World Cup Highlights: Viv Richards runs out Australia in the 1975 final

Sir Vivian Isaac Alexander Richards struck fear into the hearts of bowlers everywhere. But in the 1975 World Cup final, it was Australia’s batsmen who learned to fear him. Richards was only 23 and a newbie in the West Indies side, yet to establish his reputation as cricket’s most terrifying pugilist with the bat. He made just five from 11 balls as West Indies batted first and piled up 291 for 8 from their 60 overs on the back of Clive Lloyd’s stately 102 from 85 balls. [caption id=“attachment_2077319” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Sir Viv Richards. Getty[/caption] What many now forget is that Richards was also a superlative fielder, agile and athletic with a powerful throw. “What happened in the Cup final against Australia, in 1975, is something I cherish to this day,” Richards told the Telegraph last month “I was just a rookie then and with so many great players, I only batted at number five or six. But I wanted to contribute to the team’s cause and in the final, I helped run-out Alan Turner, Greg Chappell and Ian Chappell. Australia lost opener Rick McCosker early but Alan Turner and Ian Chappell added 56 relatively untroubled runs before Richards struck his first blow, running out Turner for 40 with a direct hit from short midwicket. Richards repeated the feat, this time from backward square leg, to catch Greg Chappell short of his ground for 15 after a mix-up between the brothers. Doug Walters and Ian the elder then steadied the ship and took Australia 162 for 3 after 39 overs. That’s when Richards struck his third, and most decisive, blow. Richards, now at midwicket, misfielded a push to his left from Ian Chappell. Spotting the error, Ian took off down the pitch but the ball had not gone far. “Richards, lithe and powerful, swooped, turned and fired in an exocet three feet above the stumps,” Martin Williamson later wrote for ESPNcricinfo. Clive Lloyd, the bowler, whipped off the bails and Ian simply carried on running. Richards raised his arm in celebration and flashed the crowd a wide grin. Australia lost wickets with the regularity of a train schedule after that. There was some late excitement as the last wicket pair of Dennis Lilee and Jeff Thompson refused to wilt and tonked the ball around to add 41 nerve-wracking runs. Victory, however, was beyond them. With 19 to get from nine balls, Thompson was fittingly run-out and West Indies had won the first ever cricket World Cup. “I don’t think they new much about Viv because he was now coming through,” Lloyd told ESPNcricinfo in a video recently. “And they didn’t know what type of fielder he was, if he had a good arm, and he did. He had a tremendous arm. “He got on to the ball very quickly and at times they were very injudicious when they decided to go for a couple of singles and he was right there and pounced on it. “He was electric when we were in the field.”