Today we bring to you the Cricketers with the most runs in Cricket World Cup 1979. The series saw some great batting knocks where the batsmen displayed remarkable form and consistency. They thus helped their teams to pose challenging totals or chase the biggest knocks comfortably. These batsmen not only maintained consistency in the series but also scored runs at a good pace to help their sides. Here is the list of 5 batsmen who scored the most runs in Cricket World Cup 1979 and proved assets for their teams.
5. John Wright: 166 Runs
The New Zealand opener gave his side many solid starts during the 1979 prudential world cup. Wright scored 166 runs in the tournament with his best innings coming in the crucial semi-final match against England. He scored a solid knock of 69 runs as the New Zealand team was chasing 221 runs for a place in the final. They however fell short by 9 runs to the host England team. Wright averaged 41.50 in the 4 innings he played during the tournament.
Read also: Know The Highest Team Totals of World Cup 1987
His strike rate however remained on the lower side with just 50 runs for every 100 deliveries played. Wright who was a young player then solidified his place in the side after his good performances in the 1979 world cup. He remained a valuable player in the Kiwi team for almost 15 years in both the Test Matches and the One Day Internationals. He also captained the New Zealand team during his career. John Wright is also well known for successfully coaching the Indian cricket team in the early 2000s. Among the top 5 Cricketers with the most runs in Cricket World Cup 1979.
4. Glenn Turner: 176 Runs
Turner had been the top scorer for New Zealand in the 1975 world cup also. He then continued to perform well for his side in the 1979 edition of the mega event. Turner scored 176 runs in the 4 innings that he played in the series. His best knock of 83 not out came in the very first group match against Sri Lanka at Trent Bridge which the Kiwi team won by 9 wickets.
Turner got good starts in every match after that but failed to convert them into big scores. He remained unbeaten twice in his 4 innings thus registering a big average of 88 runs per innings. Turner however had a strike rate of just 56 runs for every 100 balls he faced. The Kiwi star was very disappointed after the narrow loss to England in the semis and consequent end of his side’s world cup hopes. Among the top 5 Cricketers with the most runs in Cricket World Cup 1979.
Read also: 1975 Cricket World Cup’s Best Bowling Performances
3. Graham Gooch: 210 Runs
If England reached the final of the 1979 world cup, Gooch played a very important part in that journey. He scored 210 runs for his side in the 5 innings while registering two half-centuries in the process. Gooch played the most important innings for his side in the semis against New Zealand. His 71 run knock helped the English team to put a fighting total on the scoreboard and then beat the Kiwis.
In the final also against West Indies, Gooch played the vital innings of 32 runs. The English side was well placed to chase the Caribbean total before they had a batting collapse. Graham Gooch maintained an average of 52.50 runs per innings in the tournament. He also scored his runs with a good pace of almost 64 runs per every 100 balls faced. He was England’s best batsman in the series. Among the top 5 Cricketers with the most runs in Cricket World Cup 1979.
2. Vivian Richards: 217 Runs
Viv Richards shined brightest among the star batsmen in the West Indies side of the 1970s and 1980s. He scored 217 runs in the 1979 world cup in 4 innings. The hard-hitting legend played his best innings in the final when it mattered most. Richards with his Master Blaster innings of 138 tore the English bowling and confidence apart. He thus helped his team to put a great total of 286 runs on the board.
Read also: Reliance World Cup ’87 – Most Wickets
Vivian Richards averaged 108 runs per innings in the tournament. This is because the Caribbean star was dismissed only twice in the 4 innings he played. Richards had a great strike rate of more than 74 runs per 100 balls faced in the world cup. He also contributed well with the ball taking many crucial wickets as well as on the field with some amazing catches. Richards was an asset to the team in this tournament and remained the same for a long time in the West Indies side. Among the top 5 Cricketers with the most runs in Cricket World Cup 1979.
1. Gordon Greenidge: 253 Runs
The West Indian opener was the top scorer and probably the most consistent batsman of the 1979 cricket world cup. Greenidge scored 253 runs in the 4 innings he played in the mega event of cricket. He got his team to great starts in almost every match, registering 1 century and 2 half-centuries in the 4 innings he played. Greenidge’s highest score in the world cup was an unbeaten 106 against India in the first group match at Birmingham.
The West Indies were chasing a modest total of 190 runs and they won the match comfortably by 9 wickets. Greenidge maintained a healthy average of more than 84 runs in the tournament. His strike rate was also above 60, which was considered very good back then. The final against England was the only match where Gordon could not score either a 100 or a 50. He was dismissed only very early on 9 runs. The West Indies opener however played a great part in taking his team to the final. He, thus, scored the most runs in Cricket World Cup 1979.
Read also: 1975 World Cup’s Highest Individual Scores
Those were the 5 exceptional cricketers who scored the most runs in Cricket World Cup 1979. Do let us know your feedback in the comments section.
#SportsCrunch: #DoYouKnow the Popular #CricketBall Brands Used in #India? https://t.co/JCneKDpc3r
— SportsCrunch (@SportsCrunch) June 25, 2020