(Part 51.) Lloyd’s crowning glory. West Indies cricket has enjoyed many moments of celebration, but few match lifting the trophy at the first Men’s Cricket World Cup—50 years ago today, 21 June 1975. For the final time and for the final edition of this 51-day series, here’s Tony Cozier’s match …
Read More »1975 CWC: Genius Kallicharran spanks Lillee to take Windies to semis
(Part 44.) ‘Kalli’ the conqueror. There are just seven days to go to the 50th anniversary of the West Indies victory over Australia in the 1975 World Cup final. And on this day, we focus on the first meeting of those two teams at The Oval in London, on the …
Read More »1975 CWC: ‘The 1975 World Cup final was the best cricket match that I’ve stood in!’
(Part 30.) A Bird’s eye view. Let’s just try to imagine the setting 50 years ago today, a week before the opening round of group matches at the 1975 Cricket World Cup. A real sense of anticipation no doubt with all eight teams competing for the first time for the …
Read More »1975 CWC: Chappell’s ‘Ugly’ Australians—why fierce ‘Aussies’ offered tough test
(Part 27.) Chappell’s “Ugly” Australians. Ahead of the 1975 Cricket World Cup, West Indies were installed as the bookmakers’ favourites to lift the trophy in the 21 June final at Lord’s. But with 24 days to go to the 50th anniversary of that golden moment in Caribbean cricket history, it …
Read More »Saluting Sir Garry (Pt 2): Batting for Collie—the monkey Sobers carried on his back
Twenty-six centuries and 30 half-centuries. That, according to the official record, is what the legendary left-handed batsman Garfield St Aubrun Sobers has produced for West Indies. But in Sobers’ mind, his record of achievement with the bat is seven 100s and nine 50s, less than half of what the record …
Read More »Clive Lloyd’s 1975-76 WI (Pt 1): Viv, voracious and vocal
In 1976, Tobago-born Owen Thompson was but a boy of 14 when Greg Chappell’s Australia put a 5-1 merciless whipping on Clive Lloyd’s West Indian cavaliers. That turned out to be the last time for a long, long time. In those days, Thompson, who now works in film and television …
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