Cricket World Cup 1979: Collis, the King of the ring

Looking at Collis King’s international numbers, one will not realise the importance that he holds in the history of the game. In the grandest stage of all, he justified his last name and played a knock worthy of being termed, kingly.

In the 1979 World Cup final at Lord’s, West Indies were in a spot of bother at 99 for four. The other King, Viv Richards was trying to anchor the innings and what was needed was a stable partnership and rotating of the scoreboard at the same time. King did more than that. Not often we see Richards being overshadowed like that but the Master was content playing the second fiddle allowing King to take the charge.

The fifth wicket partnership was of 139 runs, out of which King had scored 86 from just 66 balls and mind you it was the 1970s. Later, Richards went on to score an unbeaten 138 from 157 balls and West Indies put up 286 from their 60 overs.

In the above photograph dating back to the World Cup final in 1999, we see King smacking a ball towards the square-leg, as England wicket-keeper Bob Taylor looks on.