Sport - Cricket

How the Cup was won: 1975.

Pride, passion and abundant talent were the attributes that the West Indies team possessed in plenty in 1975. Battery of express fast bowlers, a reliable batting line-up, and a shrewd skipper in Clive Lloyd, who led by example. All this proved more than sufficient for the West Indies to clinch the inaugural Prudential Trophy at Lord's, defeating Australia by 17 runs in the final.

In the opening league match, West Indies posted an easy nine-wicket win over Sri Lanka. Opening bowler Bernard Julien picked up four wickets as Sri Lankan innings folded up for 86 in 37.2 overs.

When its frontline batsmen failed, the West Indies tail-enders showed the way against Pakistan. Chasing 266, West Indies was in dire straits, eight down for 166. Number 8 batsman Deryck Murray (61 not out) and No. 11 Andy Roberts (24 not out) guided the team to a famous one-wicket win with two balls remaining in the 60th over. The third and final league match against Australia, termed as `Speed for Speed', never rose to expected heights once Australia was bundled out for 192. West Indies romped home with seven wickets and 14 overs to spare. Opener Fredericks (58) and Alvin Kallicharran (78) set a strong foundation. Kallicharran was severe on Dennis Lillee smashing him for 35 runs in 10 deliveries.

In the semifinals West Indies took on an upbeat New Zealand, which had scalped on its way India and East Africa. Batting first, New Zealand slid from a strong 92 for two to be dismissed for 158. Glenn Turner (36) and Geoffrey Howrath (50) added 90 runs for the second wicket. West Indies reached the target in 40.1 overs, Greenidge (55) and Kallicharran (72) being the top-scorers. However, the day belonged to the pacemen Julien (four for 57) and Holder (three for 30).

West Indies, put in to bat in the final against Australia did not get off to an ideal start as Fredericks, Greenidge and Kallicharran were dismissed cheaply, the score reading 50 for three. The entry of the BIG LION Clive Lloyd changed the scenario. At his belligerent best, Llyod made a typically aggressive century (102, 85b, 2x6, 12x4), as he combined with Rohan Kanhai (55) to demolish the Aussie attack. Boyce (34) and Julien (26 not out) gave the necessary fillip towards the end. Gary Gilmour scalped five wickets for Australia. Opener Alan Turner (40) and Ian Chappell (62) gave the West Indians a run for their money. Turner's run out was the crucial from which Australia never recovered. Richards' underarm throw caught Turner short on the crease. The "terrible twins" — Lillee (16 not out) and Thomson (21 not out) added 41 runs for the last wicket before Thompson was the fourth run-out victim (throw by Viv Richards), the team totalling 274.

When Prince Phillip, the President of MCC, handed over the Prudential Trophy to Lloyd (see pix), it signalled the emergence of a superpower.

K. Keerthivasan

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