Watch the highlights of Australia vs West Indies 15th Match Benson & Hedges World Series Cup 1984 - Benson & Hedges World Series Cup one-day international tournament of the 15th ODI match played between West Indies and Australia at Western Australia Cricket Association Ground, Perth in 05th February 1984.
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| Michael Holding plays a shot © Channel 9 / Cricket Australia / YouTube |
Opener Kepler Wessels' all-round display and Captain Kim Hughes' half-century and Bowlers guided Australia thrilling 14-run victory over West Indies, despite a stunning exhilarating hitting display by No.9 batsman Michael Holding's 39-ball 64 in a tense game of the 15th match of a Benson and Hedges World Series Cup.
Australia scored 211-8 in 50 overs with top scorer by Kim Hughes cracked a 67 off 95-balls including 5-fours & 2-sixes.
Kepler Wessels scored 50 off consuming 103-balls without a boundary, Rod Marsh hit a unbeaten 26 off 32-balls included 2-fours and Dean Jones 23.
West Indies best bowler by Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding both took 2-wickets and one for Wayne Daniel - Viv Richards.
West Indies scored 197 for all-out in 43.3 overs with top scorer by Michael Holding hammered a career-best 64 off 39-balls including 10-fours & a six with strike rate of 164.10.
Desmond Haynes scored 52 off consumed 105-balls including 4-fours & a six and Clive Lloyd hit 31 off 60-balls included 3-fours.
Australia best bowler by Carl Rackemann picked up 3-wickets, Terry Alderman, Geoff Lawson, Kepler Wessels each took 2-wickets and one for Rodney Hogg.
Michael Holding named Player of the match for his all-round display of blistering batting performance to smashed a career-best 67-runs knocked off facing 39-balls including 10-fours & a six after taking 2-wickets for 31-runs in 10-overs including a maiden.
This match reported by The Age Staff (Third Party Reference from The Age)
Australian captain Kim Hughes and West Indies fast bowler Michael Holding produced their special brands of exhilarating hitting at the WACA ground today as Australia warmed up for the finals series of the Benson and Hedges World Series Cup with a convincing victory.
Holding, batting at No. 9 launched a savage attack on the Australian bowlers with a series of highly unorthodox but extremely rewarding blows. His blistering batting brought the West Indies so close to victory.
But the Australians refused to become rattled and clinched a 14-run win after Kepler Wessels trapped Holding leg before wicket and then Carl Rackemann wrapped up the innings by bowling a wildly swinging Richard Gabriel.
Holding, who had earlier taken two wickets in a lively exhibition of fast bowling, hammering ten 4s and a 6 in scoring 64 off only 38 deliveries in a highly entertaining 52 minutes. He was the worthy recipient of the man-of-the match award.
But it was Hughes who was Australia's hero with his brilliant batting, which put Australia on the path to a score in excess of 200.
Hughes struggled early against a hostile attack after coming in during the ninth over after Steve Smith (12) and Greg Ritchie (three) had been dismissed by Wayne Daniel and Holding respectively.
Hughes had an escape when he was 18 when both the bowler Eldine Baptiste and wicketkeeper Jeff Dujon lost the flight of the ball after Hughes mistimed a leg-side shot and skied the ball high into the air a few metres in front of the crease.
Apart from a cut for four off Daniel and a glance to the fence off Viv Richards, Hughes was content in the early stages to push for singles and twos, and after 32 overs Australia was 2/100.
It was then that the match, watched by a WACA record crowd of 27,027, came alive — and it was the flamboyant Hughes who lit the fuse, much to the delight of the chanting, flag-waving fans.
Baptiste, whose first eight overs had cost 19 runs, conceded 14 runs in his ninth over and 13 in his 10th as Hughes asserted his authority and wrested control from the West Indies.
Twice Hughes advanced down the pitch to hit the ball on the up and send it soaring over mid-wicket for six, One of his cut shots was struck superbly and flew past Gabriel at backward point like a rocket. Gabriel thrust out his right hand, but the ball sped to the boundary.
Gabriel left the field for X-rays which revealed no bone damage but sprained ligaments in the right thumb. This caused him to drop down the batting order from opener to No. 10.
After this spectacular flurry by Hughes, drinks were taken and then fast bowler Malcolm Marshall returned to the attack for the 37th over.
Hughes decided to continue his rampage, but his luck deserted him immediately as he hooked and was caught by Richie Richardson a few metres inside the fine leg boundary.
He had got Australia back on the rails and his 67 runs included five 4s and two 6s. He faced 95 deliveries, He and opener Kepler Wessels had changed the course of the game by adding 119 for the third wicket in 109 minutes.
After Allen Border was bowled by Viv Richards, Wessels moved on to his half-century, but was out for exactly 50 when he hooked at Marshall and was caught by Daniel at fine leg.
He had been watchful and painstaking, but had helped to blunt the attack. His 50 runs came. in 162 minutes off 103 deliveries and did not include a boundary.
Dean Jones (23) and Rod Marsh (27 not out) kept up the momentum and helped Australia to reach 8/211 from its 50 overs.
Holding and Marshall were clearly the pick of the bowlers, but praise must go to the amazingly athletic Roger Harper, who showed tremendous agility and an unerring arm to hit the stumps to run out both Geoff Lawson and Rod Hogg.
Lawson once again got Australia away to a flying start, this time by removing opener Richardson for two, and then Terry Alderman, playing his first game for Australia since 13 November, 1982, had Gus Logie caught by Hughes at short mid-wicket for three.
Alderman struck again when Richards swung across the line and was bowled between bat and pad for only seven to leave the West Indies in trouble at 3/37.
Alderman made a splendid return to international action, taking 2/19 off his 10 overs.
Opener Desmond Haynes was the fourth man out, scoring 52, when he tickled a catch to wicket- keeper Marsh off Wessels and Dujon and Marshall fell victim to an enthusiastic Carl Rackemann.
Captain Clive Lloyd, dropped at six by Marsh off Wessels, was not altogether convincing in reaching 31 in 107 minutes before he was beaten by Hogg and was bowled.
Holding, dropped at four by Jones at deep mid-wicket off Lawson, flayed the attack with unrestrained joy before his luck ran out and he became the second victim for Wessels, who later was named as the winner of the trophy for the Man-Of-The-Series.
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