“21 June 1975 &23 June 1979 – Reliving West Indies’ ICC CWC 1975 & ICC CWC 1979 Triumphs”

Jun 19, 2022 Sports

By Colin E. H. Croft

The 21st June, 2022 will mark the 47th anniversary of West Indies winning the inaugural International Cricket Council Cricket World Cup 1975. To confirm that June will always be a very special month for WI cricket, its players, current and past, and supporters, will also celebrate, on June 23, 2022, the 43rd anniversary of WI repeating that initial 1975 ICC CWC triumph, also winning the 2nd stanza, ICC CWC 1979.

Colin Croft – Passport & Publication Photograph – 2022

These are still the only West Indies ICC CWC successes ever. For West Indies, the month of June will always hold exceptional, even unique memories and superlatives in ODI cricket.
ICC CWC 1975 – The first ICC CWC Ever – Determination, skill and grit gave West Indies success
WI’s 1975 ICC CWC triumph did not come easily. WI had to work diligently to win especially the game against Pakistan, and the final, v Australia. That initial success also showed dogged determination from legendary players Sir Clive Lloyd, Deryck Murray, Rohan Kanhai, Sir Andy Roberts and Sir Vivian Richards.
The best, or worst, game, for WI, depending on perspectives, of 1975’s tournament, had to have been that nail-biting sensational win, v Pakistan, always WI’s nemesis, both teams always similarly equipped.
Pakistan batted first, compiling a workman-like 266 – 7 (60 overs); with useful innings from Majid Khan (60); captain Mushtaq Mohammed (55); and Wasim Raja (58).

Sir Clive Lloyd displays ICC CWC 1979 Trophy.

West Indies were immediately in serious trouble; 36 – 3; with Sir Gordon Greenidge, Roy Fredericks and Alvin Kallicharran dismissed. That soon deteriorated to 145 – 6, then 203 – 9, with last pair Deryck Murray and Sir Andy Roberts at the crease, as Pakistan’s big fast bowler, Safraz Nawaz, homed in for the kill.
With brilliance, luck, temerity and cheekiness, Murray and Sir Andy overcame Pakistan. Somehow, they put on the required 64 runs for that unfinished last wicket, the pair scampering that last, winning run, to take WI to 267 – 9, with two deliveries remaining (59.4 overs), as if their very lives depended on that run.
Sir Clive made 53, Murray a match-winning, face-saving 61 n.o., and Sir Andy 24 n.o., but it was Pakistan’s powerful, effervescent fast bowler, Safraz Nawaz, one of the first recognized purveyors of “reverse swing”, bowling brilliantly; 4 – 44 (12 overs); who was named “Man of the Match,” also one of the very few times, in ODI & T-20 histories, when a losing player had, very deservedly, merited a “M-o-M” Award.
Days off from studies for ICC CWC 1975
Because it was the first such tournament, and WI were joint favorites, with Australia, everyone who listened to, or saw, that tournament, would suggest that they remember exactly where they were when WI beat Pakistan at Edgbaston, Birmingham, home of Warwicshire CCC, on 11 June 1975. What a game!
As for me, I was in Chaguaramas, Trinidad & Tobago, studying Navigation and Air Traffic Control, to augment my initial training in Guyana, as an Assistant Air Traffic Controller. Since that game started at 7:00am T&T time, (11:00am UK time), no-one had any classes that fateful day, with that game ending at 8:30pm in Birmingham (4:30pm in T&T). We were all quite tired afterwards, from the excitement, elation, the ‘nervousness’ and stresses, of that tremendous West Indies qualification for the first ICC CWC Final.

Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Colin Croft & Sir Andy Roberts take a break at Lords.

June 21; ICC CWC 1975 Final; Lords; home of Middlesex CCC; pitted two captains who, for their entire playing careers, tried to outsmart, undermine and overcome each other’s efforts. Profound respect passed between these two similarly minded, cunning stalwarts; WI’s Sir Clive Lloyd and Australia’s Ian Chappell. With unbelievable “win-at-all-costs” attitudes, they are also very close friends to this very day.
Sir Clive and Rohan Kanhai, WI Captains both, come good in the Final of ICC CWC 1975
WI batted first, and again were in deep early trouble; 50 – 3; with Roy Fredericks, Alvin Kallicharran and Sir Gordon Greenidge back in the pavilion. Nothing is really new in the annals of West Indies cricket.
Sir Clive, and Rohan Kanhai, the man Sir Clive had replaced as WI captain, but whom Sir Clive had staunchly insisted must be included into WI’s ICC CWC 1975 team – a captain’s pick – then battled like real veterans.
Ironically, another former WI captain, Sir Gary Sobers, was also consulted about his possible inclusion in ICC CWC 1975. Sir Gary had played his last Test in April 1974, but his inputs had been so highly favored, that he had been asked to come out of retirement for that first world tournament. Unfortunately, Sir Gary negated that request, citing uncertainty about his full fitness to complete that first ICC CWC in 1975.
In the final, Sir Clive made a swashbuckling “Man of the Match” 102, Kanhai also showing excellent temperament for 55, as the pair put on 149 for the 4th wicket; WI getting a creditable 291 – 8 (60 overs).

