We continue to bring you interesting and informative details about the world cup cricket history. Today we track the 5 highest scorers of Cricket World Cup 1979. The prudential cricket world cup of 1979 saw just 2 centuries scored in 15 matches. There were many reasons behind this. The better quality of bowling attacks, more pitch assistance to the pace bowlers, and few bowler-friendly rules prevented the batsmen to go all-out after them.
Many legendary batsmen were an important part of their sides back then. The batting teams did thus pose many great totals and also chase some challenging ones with valiant contributions from the top batsmen. We go back into those cricket world cup memories to bring you the highest scorers of Cricket World Cup 1979.
5. Bruce Edgar (84* vs India)
We start the list of the highest scorers of Cricket World Cup 1979 with Bruce Edgar’s innings. The New Zealand team needed to chase an easy looking total of 183 runs against the Indians at Headingley. Burce Edgar saw his side through with a very calm and composed unbeaten knock of 84 runs. The Kiwi Opener faced 167 balls and played a very watchful inning to see his side through. Edgar built a solid foundation for his team with an opening partnership of 100 runs with John Wright.
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He then built another important unbroken partnership of 80 runs with Glenn Turner to see the team through. New Zealand won the match very comfortably with 18 balls to go and still 8 wickets in hand. The Kiwis thus secured their place in the semi-finals of the 1979 cricket world cup. Earlier they had bowled the Indian team out for 182 runs. Sunil Gavaskar had top-scored for India with 55 runs. Among the highest scorers of Cricket World Cup 1979.
4. Collis King (86 vs England)
The Caribbean all-rounder played the finest One Day innings of his life in probably what was the most important match of his career. King scored a brisk knock of 86 runs facing just 66 balls in the 1979 world cup final against England. When he came to the crease, the West Indies batting was in a spot of bother with 4 wickets lost for just 99 runs on the board. In the next one hour, King along with Vivian Richards put on 139 run great fifth-wicket partnership to change the face of the match. Among the top 5 of the highest scorers of Cricket World Cup 1979.
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Collis King took the attack to the English fast and spin bowlers. He tore them apart by hitting 10 fours and 3 sixes to all parts of the ground. King scored his knock with the strike rate of more than 130 runs per 100 balls. That was his highest knock in the One Day International matches and his only 50. He later also bowled 3 economical overs and helped West Indies to defend the 1979 cricket world cup.
3. Zaheer Abbas (93 vs West Indies)
Pakistan was a much-improved side in the 1979 cricket world cup and managed to qualify for the knockout stage. They faced the mighty West Indies in the semi-final match and were chasing a formidable total of 293 runs. Despite having to chase a difficult total Zaheer Abbas along with Majid Khan had put their side on the driver’s seat after building a solid partnership of 166 runs. Abbas was looking great at the crease and scored 93 runs off just 122 balls. Among the top 3 of the highest scorers of Cricket World Cup 1979.
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He played the great West Indies fast bowling like Roberts, Holding, Marshall and Croft with great ease. But soon after his departure, the Pakistani batting began to fall apart. They kept losing regular wickets and the run rate was also expanding. Finally, all of their 10 wickets were dismissed on 250 runs in the 57th over. The West Indies won the match and got to the final.
2. Gordon Greenidge (106* vs India)
The West Indian opener was the highest scorer in the 1979 cricket world cup. He also hit a formidable century in the first group match against India at Edgbaston. The West Indies side was chasing a relatively small total of 191 runs to win their opening match. Greenidge had two formidable partnerships of 138 with Desmond Haynes for the 56 runs with Vivian Richards. Among the highest scorers of Cricket World Cup 1979.
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The West Indies won the match with 9 wickets and 51 balls remaining. They would thus have a great start to the tournament that they later won. Earlier in the match, the Indian batters found it very difficult to deal with the Caribbean pace quartet particularly the great Michael Holding. They were all dismissed on just 190 runs with Gundappa Viswanath the only batsman to put a decent resistance and score 75 runs.
1. Vivian Richards (138 vs England)
Now we talk about the great cricketer who led the list of the highest scorers of Cricket World Cup 1979. The Master Blaster couldn’t have found a better stage to show his heroics to the world than the 1975 cricket world cup final. Richards arrived at the crease to see his fellow batsmen Haynes, Greenidge, Kallicharran, and Lloyd being dismissed even before the team had reached 100 runs. In his typical Caribbean calypso style, Viv then took the attack to Ian Botham and other English bowlers. Richards scored 138 runs from 157 balls hitting 11 fours and 3 sixes in his innings.
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He had the able support of Collin King at the other end who was also firing with all guns blazing. The two formed a great part of 139 runs and thus helped Wes Indies to reach a solid total of 286 runs. In return, the English team was dismissed on 194 runs and the West Indians raised the cricket world cup trophy again. The team had truly and undoubtedly announced itself as the world’s best cricketing side at that time. This was atop the list of the highest scorers of Cricket World Cup 1979.
These were the top 5 batsmen who were the highest scorers of Cricket World Cup 1979. Hope you liked it; don’t forget to pen down your comments.
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