Richards’ final bash

Mike Brearley’s decision to bat first appeared a good move when his bowlers had the West Indies walking into troubled waters at 99 for four. But it didn’t take too long for the bat-first decision to look wrong as Vivian Richards together with Collis King resurrected the West Indies innings with great deal of assuredness and confidence.

Richards owed a lot to King for the manner in which he launched an assault on the England bowlers. The pair took full toll of Brearley’s decision to go into the game with four regular bowlers after Bob Willis got himself injured in the semifinals, which effectively meant that the twelve overs from the non-regular bowlers - Graham Gooch, Geoff Boycott and Wayne Larkins went for 86 runs.

Richards was at his aggressive best but was still forced to play second fiddle to a rampaging King who dominated the 139-run fifth wicket partnership clubbing a 66-ball 86, studded with ten fours and three sixes. England were given some relief when left-arm spinner Phil Edmonds got rid of King at the score on 238. The departure of King saw Richards assume responsibility and keep the momentum going even as the West Indies lower-order fell cheaply.

Richards carried his bat through the innings to remain unbeaten on 138, coming off 157 balls, laced with eleven fours and three sixes. He finished off the innings in style, with a flicked six off Mike Hendrick that sailed into the Mound Stand. West Indies finished at 286 for 9 in 60 overs. “I left the field thinking, ‘That shot is my invention’,” Richards once said about that shot.

Richards’ brilliant hundred and his crucial stand with King were principally responsible for West Indies posting a score of 286 for 9, a score which was always going to be a tough ask for England. Openers Brearley and Boycott raised a century stand at a tardy pace and left the latter batsmen with too much to do under fading light after their openers fell in quick succession.

Joel Garner bowled a lethal second spell to snaffle a 5-for as England batsmen found his hostility too much to handle and capitulated. England were all out for 194 in 51 overs, handing West Indies their second consecutive World Cup triumph. Richards was named the Man of the Match.