Forty years ago, West Indies inflicted a 5-0 Test series win over England in England.
Under the captaincy of Clive Lloyd, that 1984 success was special. It was the first time a five-Test whitewash had occurred in England.
Gordon Greenidge topped the West Indies batting, scoring 572 runs (Ave: 81.71) including two centuries – both double.
Larry Gomes followed with 400 runs (Ave: 80.00). He also hit two hundreds.
Fast bowlers Joel Garner and Malcolm Marshall were brilliant. Garner took the most wickets (29) at an average of 18.62 and Marshall 24 (Ave: 18.20).
Marshall performed a courageous feat in the third Test at Headingley. After sustaining a double fracture of the left thumb while fielding at gully on the first morning, he was advised not to play cricket for ten days.
But on the third day with Gomes on 96 and the score 290 for nine, he went to the crease, heavily plastered, to bat one-handed and help Gomes to his hundred.
Marshall then took seven for 53 off 26 overs.
Skippered by David Gower, England used as many as 21 players in the series, while West Indies fielded 13.
Lloyd turns 80 this weekend.
West Indies – Clive Lloyd (captain), Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Larry Gomes, Viv Richards, Jeff Dujon, Roger Harper, Eldine Baptiste, Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, Joel Garner, Milton Small, Winston Davis.
Summarised scores:
1st Test, Edgbaston, Birmingham. June 14, 15, 16, 18. West Indies won by an innings and 180 runs.
England 191 all out (59.3 overs) (Ian Botham 64 – 82 balls, 144 minutes, 10 fours; Paul Downton 33, Geoff Miller 22, Allan Lamb 15, Andy Lloyd 10, David Gower 10, Bob Willis 10 not out; Joel Garner 4-53, Michael Holding 2-44) and 235 all out (76.5 overs) (Paul Downton 56 – 187 balls, 275 minutes, 3 fours; Derek Pringle 46 not out, Ian Botham 38, Bob Willis 22, Allan Lamb 13, David Gower 12, Geoff Miller 11; Joel Garner 5-55, Malcolm Marshall 2-65).
West Indies 606 all out (143 overs) (Larry Gomes 143 – 279 balls, 381 minutes, 16 fours; Viv Richards 117 – 154 balls, 208 minutes, 17 fours, 1 six; Eldine Baptiste 87 not out – 131 balls, 160 minutes, 11 fours; Clive Lloyd 71 – 89 balls, 110 minutes, 8 fours; Michael Holding 69 – 80 balls, 114 minutes, 8 fours, 4 sixes; Jeff Dujon 23, Gordon Greenidge 19, Roger Harper 14; Derek Pringle 5-108, Bob Willis 2-108).
Toss: England. Player Of The Match: Larry Gomes. Umpires: Barrie Meyer, Dickie Bird.
2nd Test, Lord’s, London. June 28, 29, 30, July 2, 3. West Indies won by 9 wickets.
England 286 all out (105.5 overs) (Graeme Fowler 106 – 259 balls, 369 minutes, 13 fours; Chris Broad 55 – 115 balls, 159 minutes, 9 fours; Ian Botham 30, Allan Lamb 23, Paul Downton 23 not out; Malcolm Marshall 6-85, Eldine Baptiste 2-36) and 300/9 declared (98.3 overs) (Allan Lamb 110 – 260 balls, 362 minutes, 13 fours; Ian Botham 81 – 111 balls, 165 minutes, 9 fours, 1 six; Mike Gatting 29, David Gower 21, Graeme Fowler 11; Milton Small 3-40, Joel Garner 3-91, Malcolm Marshall 2-85).
West Indies 245 all out (65.4 overs) (Viv Richards 72 – 94 balls, 154 minutes, 11 fours; Eldine Baptiste 44, Clive Lloyd 39, Malcolm Marshall 29, Desmond Haynes 12, Larry Gomes 10; Ian Botham 8-103, Bob Willis 2-48) and 344/1 (66.1 overs) (Gordon Greenidge 214 not out – 242 balls, 302 minutes, 29 fours, 2 sixes; Larry Gomes 92 not out – 140 balls, 236 minutes, 13 fours; Desmond Haynes 17).
Toss: West Indies. Player Of The Match: Gordon Greenidge, Ian Botham. Umpires: Barrie Meyer, David Evans.
3rd Test, Headingley, Leeds. July 12, 13, 14, 16. West Indies won by 8 wickets.