Collis King in full flow.

Gary Gilmour, Australia’s left-handed medium-paced swinger, after earlier befuddling England with a devastating 6 – 14; England all out for 93 in their semi-final; was at it again, v WI, ending with 5 – 48.
Then future WI captain, Sir Vivian Richards, struck, as Australia’s excellent batting line-up tried to get 292 to win that initial ICC CWC 1975. Sir Viv; semi-elastic, loose-limbed, sure-handed, eagle-eyed, panther-like; ran three very dangerous Australian batters out with direct hits; Alan Turner (40), Ian Chappell (62) and Greg Chappell (15); as Australia suffered five runouts in their eventual 274 all out (58.4 overs).
West Indies had won that very challenging, very first ICC CWC1975 Final, by just 17 runs. The crowds swarmed Lords cricket ground from mostly the Tavern Stand, where most WI supporters had been stationed, celebrating the fact that “there is nothing like the very first time.” Win No. 1 of ICC CWC 1975!!
ICC CWC 1979 – Repeat for West Indies
By the time ICC CWC 1979 arrived, West Indies had risen to full world-beating pedigree in every department, being nominated as overwhelming, sole favorites to repeat 1975’s success in 1979. Being favorites always brings added expectations, worry, challenges, and a massive fear of somehow stumbling.
WI did prevail, not without the ubiquitous stresses and several stumbles, similar to 1975, but that ICC CWC 1979 Final will always be remembered for batting carnage of especially Collis King and Sir Vivian Richards, veterans of ICC CWC 1975, and deadly obliterating accuracy by “Big Bird” Joel Garner.

Sir Andy Roberts, Sir Clive Lloyd & Roy Fredericks.

Pakistan, again, proved very tough in ICC CWC 1979 Semi-Final
As in 1975, the Pakistanis were again the hardest team to beat in 1979. Perhaps because they always had players, like WI, who were so interchangeable and quite mercurial, there two teams were always so closely matched. It was a concentrated effort that eventually won that semi-final for WI in 1979.
On June 20, 1979, for the semi-final, at Kia-Kennington Oval, home of Surrey CCC, WI batted first, making a good total, for that time in ODIs, 293 – 6, (60 overs), due mostly to the opening partnership, and foundation, between Sir Gordon Greenidge (73) and Sir Desmond Haynes (65).
The Pakistanis were never overawed, despite the presence of WI fast bowlers Michael Holding, Sir Andy Roberts, Joel Garner and yours truly, Colin Croft; the bowling attack strangely named “The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.”Does anyone really understand what those four “Horsemen” actually mean?
Opener Majid Khan (81), and No. 3, Zaheer Abbas (93), then put on one of the most classical displays of batsmanship that I have ever seen in my life; 166 wonderfully constructed runs, in 36 overs, for that 2nd wicket. The faster, shorter, even bouncier we bowled, the faster the ball disappeared into the then massive (110 metres back then) outfield of “The Oval”. Absolutely magnificent, electrifying batsmanship!
Captaincy at its finest
Then Sir Clive again showed his great strengths of leadership, understanding and knowledge of cricket, and especially knowledge of the abilities of his players. He changed the field settings, putting Alvin Kallicharran into a very dangerous, semi-suicidal, extremely short extra-cover position (no helmets available back then), a very strange fielding position for ODIs, and instructed me, entrusted me even; Colin Croft; to bowl at a very much fuller length. “Kalli” never wavered, and the results were immediate.

Rohan Kanhail & Sir Garfield Sobers Circa 1968.

