1975 England

Glorious sunshine on the longest day of the year bathed Lord's during the first and best of the eight finals to date, featuring Clive Lloyd's extrovert West Indians and Ian Chappell's brash Australians.

Lloyd captained an XI brimming with sometimes undisciplined talent, Chappell led a team forged in his own forthright image headed by the ferocious fast bowling duo Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson.

Australia reduced West Indies to 50 for three before Lloyd joined Rohan Kanhai, the grey-haired elder statesman of the team.

Kanhai played the anchor role while Lloyd swatted the bowlers with casual ease to all parts of the ground, scoring 102 from 82 balls to take West Indies to 291 for six from their 60 overs.

Chappell responded with 62 before he became one of three run-outs effected by the electric reactions of Viv Richards. Richards had also run out Chappell's brother Greg and only a spirited last-wicket partnership of 31 between Lillee and Thomson as dusk fell on Lord's kept the Australians in contention.

Scores: West Indies 291 off 60 overs (C.Lloyd 102); Australia 274 off 58.4 overs (I.Chappell 62). West Indies won by 17 runs.

1979 England

Two years on, Kerry Packer's breakaway World Series circuit had turned West Indies into a ruthlessly efficient outfit who were to dominate world cricket for the next 15 years.

Peace was declared with the establishment in time for West Indies to field their strongest team in the second World Cup final against England, where they initially struggled before Collis King joined Richards.

Helped by the short boundaries at Lord's and England's unsuccessful gamble to use three part-time bowlers for 12 of their overs King smacked three sixes and 10 fours in his 86. Richards, disciplined then destructive, paced his innings to perfection, swinging the last ball over square leg for six to reach 138 not out.

Captain Mike Brearley and Geoff Boycott put on 129 for the first wicket but their sedate approach was suited more to a five-day than a one-day game. When both were dismissed the giant Joel Garner ran through the remainder of the batting with a succession of toe-crushing thunderbolts.

Scores: West Indies 286 (V.Richards 138 not out, C.King 86); England 194 (M.Brearley 64, J.Garner 5-38). West Indies won by 92 runs.

1983 England

West Indies swaggered into Lord's seeking a hat-trick of trophies. They slipped away in stunned disbelief as joyous Indian supporters acclaimed their greatest day.

A puny victory target of 184 looked a formality as Richards laid bat to ball with contemptuous certainty, striking seven fours in his 33. But after striking Madan Lal for three fours he top-edged an attempted six to allow India captain Kapil Dev to run back and claim a skilful catch above his head.

Lloyd pulled a muscle attempting his first run and the innings subsequently disintegrated. For days all India celebrated a match, which generated the explosion in one-day cricket on the sub-continent.

Scores: India 193 off 54.4 overs (K.Srikkanth 38); West Indies 140 off 52 overs (V.Richards 33). India won by 43 runs.

1987 India/Pakistan

One misjudgment by England captain Mike Gatting was enough to swing the Calcutta final to Australia in the first tournament staged outside England.

England were well set at 135 for two chasing 254 to win at Eden Gardens when Australia captain Allan Border put himself on to bowl. Gatting attempted a reverse sweep off the first ball but succeeded only in skying a catch to wicketkeeper Greg Dyer.

The result was a breakthrough for Border and his team, languishing in the doldrums during the mid-1980s after the great side led by Ian and then Greg Chappell finally broke up.

Now a new generation, headed by the iceman Steve Waugh who took two wickets at the death, were to take Australia to new heights during the next decade.

Scores: Australia 253 for five off 50 overs (D.Boon 75); England 246 for eight off 50 overs (W.Athey 58). Australia won by seven runs.