England 270 all out (97.2 overs) (Allan Lamb 100 – 186 balls, 227 minutes, 15 fours; Ian Botham 45, Chris Broad 32, Derek Pringle 19, Paul Downton 17, Graeme Fowler 10; Michael Holding 4-70, Roger Harper 3-47, Joel Garner 2-73) and 159 all out (65 overs) (Graeme Fowler 50 – 128 balls, 160 minutes, 9 fours; David Gower 43, Paul Downton 27, Ian Botham 14; Malcolm Marshall 7-53, Joel Garner 2-37).
West Indies 302 all out (73.5 overs) (Larry Gomes 104 not out – 197 balls, 317 minutes, 14 fours; Michael Holding 59 – 55 balls, 73 minutes, 3 fours, 5 sixes; Clive Lloyd 48, Jeff Dujon 26, Desmond Haynes 18, Viv Richards 15, Gordon Greenidge 10; Paul Allott 6-61, Bob Willis 2-123) and 131/2 (32.3 overs) (Gordon Greenidge 49, Desmond Haynes 43, Viv Richards 22 not out; Nick Cook 2-27).
Toss: England. Player Of The Match: Larry Gomes. Umpires: David Constant, David Evans.
4th Test, Old Trafford, Manchester. July 26, 27, 28, 30, 31. West Indies won by an innings and 64 runs.
West Indies 500 all out (160.3 overs) (Gordon Greenidge 223 – 425 balls, 585 minutes, 30 fours; Jeff Dujon 101 – 228 balls, 245 minutes, 12 fours; Winston Davis 77 – 146 balls, 180 minutes, 10 fours, 1 six; Roger Harper 39 not out, Larry Gomes 30; Pat Pocock 4-121, Paul Allott 3-76, Ian Botham 2-100).
England 280 all out (105.2 overs) (Allan Lamb 100 not out – 185 balls, 252 minutes, 15 fours; Chris Broad 42, Graeme Fowler 38, Paul Allott 26, Nick Cook 13; Joel Garner 4-51, Eldine Baptiste 3-31, Winston Davis 2-71) and 156 all out (66.4 overs) (David Gower 57 not out – 153 balls, 175 minutes, 8 fours; Paul Downton 24, Chris Broad 21, Paul Allott 14, Norman Cowans 14; Roger Harper 6-57, Joel Garner 2-25).
Toss: West Indies. Player Of The Match: Gordon Greenidge. Umpires: Dickie Bird, Don Oslear.
5th Test, Kennington Oval, London. August 9, 10, 11, 13, 14. West Indies won by 172 runs.
West Indies 190 all out (70 overs) (Clive Lloyd 60 not out – 112 balls, 202 minutes, 5 fours; Eldine Baptiste 32, Gordon Greenidge 22, Larry Gomes 18, Roger Harper 18, Desmond Haynes 10; Ian Botham 5-72, Paul Allott 3-25, Richard Ellison 2-34) and 346 all out (96.3 overs) (Desmond Haynes 125 – 329 balls, 439 minutes, 17 fours; Jeff Dujon 49, Clive Lloyd 36, Gordon Greenidge 34, Michael Holding 30, Roger Harper 17, Viv Richards 15, Malcolm Marshall 12, Joel Garner 10 not out; Richard Ellison 3-60, Ian Botham 3-103, Jonathan Agnew 2-51, Paul Allott 2-96).
England 162 all out (61.5 overs) (Graeme Fowler 31, Richard Ellison 20 not out, Chris Tavare 16, Paul Downton 16, Paul Allott 16, Ian Botham 14, David Gower 12, Allan Lamb 12; Malcolm Marshall 5-35, Joel Garner 2-37, Michael Holding 2-55) and 202 all out (69.4 overs) (Ian Botham 54 – 51 balls, 100 minutes, 6 fours; Chris Tavare 49, Chris Broad 39, Richard Ellison 13, Paul Downton 10; Michael Holding 5-43, Joel Garner 4-51).
Toss: West Indies. Player Of The Match: Desmond Haynes. Player Of The Series: Gordon Greenidge. Umpires: Barrie Meyer, David Constant.
Keith Holder is a veteran, award-winning freelance sports journalist, who has been covering local, regional and International cricket since 1980 as a writer and commentator. He has compiled statistics on the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) Division 1 (rebranded Elite in 2012) Championship for over four decades and provides statistics and stories for the BCA website (www.barbadoscricket.org). Email: Keithfholder@gmail.com