Zaheer was quickly caught down the leg-side by wicket-keeper Deryck Murray, as Zaheer tried to on-drive one of my pitched-up ‘off-cutters.’ This was soon followed by Majid’s wicket, as he essayed a cover drive, “on the up,” to my also over-pitched, ‘leg-cutter’ this time, only to be magnificently, sharply, jubilantly, caught by Kallicharran, at that same, almost suicidal, very short extra-cover position. Javed Miandad was then promptly, palpably, out LBW; first ball; from another of my fully pitched-up ‘off-cutters.’ Colin Croft had finished with 3 – 29 (11 overs) and probably should have been named “Man of the Match.”
From 176 – 1, chasing 294 to win, with WI at one time seriously perturbed, Pakistan deteriorated badly to 187 – 4, and never recovered from that mini collapse, finishing at 250 all out (56.2 overs).WI had won that really tough semi-final, v Pakistan, by 43 runs, thanks to Sir Clive’s quite astute captaincy.
ICC CWC 1979 FINAL – WI repeat through brutal stroke-play and bowling accuracy
23rd June; ICC CWC 1979 Final, v England; Lords; WI were, for the umpteenth time, again in very deep trouble, in a massive hole, as the top order disappeared. History, and WI cricket, do repeat themselves!
In a flash, WI were 99 – 4, wobbling severely, with Sir Gordon Greenidge (4), Sir Desmond Haynes (20), Alvin Kallicharran (4) and Sir Clive Lloyd (13) back in the pavilion, cooling their heels but with hot heads.

Joel Garner, Colin Croft, Sir Andy Roberts & Michael Holding ready for battle.

Yet, even with WI tottering on the proverbial ropes, England could not administer the absolute knockout blows, not with ultra-confident Sir Vivian Richards, and utterly disdainful, belligerent Collis King still at the crease. They came to the rescue, and what followed was the best ODI batsmanship that I have ever seen.
King cut, drove, carved, swiped, lashed and bludgeoned England’s bowling attack to such a state, that his 86 (66 balls, 10 fours, 3 sixes, S.R 130), in a partnership of 139 with Sir Viv, would stand up, even today, in ODI and T-20 cricket. As one headline suggested back then; “King leaves Viv in the shade!” Quite so!
King’s innings of 86 is, for me, also the best ODI innings that the world has ever seen; period; that did not win an ODI ‘MoM’ award. It should have, despite Sir Viv’s eventual 138 n.o. In my opinion, Sir Viv’s batting was 2nd best to Collis’ that day, and Sir Viv was also intelligent enough to know it. He played accordingly.
Later, Sir Viv did also take an excellent running catch at deep mid-wicket to dismiss his Somerset team-mate and good friend Sir Ian Botham, from Croft’s bowling, as England chased WI’s eventual 286 – 9 (60 overs). That stunning running catch, and the last immortal stroke of Sir Viv’s innings; a flicked six over square leg from the last ball of WI’s innings, off Mike Hendrick; probably clinched the “M-o-M” for Sir Viv.
WI Fast Bowlers get their own back in ICC CWC 1979 Final
England’s reply, chasing 287 to win in 60 overs, was very strange indeed. Openers Sir Geoff Boycott and captain Mike Brearley put on 79 – 0 (25 overs), then 129 – 0 (39 overs), before being parted. Especially Holding (2-16; 8 overs), Sir Andy, Garner, Croft, Sir Viv, and King too, had been frugal, but the English openers were just so absolutely funereal. Brearley and Sir Geoff just lost the entire plot of ODI cricket!!
Sir Clive, normally extremely sure-handed while fielding anywhere, even, somehow, managed to drop a very soft ‘sitter’, at his position at mid-wicket, when Sir Geoff essayed an on-drive at a gentle “medium dobbler” from Sir Viv. To this day, many who witnessed that ‘drop’ still query as to if Sir Clive had contrived to grass that catch deliberately, thus allowing the slow scoring by Brearley and Sir Geoffrey to continue.
What followed, with England so far behind the asking rate, was a crescendo of wickets and a massive collapse. “Big Bird” Garner speared in his “Yorkers” with extremely deadly accuracy; 5 – 38 (11 overs), while Croft also helped out; we had debuted together in Test cricket in 1977; with 3 – 42 (10 overs).
WI had easily won the ICC CWC 1979 Final, by a massive 92 runs, thus retaining the trophy won in 1975. England had been destroyed for 194 all out (51 overs), after also being183-2 at one time. England opener Sir Geoff was rueful, even embarrassed. “No way,” he said, “were West Indies 92 runs better than us!”
On 23rd June 1979, WI Captain Sir Clive Lloyd again lifted the ICC CWC Trophy, celebrating another very special, 2nd ICC 50-overs Cricket World Cup win. June has always been a special month for WI cricket!