In 1983, it
was an enlarged format with each team playing the other twice in the respective
groups. By now Sri Lanka had earned full membership of the ICC. Zimbabwe had emerged as the strongest outfit
among the associate members, winning the ICC Trophy in 1982 easily.
Prudential
continued to back the effort, raising the sponsorship figure to £500,000
($810,000). Prize money went up to £66,200. The winners pocketed £20,000, while
the runners-up got £8,000. The losing semi-finalists received £4,000 each. The
crowds swelled to 232,081, the collections being £1,195,712. Guarantee money
was paid for the first time, each Test-playing country receiving £53,900, and
Zimbabwe £30,200. In addition, a surplus of £1 million was distributed among
the teams.
In Group A this time were England,
New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Group B had Australia, India, the West
Indies and Zimbabwe. In the semi-finals the West Indies beat Pakistan, while India
defeated hosts England. Then, in one of the most stunning upsets in history,
India trounced the West Indies to lift the third Prudential World Cup.
The final:
Lord’s, London, 25 June 1983
India won by 43 runs
India: 183 all out in 54.4 overs (Krishnamachari Srikkanth 38, Andy Roberts
3 for 32)
West Indies: 140 all out in 52 overs (Vivian Richards 33, Madan Lal 3 for 31,
Mohinder Amarnath 3 for 12)
Man of the Match: Mohinder Amarnath
(Author
Indra Vikram Singh can be contacted on email singh_iv@hotmail.com).
The Big Book of World Cup Cricket 1975-2011
ISBN 978-81-901668-4-3
Distributed in India by Variety Book Depot,
Connaught Place, New Delhi, Phones + 91 11 23417175, 23412567
Available in leading bookshops, and online on several websites.
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