Read the article of Australia vs West Indies 9th Match Benson & Hedges World Series Cup 1984 - Benson & Hedges World Series Cup one-day international tournament of the 9th ODI match played between West Indies and Australia at Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne in 22nd January 1984.
Viv Richards' record-breaking century and Opener Desmond Haynes' fifty before Pace bowling attack helped to West Indies crushing 26-run victory over Australia and move top of the points table in the ninth match of a Benson and Hedges World Series Cup.
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West Indies scored 252-6 in 50 overs with top scorer by Viv Richards blasted a 106 off 95-balls - which was his 6th ODI hundred & his second century against Australia in ODIs - including 12-fours & a six with strike rate of 111.57.
Desmond Haynes scored 64 off 108-balls including 3-fours, Clive Lloyd cracked a run-a-ball 27-runs included 2-fours and Jeff Dujon scored a unbeaten 21 off 20-balls with 2-fours.
Australia best bowler by Carl Rackemann takes 2-wickets, Geoff Lawson, Kepler Wessels, John Maguire and Rodney Hogg each took one-wickets.
Australia scored 226 for all-out in 49.5 overs with top scorer by Kim Hughes cracked a 71 off 73-balls including three boundaries
Kepler Wessels scored 60 off 98-balls including 2-fours, Greg Ritchie 28, Steve Smith 26 and Wayne Phillips 18 not out.
West Indies best bowler by Michael Holding picked up 3-wickets for 35-runs in 9.5-overs, Eldine Baptiste, Wayne Daniel, Viv Richards each took 2-wickets and one for Malcolm Marshall.
This match reported by Mike Coward (Third Party Reference from The Age)
Viv Richards put aside his boxing magazines long enough to inspire the West Indies to a precious points victory over Australia in the Benson and Hedges World Series Cup match at the MCG.
He was, however, denied the satisfaction of a knockout punch by the rejuvenated Australians, who stood tall and traded blow for blow into the 46th over of the contest.
In the end, the West Indies won by 26 runs to be virtually assured of a place in the lucrative finals to be played next month.
But the victory, which takes them to 10 points from six outings five points ahead of Australia and seven clear of Pakistan was achieved at substantial cost.
Clive Lloyd, Wayne Daniel and Eldine Baptiste have joined Joel Garner and Richie Richardson in the queue for treatment from the team physiotherapist and the West Indies will be hard-pressed to gather a fit XI for its meeting with Bob Hawke's XI in Canberra on Tuesday.
The Australians fared no better, David Hookes badly damaging his right knee in a fielding mishap and Rod Marsh having to withdraw from the XI after badly jarring the index finger of his right hand against Pakistan on Saturday.
Richards, the world's master batsman, was on an emotional high before a crowd of 86,133, a world record for a one-day match. The previous best was 84,360 when Australia met England a year ago on 23rd January 1983.
As has happened so often before particularly at the MCG in December 1979 when he tore an undefeated 153 from an Australian attack Richards was the difference between the teams. In the final analysis, it was as simple as that.
"One man beat us today. Viv was too good for us," said Australian captain Kim Hughes, who at least was able to reflect on both a vastly improved personal and team performance.
"We mere minions just watch," said West Indian skipper Clive Lloyd, still one of the world's most accomplished players and again a valuable contributor today.
Richards is an astonishing batsman when the mood takes him. And to the unbridled delight of the vast crowd, it did today.
He arrived at the crease, with a characteristic look of disdain, in the 18th over with the score 2/50. He left to a standing ovation in the 48th over with the score at 5/230.
His memorable innings enabled the West Indies to reach 6/252, which required the Australians to score at 5.06 runs an over for victory. The task proved too daunting, despite the splendid efforts of Hughes and Kepler Wessels, who began the weekend as a specialist opening batsman and ended it as an all-rounder.
Richards, contemporary cricket's most savage striker of the ball, faced only 96 deliveries in scoring 106 with 12 boundaries and one effortless six off Carl Rackemann, which, appropriately enough, landed in front of the smokers' stand.
For "Smokin' Joe" in deference to heavyweight fighter Joe Frazier whom he reveres - is one of the many tags that have been attached to Richards since he burst into first-class cricket 12 years ago.
Today he was on fire, and that on a recycled wicket which was a sickly grey in color and played low and slow.
Yet for all his brutality as a batsman, there is also a fascinating subtlety about the way he plays the one-day game.
Forever taunting and teasing his opponents, Richards is a master of the nudge for ones and twos, his placement always precise.
He gained many runs in such a fashion today in between extraordinary assaults on the Australian bowlers who found it impossible to set a field to curb him, let alone halt him.
Allan Border, required to bowl after the belated decision of the selectors to use only four specialist bowlers in these games, suffered terribly. Richards ripped 22 off two of his overs just when it seemed the Australians' policy of containment could succeed.
From that point the West Indies were on target for a mammoth total.
In Desmond Haynes, who has returned to his best with a vengeance during the past week, and the incomparable Lloyd, Richards found allies only too happy to contribute to the destruction of the Australian attack.
With Haynes, who gathered a splendid 64 from 107 balls, he added 90 in 58 minutes for the third wicket and with Lloyd (27 from 27 ballis) 59 in 38 minutes for the fourth.
They were enterprising and exciting associations, and as hard as they tried, the Australian fields-men simply could not apply sufficient pressure to restrict the scoring.
Predictably enough it was only Geoff Lawson who escaped with his reputation intact, 1/28 from his 10 overs.
While Hughes was at the crease, Australia had a remote chance of a famous victory.
Desperately in need of a score following returns of 5, 5, 19 and 0, he played with confidence and some of his old daring, particularly to anything overpitched on the off stump.
Hughes, able to build on the firm base provided by Wessels and Greg Ritchie, played with freedom and confidence from the outset and finished with 71 from 73 balls.
Of all the Australians, he was the one batsman who put an emphasis on placement and ran the first run as though his career depended on it.
He received most help from Wessels, who for someone apparently under pressure to hold his place in the team is having a very happy time.
Today he scored a solid 60 from 98 balls adding 56 in 36 minutes with Hughes for the third wicket - to follow his excellent 86 in the lacklustre exchange with Pakistan on Saturday which won him his second Man of the Match award for the series.
But, as ever, Australia needed more than just two fine solos to combat a West Indian team with Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards in full cry and intent on a gold goblet as Man of the Match to complement his watch and jewellery.
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