1975 Cricket World Cup

1975 Cricket World Cup

Dates	7 June – 21 June
Administrator(s)	International Cricket Conference
Cricket format	One Day International
Tournament format(s)	Round robin and Knockout
Host(s)	England
Champions	West Indies (1st title)
Participants	8
Matches played	15
Attendance	158,000 (10,533 per match)
Most runs	Glenn Turner (333)
Most wickets	Gary Gilmour (11)

The 1975 Cricket World Cup (officially called the Prudential Cup) was the first edition of the Cricket World Cup, organised by the International Cricket Conference (ICC). It was held from 7 to 21 June 1975 in England.

The tournament was sponsored by Prudential Assurance Company and had eight participating countries: the six Test-playing teams of the time (Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan and the West Indies), plus Sri Lanka and, for the only time, East Africa. The teams were divided into two groups of four, with each team playing the other teams in their group once; the top two from each group qualified for the semi-finals, with the winners of these matches meeting in the final. Each match consisted of 60 overs per team and was played in traditional white clothing and with red balls; all were played during the day and hence started early.

England, New Zealand, the West Indies and Australia were the teams to qualify for the semi-finals, making this the only World Cup thus far in which no team from the Indian subcontinent made this stage. Australia defeated England and the West Indies beat New Zealand, before the West Indies, the pre-tournament favourites, defeated Australia in the final at Lord's by 17 runs to become the first World Cup winners.

The opening match of the tournament featured one of the most bizarre batting efforts in one-day history, by India's Sunil Gavaskar. After England scored 334/4, with Dennis Amiss making 137, Gavaskar batted through the full 60 overs for 36 not out, prompting several pitch invasions from unhappy Indian fans.

Format

The format of the first world cup was 2 groups of four teams each, and each team playing each other. The top two team from each group then advance to the Semi Finals where the winners then advance (qualified) to the finals.

The first Cricket World Cup was played in England on seven different venues. A total of 16 matches were played in the 1975 Cricket World Cup including 2 Semifinals and a Final match.

Participants

England hosted the each of the first three competitions. The ICC decided that England should host the first tournament because it was ready to put the resources needed in organising the inaugural event. India proposed that it should host the third Cricket World Cup, but most ICC members believed England was a more suitable venue because longer period of daylight in June. This meant that a match could be completed in one day.

The following 8 teams qualified for the final tournament. Sri Lanka and East Africa were the only two teams without Test status.

ACA (1)

• East Africa

ACA (1)

• West Indies

ACC (3)

• India
• Pakistan
• Sri Lanka

EAP (2)

• Australia
• New Zealand

ECC (1)

• England (Hosts)

Venues

London	Lord's The Oval Nottingham Birmingham Leeds Manchester	London
Lord's Cricket Ground		The Oval
Capacity: 30,000		Capacity: 23,500
Birmingham		Manchester
Edgbaston Cricket Ground		Old Trafford Cricket Ground
Capacity: 21,000		Capacity: 19,000
Nottingham		Leeds
Trent Bridge		Headingley Stadium
Capacity: 15,350		Capacity: 14,000

Squads

Main article: 1975 Cricket World Cup squads

Group stage

Group A

Main article: 1975 Cricket World Cup Group A

Team	Pts	Pld	W	L	NR	RR
England	12	3	3	0	0	4.94
New Zealand	8	3	2	1	0	4.07
India	4	3	1	2	0	3.24
East Africa	0	3	0	3	0	1.90

7 June 1975 Scorecard

England 334/4 (60 overs)

v

India 132/3 (60 overs)

England won by 202 runs Lord's, London, England

7 June 1975 Scorecard

New Zealand 309/5 (60 overs)

v

East Africa 128/8 (60 overs)

New Zealand won by 181 runs Edgbaston, Birmingham, England

11 June 1975 Scorecard

England 266/6 (60 overs)

v

New Zealand 186 (60 overs)

England won by 80 runs Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England

11 June 1975 Scorecard

East Africa 120 (55.3 overs)

v

India 123/0 (29.5 overs)

India won by 10 wickets Headingley, Leeds, England

14 June 1975 Scorecard

England 290 (60 overs)

v

East Africa 94 (52.3 overs)

England won by 196 runs Edgbaston, Birmingham, England

14 June 1975 Scorecard

India 230 (60 overs)

v

New Zealand 233/6 (58.5 overs)

