1975 World Cup History and Winner
The first edition of the Cricket World Cup took place in 1975 in England, with eight participating teams. The West Indies emerged as the champions, defeating Australia in the final. The tournament featured 15 matches, with each team batting for 60 overs. Glenn Turner from New Zealand finished as the highest run-scorer as he scored 333 runs with the bat, while Gary Gilmour of Australia was the leading wicket-taker with 11 dismissals.
The inaugural edition took place in England and featured eight participating teams: Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, West Indies, and East Africa.
The tournament consisted of a round-robin format, where each team played against every other team once. The top four teams from the group stage advanced to the semi-finals. The final was held at Lord’s Cricket Ground in London on June 21, 1975.
In the final, the West Indies faced Australia. The West Indies won the toss and elected to field. West Indies set a target of 292 runs for Australia to chase, with the help of a century from captain Clive Lloyd and a half-century from Rohan Kanhai.
In their chase, Australia got off to a solid start, with captain Ian Chappell leading the way with a half century. No other batter made any significant contribution with the bat. Australia eventually fell short of the 292 runs target, and West Indies secured a comprehensive 17-run victory.
The victory marked the West Indies’ first triumph in the Cricket World Cup, making them the inaugural champions. Clive Lloyd was named the Player of the Match for his outstanding century in the final.
The 1975 Cricket World Cup set the foundation for the subsequent editions of the tournament, becoming a platform for the world’s top cricketing nations to compete for the prestigious title.
The success of the inaugural World Cup paved the way for the growth and popularity of one-day international cricket, leading to the establishment of the tournament as a quadrennial (after every four years) event that has captivated cricket fans around the globe ever since.
