1979 Cricket World Cup

Infobox cricket tournament
name = 1979 Prudential World Cup


imagesize =
caption = Clive Lloyd lifts the trophy
administrator = International Cricket Council
cricket format = One Day International
tournament format = Round robin and Knockout
host = England
champions = West Indies
count = 2nd
participants = 8
matches = 15
attendance = 132000
player of the series =
most runs = Gordon Greenidge (253)
most wickets = Mike Hendrick (10)The 1979 Cricket World Cup (aka Prudential World Cup, 1979) was the second edition of the tournament and was won by the West Indies. It was held from June 9 to June 23, 1979 in England. The format had remained unchanged from 1975. Eight countries participated in the event. The preliminary matches were played in 2 groups of 4 each. The top two teams in each group played the semifinals, whose winners played the final.

The matches played consisted of 60 overs per team and were played in traditional white clothing and with red balls. They were all played during the day and hence started early.

The Prudential Cup was lifted by Clive Lloyd, captain of the West Indies who started as the favorites to win the cup again. There was no 'Man of the Series' awarded in 1979.

The countries participating were:

Test teams
* Australia (Group B)
* England (Group B)
* India (Group A)
* New Zealand (Group A)
* Pakistan (Group B)
* West Indies (Group A)

Other teams
* Sri Lanka (Group A)
* Canada (Group B)

Group Stages

Group A

Limited overs international
date = June 9, 1979
team1 = Australia
score1 = 159/9 (60 overs)
score2 = 160/4 (47.1 overs)
team2 = England
runs1 = Andrew Hilditch 47 (108)
wickets1 = Geoffrey Boycott 2/15 (6 overs)
runs2 = Graham Gooch 53 (96)
wickets2 = Trevor Laughlin 2/38 (9.1 overs)
result = England won by 6 wickets
venue = Lord's, London, England
umpires = David Constant and Barrie Meyer
motm = Graham Gooch----Limited overs international
date = June 9, 1979
team1 = Canada
score1 = 139/9 (60 overs)
score2 = 140/2 (40.1 overs)
team2 = Pakistan
runs1 = Glenroy Sealy 45 (110)
wickets1 = Sarfraz Nawaz 3/26 (10 overs)
runs2 = Sadiq Mohammad 57* (122)
wickets2 = John Valentine 1/18 (9 overs)
result = Pakistan won by 8 wickets
venue = Headingley, Leeds, England
umpires = Dickie Bird and Alan Whitehead
motm = Sadiq Mohammad----Limited overs international
date = June 14, 1979
team1 = Pakistan
score1 = 286/7 (60 overs)
score2 = 197 all out (57.1 overs)
team2 = Australia
runs1 = Asif Iqbal 61 (57)
wickets1 = Gary Cosier 3/54 (12 overs)
runs2 = Andrew Hilditch 72 (129)
wickets2 = Sikander Bakht 3/34 (11 overs)
result = Pakistan won by 89 runs
venue = Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England
umpires = Dickie Bird and Ken Palmer
motm = Asif Iqbal
rain = Reserve day used; June 13 washed out----Limited overs international
date = June 14, 1979
team1 = Canada
score1 = 45 all out (40.3 overs)
score2 = 46/2 (13.5 overs)
team2 = England
runs1 = Franklyn Dennis 21 (99)
wickets1 = Chris Old 4/8 (10 overs)
runs2 = Graham Gooch 21* (31)
wickets2 = Robert Callender 1/14 (6 overs)
result = England won by 8 wickets
venue = Old Trafford, Manchester, England
umpires = John Langridge and Barrie Meyer
motm = Chris Old
rain = Reserve day used; June 13 washed out.----Limited overs international
date = June 16, 1979
team1 = Canada
score1 = 105 all out (33.2 overs)
score2 = 106/3 (26 overs)
team2 = Australia
runs1 = John Vaughan 29 (43)
wickets1 = Alan Hurst 5/21 (10 overs)
runs2 = Kim Hughes 27 (40)
wickets2 = Cornelius Henry 2/27 (10 overs)
result = Australia won by 7 wickets
venue = Edgbaston, Birmingham, England
umpires = David Constant and John Langridge
motm = Alan Hurst----Limited overs international
date = June 16, 1979
team1 = England
score1 = 165/9 (60 overs)
score2 = 151 all out (56 overs)
team2 = Pakistan
runs1 = Graham Gooch 33 (90)
wickets1 = Majid Khan 3/27 (12 overs)
runs2 = Asif Iqbal 51 (104)
wickets2 = Mike Hendrick 4/15 (12 overs)
result = England won by 14 runs
venue = Headingley, Leeds, England
umpires = Lloyd Budd and David Evans
motm = Mike Hendrick