New Zealand won by 4 wickets Old Trafford, Manchester, England

Group B

Main article: 1975 Cricket World Cup Group B

Team	Pts	Pld	W	L	NR	RR
West Indies	12	3	3	0	0	4.35
Australia	8	3	2	1	0	4.43
Pakistan	4	3	1	2	0	4.45
Sri Lanka	0	3	0	3	0	2.78

7 June 1975 Scorecard

Australia 278/7 (60 overs)

v

Pakistan 205 (53 overs)

Australia won by 73 runs Headingley, Leeds, England

7 June 1975 Scorecard

Sri Lanka 86 (37.2 overs)

v

West Indies 87/1 (20.4 overs)

West Indies won by 9 wickets Old Trafford, Manchester, England

11 June 1975 Scorecard

Australia 328/5 (60 overs)

v

Sri Lanka 276/4 (60 overs)

Australia won by 52 runs Kennington Oval, London, England

11 June 1975 Scorecard

Pakistan 266/7 (60 overs)

v

West Indies 267/9 (59.4 overs)

West Indies won by 1 wicket Edgbaston, Birmingham, England

14 June 1975 Scorecard

Australia 192 (53.4 overs)

v

West Indies 195/3 (46 overs)

West Indies won by 7 wicket Kennington Oval, London, England

14 June 1975 Scorecard

Pakistan 330/6 (60 overs)

v

Sri Lanka 138 (50.1 overs)

Pakistan won by 192 runs Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England

Knockout stage

Main article: 1975 Cricket World Cup knockout stage

	Semi-finals				Final
	18 June – Leeds
	England	93
	Australia	94/6
					21 June – London
					Australia	274
					West Indies	291/8
	18 June – London
	New Zealand	158
	West Indies	159/5

Semifinals

In the best World Cup performance to date by a bowler, Gary Gilmour took six for fourteen as England were bowled out for 93 (36.2 overs), after having fallen to 37/7. Australia initially suffered a collapse just as dramatic, falling to 39/6, before Gilmour (28 from 28 balls, 5 fours) brought them home in a fantastic all-round performance.

The West Indies won the toss and sent New Zealand in to bat first. New Zealand batted well against the bowling at first, reaching 98/1. However, when captain Glenn Turner (36 from 74 balls, 3 fours) and Geoff Howarth (51 from 93 balls, 3 fours) fell, breaking a second-wicket partnership of 90 runs, New Zealand lost 9/60 to fall to 158 (all out, 52.2 overs). The West Indies responded, with Alvin Kallicharan (72 from 92 balls, 7 fours, 1 six) and Gordon Greenidge (55 from 95 balls, 9 fours, 1 six) sharing a second-wicket partnership of 125 runs that brought the West Indies to their target.

18 June 1975 Scorecard

England 93 (36.2 overs)

v

Australia 94/6 (28.4 overs)

Australia won by 4 wickets Headingley, Leeds, England

18 June 1975 Scorecard

New Zealand 158 (52.2 overs)

v

West Indies 159/5 (40.1 overs)

West Indies won by 5 wickets Kennington Oval, London, England

Final

Main article: 1975 Cricket World Cup Final

In the final, the West Indies beat Australia by 17 runs, after an accomplished innings from captain Clive Lloyd (102 from 85 balls, 12 fours, 2 sixes). The Australian innings was marked by top-order batsmen being run out when going for runs after misfields. A total of five of their team were run out, three by Vivian Richards. There was no 'Man of the Series' awarded in 1975.

21 June 1975 Scorecard

West Indies 291/8 (60 overs)

v

Australia 274 (58.4 overs)

West Indies won by 17 runs Lord's, London, England Attendance: 24,000

Statistics

Main article: 1975 Cricket World Cup statistics

Leading run scorers

Runs	Player	Team	Matches
333	Glenn Turner	New Zealand	4
243	Dennis Amiss	England	4
209	Majid Khan	Pakistan	3
207	Keith Fletcher	England	4
201	Alan Turner	Australia	5

Leading wicket takers

Wickets	Player	Team	Matches
11	Gary Gilmour	Australia	2
10	Bernard Julien	West Indies	5
10	Keith Boyce	West Indies	5
8	Dayle Hadlee	New Zealand	4
8	Andy Roberts	West Indies	5

External links

• Cricket World Cup 1975 from Cricinfo