Australia vs England 5th Match Benson & Hedges World Series Cup 1979/80 Article

Read the article of Australia vs England 5th Match Benson & Hedges World Series Cup 1979/80 - Benson & Hedges World Series Cup one-day international tournament of the 5th ODI match played between England and Australia at Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney in 11th December 1979.

Geoff Boycott's maiden century,  Peter Willey's half-century and Derek Randall's superb 44 sets up to England thumping 92-run victory over Australia, despite a fighting knock from Trevor Laughlin's 75 in the fifth match of a Benson and Hedges World Series Cup.

Match Stats : England's 72-run win was their eighth largest victory by terms of runs in One-day international and It is their second biggest win in ODIs. Geoff Boycott became the sixth England batsman to score a hundred in One-day internationals. Geoff Boycott became the third England batsman to score a century against Australia in One-day internationals after Dennis Amiss and David Gower. England's 264 was their sixth highest score in One-day international and It is their highest total against Australia in ODIs, previous highest was 242 at The Oval in the last year. 118 : Geoff Boycott and Peter Willey set up the second highest second-wicket partnership for England against Australia in One-day international and the England's third highest second-wicket stand in ODIs. Australia's 192 was their seventh lowest score in the completed innings against England in One-day internationals. Trevor Laughlin's 74 was the highest-score by a No.8 batsman in One-day international cricket history, surpassing the previous record of unbeaten 61 held by Deryck Murray against Pakistan at Birmingham in the inaugural 1975 World Cup. Trevor Laughlin became the ninth Australian batsman to score a fifty or more runs against England in One-day internationals.

This match reported by Brian Mossop (Third Party Reference from SMH)

England, spurred by a fighting century from Geoff Boycott, are right on target for a place in the $110,000 Benson and Hedges World Series Cup final after demolishing Australia at the SCG last night.

Geoff Boycott hammered 105 runs in an England total of 7-264 off their 49 overs to set Australia a challenging target which they failed to reach by 72 runs.

Apart from a line 74 by all-rounder Trevor Laughlin, the Australians were never in the game, crashing for 192 runs to give England their second win in four days.

A crowd of 15,083 saw England's foundation laid with partnerships of 78 between Boycott and his opening partner Derek Randall (42) and a sparkling 118 in 74 minutes between Boycott and Peter Willey (64).

The Australians began the chase with an opening stand of 33 between Rick Darling (20) and Julien Wiener (14) but collapsed to lose five wickets for six runs in the next 4.4 overs.

Captain Greg Chappell, the man on whom Australia rely so heavily, bowed tinder the pressure last night to be run out without scoring after twice having to leave the field with a headache, during the England innings

There was some resistance during a seventh-wicket stand of 52 between Laughlin and local hero Doug Walters (34), but it was only token.

The match ended with the irrepressible Derek Randall bowling to Laughlin to have him caught in the deep and end the Australian innings after 47.2 overs.

Hardly surprising, Boycott was named man-of-the-match, England's win. their third in three matches, leaves them clear leaders on six points from Australia, two points from four matches and West Indies, two points from three matches.

The 39-year-old Yorkshireman, the main target for the Australian fast bowlers this summer, is rapidly proving more than a handful.

In Melbourne on Saturday Boycott exchanged dourness for aggression to set the stage for England's win with a fine 68.

Last summer Boycott arrived in Australia beset by problems, and his batting reflected his mood. Yesterday he was at it again, batting as he has not done for at least five years.

Boycott had fine support from Derek Randall (42) with whom he shared an opening stand of 78. and from Peter Willey, who helped him to add 118 runs for the second wicket.

There are those who claim that Boycott gets his runs through long occupancy of the crease. But Boycott was racing the clock and the two partnerships that laid the foundation for England's total reflected Boycott's outlook.

Boycott and Randall added their 78 runs off 21 overs in just 88 minutes before Randall was run out. Willey joined Boycott to play a magnificent hand, hammering 64 of the 118-run partnership which lasted a furious 74 minutes.

Boycott had his luck. He could have been run out on the first ball of the innings; he was dropped at 16 by Rick Darling and again. at 76 by Allan Border off a particularly sharp chance. But he made the most of his luck, driving superbly, and never really in any bother against the pace of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson. As in all cases this season, the wicket favoured the batsmen.

                   

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