Group B

Limited overs international
date = June 9, 1979
team1 = India
score1 = 190 all out (53.1 overs)
score2 = 194/1 (51.3 overs)
team2 = West Indies
runs1 = Gundappa Viswanath 75 (134)
wickets1 = Michael Holding 4/33 (12 overs)
runs2 = Gordon Greenidge 106 (173)
wickets2 = Kapil Dev 1/46 (10 overs)
result = West Indies won by 9 wickets
venue = Edgbaston, Birmingham, England
umpires = David Evans and John Langridge
motm = Gordon Greenidge----Limited overs international
date = June 9, 1979
team1 = Sri Lanka
score1 = 189 all out (56.5 overs)
score2 = 190/1 (47.4 overs)
team2 = New Zealand
runs1 = Anura Tennekoon 59 (96)
wickets1 = Brian McKechnie 3/25 (10.5 overs)
runs2 = Glenn Turner 83 (143)
wickets2 = Ajit de Silva 1/39 (12 overs)
result = New Zealand won by 9 wickets
venue = Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England
umpires = Lloyd Budd and Ken Palmer
motm = Geoff Howarth----Limited overs international
date = June 13, 1979
team1 = Sri Lanka
score1 =
score2 =
team2 = West Indies
runs1 =
wickets1 =
runs2 =
wickets2 =
result = No result
venue = The Oval, London, England
umpires = unknown
motm = no award
rain = 2 reserve days used, no play due to heavy rain.----Limited overs international
date = June 13, 1979
team1 = India
score1 = 182 all out (55.5 overs)
score2 = 183/2 (57 overs)
team2 = New Zealand
runs1 = Sunil Gavaskar 55 (144)
wickets1 = Brian McKechnie 3/24 (12 overs)
runs2 = Bruce Edgar 84* (167)
wickets2 = Mohinder Amarnath 1/39 (12 overs)
result = New Zealand won by 8 wickets
venue = Headingley, Leeds, England
umpires = Lloyd Budd and Alan Whitehead
motm = Bruce Edgar----Limited overs international
date = June 18, 1979
team1 = Sri Lanka
score1 = 238/5 (60 overs)
score2 = 191 all out (54.1 overs)
team2 = India
runs1 = Sunil Wettimuny 67 (120)
wickets1 = Mohinder Amarnath 3/40 (12 overs)
runs2 = Dilip Vengsarkar 36 (57)
wickets2 = Somachandra de Silva 3/29 (11 overs)
result = Sri Lanka won by 47 runs
venue = Old Trafford, Manchester, England
umpires = Ken Palmer and Alan Whitehead
motm = Duleep Mendis
rain = Reserve day used, original match date (June 16) was washed out.----Limited overs international
date = June 16, 1979
team1 = West Indies
score1 = 244/7 (60 overs)
score2 = 212/9 (60 overs)
team2 = New Zealand
runs1 = Clive Lloyd 73* (80)
wickets1 = Jeremy Coney 2/40 (12 overs)
runs2 = Richard Hadlee 42 (48)
wickets2 = Andy Roberts 3/43 (12 overs)
result = West Indies won by 32 runs
venue = Trent Bridge, Nottingham, England
umpires = Dickie Bird and Barrie Meyer
motm = Clive Lloyd

Round4
June 20 - Old Trafford, Manchester|England|221/8|New Zealand|212/9
June 20 - The Oval, London|West Indies|293/6|Pakistan|250
June 23 - Lord's, London|England|194|West Indies|286/9

Limited overs international
date = June 20, 1979
team1 = England
score1 = 221/8 (60 overs)
score2 = 212/9 (60 overs)
team2 = New Zealand
runs1 = Graham Gooch 71 (84)
wickets1 = Brian McKechnie 2/46 (12 overs)
runs2 = John Wright 69 (137)
wickets2 = Mike Hendrick 3/55 (12 overs)
result = England won by 9 runs
venue = Old Trafford, Manchester, England
umpires = John Langridge and Ken Palmer
motm = Graham Gooch

