Read the articles of Australia vs West Indies Benson & Hedges World Series Cup 1st Final 1984 - 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 08th February 1984.
Bowlers attack before An superb unbeaten 80 by Richie Richardson and Larry Gomes' unbeaten 40 steers to West Indies comfortable nine-wicket victory over Australia and take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three finals of a Benson and Hedges World Series Cup.
Australia scored 160 for all-out in 44.4 overs with top scorer by Steve Smith struck 50 off 80-balls including 4-fours, Geoff Lawson 22, Allan Border 18, Dean Jones 17 and Rod Marsh 15.
West Indies best bowler by Eldine Baptiste, Joel Garner, Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding and Wayne Daniel each took 2-wickets.
West Indies chased 161-1 in 43.1 overs with top scorer by Richie Richardson cracked a unbeaten 80 off 137-balls including 6-fours & a six.
Larry Gomes scored a unbeaten 46 off 81-balls including a boundary and Desmond Haynes 13.
Australia best bowler by Carl Rackemann took 1-wicket for 31-runs in 9-overs.
This match reported by Mike Coward (Third Party Reference from The Age)
Kim Hughes and some of his men, seemingly more interested in legal matters than critical cricket issues, were humiliated by nine wickets in the first of the Benson and Hedges World Series Cup finals at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Led by Richie Richardson, a young Antiguan who has modelled his cricket on the incomparable Viv Richards, the West Indies stormed to victory in a match reduced to 46 overs because of persistent unseasonal weather.
Richardson, 22, who has only just entered his third season of first-class cricket, played with great flair for an unbeaten 80 in just two minutes short of three hours. His hand must win him important votes for the player-of- the-series award.
Certainly he had some good fortune but he judged the tempo of the innings perfectly—the Australians failed by 14 balls to survive the 46 overs and with the less aggressive Larry Gomes recorded an unbroken, second-wicket partnership of 132 in two hours.
It was a tremendous boost for the West Indies, who have already taken $31,000 out of the Benson and Hedges kitty this summer and are short-priced favorites to take the $32,000 first prize on offer for the finals when the series reaches its climax in Melbourne on Saturday.
Captain Clive Lloyd and his men were delighted at the success as they failed against Australia in Perth on Sunday and had won only two of their previous eight matches with the Australians under lights over the past five years.
Richardson, who has only recently recovered from a hamstring strain, first gave Australian crowds notice of his exhilarating stroke play when he won the man-of-the-match award for his 53 against Pakistan in a day-night match at the SCG on 17 January.
Last night a surprisingly small crowd of 28,190 saw him play some handsome cuts and drives - he hit six boundaries — and struck a superb 6 off his hip against Carl Rackemann.
Introduced to the West Indies team on the tour of India which preceded this Australian visit, Richardson was given a fine ovation for his highest score in the West Indies colors.
The ease of the victory will give the West Indies great heart for Saturday's match in Melbourne and boost their hopes for more success when the Australians tour the Caribbean from later this month.
The Australians appeared lethargic and it would seem that the protracted meetings with legal advisers and ACB officials over tour contracts for the West Indies has taken some toll.
A lawyer was sitting with Hughes only 30 minutes before he went to the wicket after Lloyd had sent the Australians in to bat. He lasted only 11 balls before being bowled for a duck by Malcolm Marshall.
Asked whether the legal affairs of the past 48 hours had disrupted the team's preparation for the final, Hughes said: "Well it's not conducive with the issues not being resolved.
"It certainly must be there somewhere on everybody's mind. At our level you certainly cannot give of your best if there are other intrusions."
The only memorable moment in the Australian innings had nothing to do with batsmanship. The raucous crowd gave retired wicketkeeper Rod Marsh a moving ovation on his farewell appearance at the ground.
Only two Australian batsmen topped 20 and only one partnership produced more than 20 — 44 in 51 minutes between top scorer Steve Smith and Allan Border for the fourth wicket.
Certainly conditions were not easy after heavy overnight and morning rain-the saturated covers were removed at the scheduled starting time and play began 45 minutes late and Joel Garner, in particular, extracted considerable life from the wicket and made life hell for the Australian upper order.
Smith was Australia's most successful batsman for the third time in five matches with 50 from 81 balls in 110 minutes.
He was, however, most fortunate to survive the opening assault from Garner seemingly fully recovered from a knee complaint Michael Holding and Malcolm Marshall, repeatedly playing and missing outside the off stump. And at nine he was missed by Viv Richards at slip off Marshall. Richards, expecting wicketkeeper Jeff Dujon to inter cept the ball, thrust out his left hand as the ball passed him by Dujon also was responsible for missing Dean Jones, thankfully helmeted on this occasion, when he was 15 also off Marshall.
The relentlessness of the West Indies attack simply overpowered the Australians. Other than Smith, only Geoff Lawson posed a threat to their ascendency when he worked sensibly for 22 from 34 balls.
Hughes allowed his West Indian counterpart Clive Lloyd to change his XI sometime after the teams had been officially declared. Gus Logie split the webbing on his left hand in a fielding mishap during the pre-match warm up and his place was given to allrounder Eldine Baptiste, who perhaps was a little unfortunate to have been omitted in the first place.
Logie is expected to be fit enough to play in the second final at the MCG on Saturday.
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