ENGLAND v WEST INDIES 1979-80

At Melbourne, January 20. West Indies won by 2 runs. Three dropped catches and two run outs cost England the chance of beating the odds-on favourites and gaining a measure of revenge for their World Cup final defeat at Lord"s eight months earlier. All three top-scoring West Indian batsmen were dropped early in their innings after Brearley had won the toss. Greenidge went on to make 80 in 42 overs after being dropped when 6, Kallicharran had scored 25 when he was put down, and King was only 5 when he survived a chance before going on to make 31 off 27 deliveries and see his side to 215 for eight.

Boycott and Willey repaired the damage with a stand of 61 in eighteen overs, following the early loss of Gooch, and England appeared to be pacing their effort nicely as the Northamptonshire pair Willey and Larkins added 56 in eleven overs for the fourth wicket. Then tragedy struck as both were run out in the space of five overs. Larkins"s dismissal brought Brearley to the wicket and the captain tried bravely to snatch victory, partnered first by Botham and then by Bairstow. But the task of scoring 15 off the final over from Holding, 4 off the final delivery, proved just beyond him.