-rounder Collis Kings, who scored a brisk 86 of just 66 deliveries as the West Indies piled on a total of 286 runs in an era where scoring rates of three an over were considered the norm.
Hosts England began their chase spectacularly, as captain Mike Brearley and Geoff Boycott put on an opening stand of 129 runs before the skipper was dismissed by Michael Holding. Boycott too was sent packing soon after as the score read 135/2. New batsmen Graham Gooch and Derek Randall put on a 48-run partnership, but the pace of Joel Garner was too good for the English batsmen to handle. The speedster from Barbados got a fifer on the night, instigating a collapse that saw the hosts bundled out for 194 runs, as West Indies continued their cricketing dominance with their lethal pace bowling.
Feature image courtesy: Windies Cricket/ Twitter
