3 match-winning innings by Clive Lloyd in international cricket
Clive Lloyd had an incredible career as a cricketer in international cricket. In a career spanning over 19 years, from 1966 to 1985, the left-handed middle-order batsman from the West Indies played 110 Tests and 87 ODIs.
In 175 Test innings, 'Super Cat' as he was known, scored 7515 runs at a healthy average of 46.68 including 19 centuries. Of those, 10 resulted in a win for the West Indies, seven were in draws and only two in a loss for his team. He captained West Indies to 36 Test wins in his stint as captain, including 11 successive Test wins.
In ODIs, he averaged a healthy 39.54 and had an impressive strike rate of 81.22. He successfully led West Indies to wins in the 1975 and 1979 ODI World Cups.
On the occasion of Lloyd's 78th birthday, here is a look at three match-winning innings by a legend of international cricket:
#1 102 against Australia - 1975 Prudential World Cup final at Lord's
West Indies won the inaugural men's World Cup in 1975 under the captaincy of Lloyd. The men from the Caribbean were unbeaten throughout the tournament and the final witnessed a special innings from the skipper.
The West Indies were in a spot of bother having lost three wickets with just 60 runs on board. Lloyd walked in to bat at No. 5 and destroyed the Australian bowling unit.
He scored a quickfire century (102 from 85 balls) that included 12 boundaries and two maximums. He added 149 runs for the fourth wicket with Rohan Kanhai. The likes of Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson could not control the flow of runs.
Riding on the skipper's century, West Indies posted 291 runs in 50 overs. Australia fell short of the target by 17 and the West Indies were crowned World Champions.
Lloyd was named Man of the Match for his century and has the distinction of being the first batsman to score a century in a World Cup final.
#2 242* against India at Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai, in 1975
West Indies toured India for a five-match Test series in 1974-1975. After the first four matches, the series was level at 2-2. While the visitors won the first two Tests in Bangalore and Delhi, India bounced back strongly in the third and fourth in Calcutta and Madras, respectively.
The series decider was played at the Wankhede Stadium. Lloyd won the toss and decided to bat first. The West Indies batting lineup thrashed a strong Indian bowling lineup comprising Bishan Singh Bedi, Erapalli Prasanna, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, Eknath Solkar, and Karsan Ghavri all over the park and amassed 604 for 6 in 161 overs.
The chief destroyer was the Windies skipper. Coming in to bat at No. 4, he played a brilliant unbeaten knock of 242 that included 19 boundaries and four maximums. He added 250 runs for the sixth wicket with Deryck Murray.
The double century was the only one scored by Lloyd in his international career. The knock was against an Indian bowling lineup comprising three world-class spinners in spin-friendly conditions, emphasizing the quality of his innings.
India lost the Test by 201 runs and the Windies won the series 3-2.
#3 114 against Australia at the Gabba, Brisbane, in 1984
Lloyd's final Test century came as a 40-year-old against Australia at the Gabba in Brisbane. In the second Test of the five-match series, the hosts were bundled out for a paltry 175 in the first innings. Joel Garner picked up four wickets and a young Courtney Walsh picked up three.
Coming in to bat at No. 7, the West Indies skipper played a masterful knock of 114 that included 14 boundaries and three maximums. He added 152 runs with Richie Richardson and 78 with Malcolm Marshall. The Windies put up an impressive score of 424 in their first innings.
Just a 40-year-old Clive Lloyd bossing his way to another ton! 👊
Happy birthday to West Indies legend Sir Clive Lloyd, who hit his final Test century, 114 against Australia in Brisbane, in 1984. https://t.co/JOu2qN6kjt
Malcolm Marshall picked up five wickets and the Aussies were bundled out for 271 in their second innings.
West Indies knocked off the target of 23 with ease and Lloyd was named Man of the Match. The visitors won the series 3-1.