When Australia won the Cricket World Cup for the first time
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The 4th edition of the Cricket World Cup (WC) tournament, known as the Reliance Cup, was unique for two reasons. Firstly, it was the first occasion this tournament was held outside England and secondly, the games were restricted from the earlier format of 60 overs a side to 50 overs. The tournament was held in the month ending November 1987, in India and Pakistan.
The format of the competition was 2 Groups of 4 teams each, and teams playing each other twice, in 50-over matches. The top 2 teams from each Group would advance to the semifinals, where the two winners would then play the final. All matches were played during daytime and, for a final time in the event’s history, the players wore traditional white clothing and used red balls.
The ICC decided that the 7 Test-playing nations would automatically qualify for the tournament, and to make the 8th side, winners of the 1986 ICC Trophy would take this coveted place. Zimbabwe, for the 2nd time, came to the fore, beating the Netherlands.
Sri Lanka lost all their games to the Test-playing nations and sadly ended at the bottom of the heap in the WC tournament. Regrettably, none of the host nations entered (India were the reigning champions) the finals, with India losing to England by 35 runs in the semifinals, while Australia beat Pakistan by 18 runs in the 2nd semifinal. So it was a final between arch rivals England and Australia.
The semifinal between Australia and Pakistan was highlighted by Australian opening batsman David Boon top scoring with 75 off 125 balls, which helped Australia total 267/6. Pakistan could not do better than 249, and conceded the match by 18 runs.
Incidentally, Boon ended the tournament as the second highest scorer- 447 runs in 7 innings, behind England’s Graham Gooch- 471 in 8 innings.
In the 2nd semifinal, India won the toss and, as was the custom in WC cricket, sent England in, (though Arjuna Ranatunga decided to break the mould 9 years later, with an astounding win!), to take strike. Graham Gooch- 115 from 136 balls and skipper Mike Gatting- 56 from 62 balls, shared what became a match-winning partnership of 117 runs, with England eventually reaching 254/6 in their allotted 50 overs. India, in reply, after being comfortably placed at 205/4, requiring 50 runs in the last 10 overs for a win, collapsed for 219 runs in 45.3 overs, much to the disgust of their adoring fans.
Now came the pulsating final at Eden Gardens, Calcutta, between England and Australia.
Australia batted first and put up a total of 253 runs, thanks largely to David Boon, again top-scoring with 65 (91 balls). In reply, England was coasting at 135 for 2, with the captain Mike Gatting and Bill Athey at the crease, when Allan Border came up with his left-arm orthodox. Gatting, normally a steady type of batsman, for some unknown reason, tried a reverse sweep off the first ball delivered by Border- which still rankles in the minds of most cricket fans, over 30 years after the event. As the ball pitched around his off stump, Gatting got down on his haunches, a not a inconsiderable feat, and attempted a reverse sweep. But the ball touched his bat, hit his shoulder, and flew up behind wicketkeeper Greg Dyer, for a simple catch.
Even today, Gatting must still be having nightmares on that issue, as that probably cost England the match.
That was the turning point of the game, though Allan Lamb 45 at No.5, desperately tried a revival, England was short by a mere 7 runs. Australia, not considered a favourite to win the title, was delirious after the event, and for the first time, Australia won the WC, title cheered on by the Calcutta crowd which considered Australia the underdogs.