West Indian cricket team in Australia in 1975–76

The West Indies cricket team toured Australia in the 1975–76 season and played a 6 Test matches and 1 ODI against Australia.

The Frank Worrell Trophy 1975-76
Part of West Indian cricket team in Australia in 1975–76
Date29 October 1975–5 February 1976
LocationAustralia
ResultAustralia won the 6-Test series 5-1
Teams
 Australia  West Indies
Captains
Greg Chappell Clive Lloyd
Most runs
Greg Chappell (702) Viv Richards (426)
Most wickets
Jeff Thomson (29) Andy Roberts (22)

The test series was built up as an unofficial World Championship series for tittle of best test team in the world. The West Indies entered the series after winning 1975 World Cup defeating Australia with several exciting young talents most notably in Gordon Greenidge, Andy Roberts and Viv Richards.[1] Australia win the first test in Gabba convincingly by 8 wickets[2] but West Indies came back and defeat them in WACA by an innings. However, Australia recovered and pummeled the West Indies in remaining games and won the series by 5–1.

The series was a watershed event in West Indies cricket history who thereafter opted the formula of playing four out and out fast bowlers after witnessing the destruction caused by Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson bowling close to 100 mph.

Gordon Greenidge who went into the tour as an exciting young batter struggle badly against Lillee and Thomson before eventually dropped after his confidence was crushed. Therefore, Clive Llyod opted to use Viv Richards as opener with Roy Fredericks in last two tests. Despite getting good starts Viv failed to capitalise in first four games although coming at first in last two games he scored two centuries and one fifty ending the tour with 426 runs in 10 innings. This tour was also described as come of age for Viv Richards who went on to became the best batsman in the world and one of few positives for West Indies ina dreaded tour.[3]

This was first test series for Greg Chappell as captain of Australia succeeding his brother Ian Chappell. In last test at MCG, Lance Gibbs took his 308th test scalp passing Fred Trueman.[4]

Test series summary

First Test
28 November – 2 December 1975
Scorecard
v
214 (37.5 overs)
DL Murray 66 (69)
GJ Gilmour 4/42 (12 overs)
366 (106 overs)
GS Chappell 123 (232)
LR Gibbs 5/102 (38 overs)
370 (86.4 overs)
LG Rowe 107 (235)
DK Lillee 3/72 (16 overs)
219/2 (56.2 overs)
GS Chappell 109* (172)
AME Roberts 1/47 (14 overs)
Australia won by 8 wickets
The Gabba, Brisbane
Umpires: RC Bailhache and TF Brooks
Player of the match: GS Chappell (AUS)
  • West Indies won the toss and elected to bat.
  • 1 December was taken as a rest day.
  • The match was scheduled for five days but completed in four.
  • MA Holding (WIN) made his Test debut.

Second Test
12 – 16 December 1975
Scorecard
v
329 (69.7 overs)
IM Chappell 156 (261)
MA Holding 4/88 (18.7 overs)
585 (95.4 overs)
RC Fredericks 169 (145)
JR Thomson 3/128 (17 overs)
169 (40.7 overs)
GS Chappell 43 (109)
AME Roberts 7/54 (14 overs)
West Indies won by an innings and 87 runs
WACA Ground, Perth
Umpires: RR Ledwidge and MG O'Connell
Player of the match: RC Fredericks (WIN)
  • Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
  • 15 December was taken as a rest day.
  • The match was scheduled for five days but completed in four.

Third Test
26 – 30 December 1975
Scorecard
v
224 (47 overs)
RC Fredericks 59 (115)
JR Thomson 5/62 (11 overs)
485 (118.3 overs)
GJ Cosier 109 (186)
AME Roberts 4/126 (32 overs)
312 (69.2 overs)
CH Lloyd 102 (121)
DK Lillee 3/70 (15 overs)
55/2 (8.7 overs)
RB McCosker 22* (32)
BD Julien 1/13 (3 overs)
Australia won by 8 wickets
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Umpires: RC Bailhache and JR Collins
Player of the match: JR Thomson (AUS)
  • Australia won the toss and elected to field.
  • 29 December was taken as a rest day.
  • The match was scheduled for five days but completed in four.
  • GJ Cosier (AUS) made his Test debut.

Fourth Test
3 – 7 January 1976
Scorecard
v
355 (80.2 overs)
LG Rowe 67 (172)
MHN Walker 4/70 (21 overs)
405 (90.6 overs)
GS Chappell 182* (274)
MA Holding 3/79 (21 overs)
128 (39.3 overs)
DL Murray 50 (106)
JR Thomson 6/50 (15 overs)
82/3 (18.1 overs)
IR Redpath 28 (50)
AI Kallicharran 1/7 (2 overs)
Australia won by 7 wickets
Sydney Cricket Ground, Sydney
Umpires: TF Brooks and RR Ledwidge
Player of the match: GS Chappell (AUS)
  • Australia won the toss and elected to field.
  • 6 January was taken as a rest day.
  • The match was scheduled for five days but completed in four.
  • GN Yallop (AUS) made his Test debut.

Fifth Test
23 – 28 January 1976
Scorecard
v
418 (88 overs)
IR Redpath 103 (175)
VA Holder 5/108 (21 overs)
274 (42.2 overs)
KD Boyce 95* (105)
JR Thomson 4/68 (11 overs)
345/7d (79.5 overs)
A Turner 136 (222)
LR Gibbs 3/106 (32.5 overs)
299 (63.4 overs)
IVA Richards 101 (136)
GJ Gilmour 3/44 (10.4 overs)
Australia won by 190 runs
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
Umpires: TF Brooks and MG O'Connell
Player of the match: KD Boyce (WIN)
  • Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
  • 25 January was taken as a rest day.

Sixth Test
31 January – 5 February 1976
Scorecard
v
351 (90.2 overs)
IR Redpath 101 (230)
KD Boyce 3/75 (17.2 overs)
160 (30.3 overs)
IVA Richards 50 (54)
GJ Gilmour 5/34 (10 overs)
300/3d (78 overs)
RB McCosker 109* (267)
KD Boyce 2/74 (19 overs)
326 (54.5 overs)
IVA Richards 98 (103)
JR Thomson 4/80 (12.5 overs)
Australia won by 165 runs
Melbourne Cricket Ground, Melbourne
Umpires: TF Brooks and MG O'Connell
Player of the match: IR Redpath (AUS)
  • Australia won the toss and elected to bat.
  • 3 February was taken as a rest day.

Only ODI

Between the 2nd and 3rd Tests a 40 over ODI was played.

20 December 1975
Scorecard
West Indies 
224 (37.6 overs)
v
 Australia
225/5 (31.5 overs)
IVA Richards 74 (87)
MHN Walker 4/19 (6.6 overs)
IM Chappell 63 (105)
VA Holder 2/53 (7.5 overs)
Australia won by 5 wickets
Adelaide Oval, Adelaide
Umpires: RC Bailache and MG O'Connell
Player of the match: IM Chappell (AUS)
  • Australia won the toss and elected to field.
  • GJ Cosier (AUS) and LG Rowe (WIN) made their ODI debuts.

References
  1. "West Indies in Australia, 1975-76". Cricinfo. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  2. "Australia v West Indies". Cricinfo. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  3. "Australia v West Indies". Cricinfo. Retrieved 23 January 2022.
  4. "Australia v West Indies". Cricinfo. Retrieved 23 January 2022.

Annual reviews

Further reading
  • Bill Frindall, The Wisden Book of Test Cricket 1877-1978, Wisden, 1979
  • Chris Harte, A History of Australian Cricket, Andre Deutsch, 1993


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