In a very close semifinal match, England prevailed. New Zealand won the toss and fielded. England began badly, falling to 2/38, before Mike Brearley (53 from 115 balls, 3 fours) and Graham Gooch (71 from 84 balls, 1 four, 3 sixes) resurrected the innings. Derek Randall (42 from 50 balls, 1 four, 1 six) played well in the second half of the innings, as England recovered from 4/98 to post 221 (8 wickets, 60 overs). In the response, John Wright (69 from 137 balls) attacked well in the beginning. However, the loss of wickets bogged New Zealand down, and despite several late flourishes in the batting order, New Zealand started to drop behind. When New Zealand could not achieve the remaining 14 runs from the last over of the match, England went into the final.

----Limited overs international
date = June 20, 1979
team1 = West Indies
score1 = 293/6 (60 overs)
score2 = 250 all out (56.2 overs)
team2 = Pakistan
runs1 = Gordon Greenidge 73 (107)
wickets1 = Asif Iqbal 4/56 (11 overs)
runs2 = Zaheer Abbas 93 (122)
wickets2 = Colin Croft 3/29 (11 overs)
result = West Indies won by 43 runs
venue = The Oval, London, England
umpires = Lloyd Budd and David Constant
motm = Gordon Greenidge

Gordon Greenidge (73 from 107 balls, 5 fours, 1 six) and Desmond Haynes (65 from 115 balls, 4 fours) set a first wicket partnership of 132 runs in a match dominated by batting. Vivian Richards and Clive Lloyd also contributed solidly, as West Indies ran up 293 (6 wickets, 60 overs) against Pakistan. Majid Khan (81 from 124 balls, 7 fours) and Zaheer Abbas (93 from 122 balls) shared a second-wicket partnership of 166 runs in 36 overs in the response. However, none of the other Pakistani batsmen flourished, with Javed Miandad being bowled for a duck first ball, and Pakistan lost 9/74, beginning with the dismissal of Abbas. Pakistan was bowled all out for 250 (all out, 56.2 overs) in the high-scoring semifinal, sending the West Indies to the final.

Final

Limited overs international
date = June 23, 1979
team1 = West Indies
score1 = 286/9 (60 overs)
score2 = 194 all out (51 overs)
team2 = England
runs1 = Viv Richards 138* (157)
wickets1 = Phil Edmonds 2/40 (12 overs)
runs2 = Mike Brearley 64 (130)
wickets2 = Joel Garner 5/38 (11 overs)
result = West Indies won by 92 runs
venue = Lord's, London, England
umpires = Dickie Bird and Barrie Meyer
motm = Viv Richards

England won the toss and chose to field first. The West Indies got off to a bad start, falling to 4/99 with the loss of Greenidge, Haynes, Kallicharan, and captain Clive Lloyd. However, Vivian Richards (138 from 157 balls, 11 fours, 3 sixes) and Collis King (86 from 66 balls, 10 fours, 3 sixes) consolidated the innings. King especially ripped through the English bowling, with a strike rate of 130.3. The West Indies were already at 5/238 when the 139 run partnership ended with the loss of Collis King. Vivian Richards and the tail then took the West Indies to a very imposing total of 286 (9 wickets, 60 overs).

The English batsmen got off to a good start. But the openers, Mike Brearley (64 from 130 balls, 7 fours) and Geoff Boycott (57 from 105 balls, 3 fours) scored very slowly. They put together a very methodical opening partnership of 129 runs in 38 overs, playing as if the match were a five-day Test. By the time both batsmen were out, the run rate had risen too high. Graham Gooch played some hefty strokes in scoring his 32, taking England to 2/183. However, the loss of Gooch triggered the most devastating collapse in World Cup history, as England lost 8/11. They were eventually bowled all out for 194 (all out, 51 overs).
Vivian Richards was declared Man of the Match.

External links

* [http://www.cricinfo.com/link_to_database/ARCHIVE/WORLD_CUPS/WC79/ Cricket World Cup 1979] from Cricinfo