Watch the highlights of Australia vs West Indies Benson & Hedges World Series Cup 1st Final 1981/82 - Benson & Hedges World Series Cup one-day international tournament of the first final played between West Indies and Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney in 23rd January 1982.
Half-centuries from Gordon Greenidge and Viv Richards before Bowlers attack helped to West Indies cruised to an 86-run victory over Australia and take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-5-finals of the first final of a Benson and Hedges World Series Cup.
WEST INDIES scored 216/8 49 overs with top scorer by Viv Richards 78 (97) and Gordon Greenidge 59 (112)
Australia best bowler by Len Pascoe 2/33 (9) and Jeff Thomson 2/44 (10)
AUSTRALIA scored 130 for all-out in 37.4 overs with top scorer by Rod Marsh 32 (31) and Graeme Wood 19 (57)
West Indies best bowler by Sylvester Clarke
3/22 (9) and Joel Garner 2/7 (6)
This match reported by Brian Mossop (Third Party Reference from SMH)
The West Indies cruised to an 86-run win against Australia in the opening match of the $50,000 Benson and Hedges World Series Finals at the Melbourne Cricket Ground and touched off another burst of condemnation for the controversial wicket.
`This is not sour grapes," vice-captain Kim Hughes said after Australia crashed for 130 in reply to the West Indies total of 8-216.
"There are too many good players on both sides complaintng about the wicket to pass the complaints off with a wave."
Hughes, captain Greg Chappell, and to a lesser extent, John Dyson, were all victims of a wicket that was uneven and gave the Australian batsmen, faced with the likes of giant Joel Garner and lanky Michael Holding, plenty of headaches.
But bad bowling by the Australians was as much to blame as the poor conditions for the fact that they were completely out-played by the limited-over world champions.
The Australians were astray with their line, and were punished by Gordon Greenicige (59) and Viv Richards (78) in a decisive second wicket partnership of 112 in better than even time.
Tighter bowling might well have given Anstralia a better chance - especially In view of the fact that the West Indians, at one stage 179-2, lost six more wickets for the addition of only 37 runs.
Neither side is looking forward to the sccond match at the MCG tomorrow. But the West Indians, riddled with injuries, have placed an iron fist around the one day title.
In view of the wicket, Jeff Thomson, after finishing with 2-44, is almost certain to be replaced tomorrow by Geoff Lawson.
"Fellows who can deliver the ball from a high action are the oncs who cause the trouble,. "Hughes said. Lawson does just that. While hopes were high for a crowd of around 80,000 for tomorrow's game, the Melbourne crowds proved that they are not only among the best in the world but also the smartest.
They stayed away in droves from another Australian debacle, and the 24,981 who did attend went away having seen little other than some fine batting by Richards and Greenidge with which to console themselves.
The luck that Australia had when Rick Darling (14), and Graeme Wood (19), were let off the hook early in the innings, did not hold for long.
Darling was out hooking, brilliantly caught over the shoulder by a running Faoud Bacchus off Garner, and Dyson was bowled by Sylvester Clarke —a ball that kept a little low and penetrated his defence — with the score unchanged at 30.
Wood was run out with the total 43 — more Chappell's fault than his own — and Chappell was lbw to a Clarke delivery that hardly got up off the pitch.
As Chappell left, he ripped his batting gloves off in disgust and when Hughes was bowled by Richards — another ball that kept disgracefully low — the Australians were 56-5 in the 21st over and well on the slide.
It took some brash batting by Rodney Marsh, all he could do in the circumstances, to rattle up 32 runs and share a stand of 43 in 23 minutes off 43 balls with Dennis Lillee to lift the total over the century.
But although the Australians were disgusted by the wicket, they might take a lesson from the West Indian bowlers and keep the ball up and in line with the stumps tomorrow.
The Australians under pressure from the moment they won the toss and sent the West Indies in, were never in the match.
They had lost all three of their preliminary games at the MCG — two to Pakistan and one to the West Indies — and there was a look of purpose about the West Indians despite the early loss of Haynes.
Haynes, given out by umpire Mel Johnson caught behind off Lillee in the ninth over, was not at all happy about the decision. He obviously felt that the ball had come off his thigh pad as he attempted to hook and not off his gloves.
The West Indies were 26-1 but a hold-up in play that had seen the fifth over take 10 minutes while Gordon Greenidge sought treatment after edging a ball from Lillee into his face, meant that the Australians would be gunning to get in their 50 overs.
A stand of 41 between Richards and Clive Lloyd in 22 minutes, ended with Richards caught by Wood at deep mid-wicket off a mighty pull. Richards had batted for 144 minutes, faced 96 balls, and included six fours and a six in his 78. With his departure in the 41st over, there was little resistance by the rest of the batsmen
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