ENGLAND v WEST INDIES 1979-80

At Sydney, January 22. West Indies won by eight wickets. Greenidge and Richards, two batsmen who had haunted England throughout the series, made sure a third play-off match was unnecessary when they swept their side to a conclusive victory in the second game with fifteen balls to spare. Deciding to bat first this time, England were only 12 runs short of achieving what Lloyd, West Indies' captain, believed would be a winning score on a pitch helping the seam bowlers. Once again Boycott was England"s highest-scoring batsman, staying 33 overs for his 63 runs, sharing in an opening partnership of 40 with Gooch in twelve overs, and helping Gower to add 64 in twelve overs for the third wicket. A late surge by Botham, 37 off 39 balls, enabled England to reach 208 for eight and set West Indies a reasonable target.

Greenidge dominated the England bowlers right from the start as West Indies raced to 48 without loss from the first ten overs. Haynes was out in the fifteenth over, but Richards assumed command to ensure England did not get the breakthrough they desperately wanted. Together Greenidge and Richards put on 119 for the second wicket in 27 overs before Richards was caught, by which time victory was in sight. Greenidge was voted Man of the Match and Richards Man of the Series.