The first Cricket World Cup was played in 1975. It was a special event that started one of the most famous sports tournaments in the world. The Cricket World Cup brings the best cricket teams together to compete for the top prize.
The first Cricket World Cup took place in England. There were 8 teams that played: England, Australia, West Indies, New Zealand, Pakistan, India, East Africa (a team made up of players from Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia), and the West Indies.
Back then, the game was played with 60 overs per team, and players wore traditional white clothing. Matches were played during the day with red cricket balls. It felt very different from today's game.
The final match of the 1975 Cricket World Cup was on June 21 at Lord's Cricket Ground in London. The West Indies won the match by 17 runs against Australia.
The West Indies team, led by captain Clive Lloyd, scored 291 runs for 8 wickets. Clive Lloyd played an amazing innings, making 102 runs from 85 balls. Australia could only score 274 runs, so the West Indies became the first-ever World Cup winners.
The 1975 Cricket World Cup was the beginning of an important tournament in cricket history. It showed that teams could now compete for the top title in the world. West Indies’ win set the stage for a time when they were one of the best teams in the world.