HistoryData
sports1979

1979 Cricket World Cup — 1979 World Cup in England

January 1, 1979

The West Indies successfully defended the Cricket World Cup title with a 92-run victory over England in the 1979 final at Lord's.

Quick Facts

Year
1979
Category
sports

Key Facts

Edition
2nd Cricket World Cup
Dates
9–23 June 1979
Teams participating
8
Final margin of victory
92 runs
Leading run scorer
Gordon Greenidge, 253 runs in 4 matches
Leading wicket-taker
Mike Hendrick, 10 wickets

By the Numbers

2
Edition
9
Dates
8
Teams participating
92
Final margin of victory

Location

Map of London, EnglandMap of London, EnglandLondon, England

Cause → Event → Consequence

Cause

Following the inaugural 1975 Cricket World Cup, the International Cricket Conference organised a second edition sponsored again by Prudential Assurance Company. Eight teams qualified, including Canada, who replaced a previous participant after qualifying alongside Sri Lanka in a preliminary round.

Event

The tournament was held in England from 9 to 23 June 1979. Two groups of four teams each produced semi-finalists England, Pakistan, West Indies, and New Zealand. The West Indies defeated Pakistan and England beat New Zealand in the semi-finals, setting up a final at Lord's in which the West Indies won by 92 runs to retain their title.

Consequence

The West Indies became back-to-back Cricket World Cup champions, cementing their dominance in limited-overs cricket. Gordon Greenidge's 253 runs and Mike Hendrick's 10 wickets stood as the individual performance benchmarks of the tournament, while the format and Lord's venue were retained from the first edition.

Result

West Indies
West Indies won by 92 runs
England

at Lord's Cricket Ground, London, England

Gordon Greenidge scored 253 runs in 4 matches (leading run scorer); Mike Hendrick took 10 wickets (leading wicket-taker)

Timeline Context

Timeline around 197919791976197719781980198119821979 FIFA World Youth Championship — international football competition1979 European Super Cup — tournament1979 energy crisis — 1979 petroleum shortageEuroBasket 1979 — regional basketball championship1979 Formula One season — sports season1979–80 UEFA Cup — 9th season of Europe's secondary club football tournament organised by UEFAEurovision Song Contest 1979 — 24th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest1979 Copa América — 1979 edition of the Copa América association football competition1979-cricket-world-cup-1979-world-cup-in-england-1979