1975 Cricket World Cup-The First Mega Event In Cricket History
August 6, 2024
August 6, 2024
In 1975, the world of cricket saw the beginning of the first men’s Cricket World Cup. This event marked the debut of One Day International cricket on a global level. Eight countries, including the West Indies, Australia, and England, took part in the competition. The tournament took place in England from June 7th to June 21st that year.
Let’s dive into this blog by sportsiqo to learn more about this significant event.
One Day International cricket started at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, replacing the third test match of the 1970-71 Ashes series. In 1973, plans began for a men’s cricket tournament to be held in 1975.
The event’s design included all existing Test-playing nations, divided into two initial groups. The teams were Australia, East Africa, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies.
The 1975 Cricket World Cup had 8 teams split into 2 groups of 4 teams each. Each team played the others in their group once. The top two teams from each group moved on to the semi-finals, and the winners of those matches played in the final at Lords Cricket Ground on June 21st.
Teams in Group A included;
Teams in Group B included;
The first match in Group A was between England and India. England, the hosts, won the toss and scored 334 runs in their 60 overs. India lost by 202 runs due to a very unusual innings from Sunil Gavaskar, who remained unbeaten with 36 runs off 174 balls, making it the slowest innings in ODI history while chasing a target of 335. New Zealand began their campaign with a win against East Africa. India secured their first victory against East Africa by 10 wickets.
East Africa did not win any games in the 1975 Cricket World Cup. England and New Zealand advanced to the next round from this group.
On June 7, 1975, Australia and Pakistan faced off in Group B. Australia won by 73 runs, thanks to a player taking five wickets. The West Indies, known as one of the most formidable teams at the time, easily defeated Sri Lanka in their first match. The West Indies bowlers dominated, limiting Sri Lanka to just 86 runs, and won the game by nine wickets.
Pakistan managed to win only one game, while Sri Lanka struggled and did not win any matches. The teams that advanced to the next round were the West Indies and Australia.
West Indies, Australia, England, and New Zealand secured their spots in the semi-finals of the first major cricket event in history. The semi-final matches began on June 17.
In the first semi-final at Headingley, England faced off against Australia in a classic Ashes rivalry. Australia decided to field first, and Gary Gilmour delivered an outstanding performance by taking 6 wickets for just 14 runs. His incredible bowling reduced England to 37 for 7 in his 12 overs. Although Mike Denness attempted to rally for England, he was eventually dismissed, and the team was all out for only 93 runs.
During their chase, Australia found themselves in trouble at 39 for 6. However, Gilmour, along with Doug Walters, managed to score the remaining runs, securing a spot for Australia in the final. Gilmour’s exceptional all-round performance earned him the Player of the Match award.
In the 2nd semi-final at The Oval, the West Indies played against New Zealand. New Zealand batted first and reached 92 for 1 wicket by lunch. After lunch, their performance declined, and they finished with 158 runs. Geoff Howarth was their top scorer with 51 runs, while Bernard Julien took 4 wickets.
In reply, the West Indies benefitted from a solid 125-run partnership for the second wicket between Alvin Kallicharran and Gordon Greenidge, who scored 72 and 55 runs, respectively. This strong partnership led them to a five-wicket victory. Richard Collinge was New Zealand’s best bowler, taking 3 wickets for 28 runs in his 12 overs.
Australia and the West Indies faced off in the final of the 1975 Cricket World Cup.
The first Cricket World Cup final was held on June 21 at Lord’s, with a full crowd in attendance. Australia won the toss and chose to bowl, hoping to make the most of the favorable conditions for bowlers. The first big moment came when opener Roy Fredericks was dismissed after hitting a bouncer from Dennis Lillee for a six. He lost his balance while following through and accidentally knocked the bails off the stumps. At that point, Australia had the advantage with the West Indies at 50/3.
Clive Lloyd then came in and formed a key partnership with the seasoned Rohan Kanhai. Their 149-run partnership for the fourth wicket shifted the game in favor of the West Indies. Kanhai played a supporting role, while Lloyd, who was dropped when he had 26 runs, went on to score a memorable century in just 82 balls, hitting 12 fours and 2 sixes. He was out soon after reaching his century, having made 102 runs.
Kanhai added 55 runs, and solid performances from Keith Boyce and Bernard Julien helped the West Indies reach 291/8. Gary Gilmour was the standout bowler for Australia, taking 5 wickets for 48 runs.
Australia’s run chase began steadily. After 20 overs, they were at 80/1, with Alan Turner and captain Ian Chappell taking full advantage of the good pitch and fast outfield.
Viv Richards, who had struggled with the bat but excelled in the field, made a significant impact. He achieved three run-outs: first, he threw out Turner with a precise throw, then he ran out Greg Chappell with a direct hit, and finally, Ian Chappell was run out due to Richards’ quick fielding.
With Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson as the last pair, Australia needed 59 runs from 7 overs to win. The pair put together an unexpected last-wicket stand. As the game approached its final stages, Lillee hit a no-ball to extra cover, causing the crowd to flood onto the field, seemingly unaware of the umpire’s call.
In the confusion, Lillee and Thomson continued to run until the crowd was cleared. When play resumed, the umpires initially gave Australia 2 runs but later increased it to 3 after Thomson’s protest. Ultimately, Thomson’s run-out ended the game, and the West Indies won the match by 17 runs to become world champions.
In the 1975 tournament, Glenn Turner from New Zealand was the top run-scorer, accumulating 333 runs across four matches. His standout performance included a score of 171 against East Africa, which was the highest individual score of the tournament.
English player Dennis Amiss finished in second place for runs, while Pakistan’s Majid Khan was third.
Australian fast bowler Gary Gilmour was the leading wicket-taker with 11 wickets in just 2 games. His notable performance came in the semi-finals, where he took 6 wickets for just 14 runs against England. Bernard Julien and Keith Boyce both secured second place for the most wickets, each taking 10.
Curious about which batter made history with the fastest 3000 runs in ODI cricket? Check out our latest post for an in-depth look at this impressive milestone and what it means for the game.
The 1975 Cricket World Cup was the first major cricket tournament ever held. Eight teams competed, divided into two groups of four. Each match featured 60 overs per side.
In Group A, England and New Zealand emerged as the top two teams. In Group B, the West Indies finished first, with Australia in second place.
In the knockout stage, Australia defeated England, and the West Indies won against New Zealand. The West Indies, who were favorites to win, took the title by beating Australia in the final, becoming the first-ever World Cup champions.
New Zealand’s Glenn Turner was the tournament’s top run-scorer with 333 runs, while Australia’s Gary Gilmour was the leading wicket-taker with 11 wickets.
