One of the early exciting games in the first ever World Cup was the Australia-West Indies final that as played at Lord’s on June 21, 1975. It was a memorable occasion as the sport hosted its first ever World Cup and there wasn’t anything more memorable than an exciting final that is probably the second-closest final of any World Cup.
Australia inserted the West Indies in, thanks to the early morning start and sent back three West Indian batsmen for only 50. One of them was Roy Fredericks, who hooked Dennis Lillee for a six but trotted onto his stumps to be declared out hit-wicket. 
At 50/3, things looked dicey for the West Indian side, but it was here that the partnership between Rohan Kanhai and Clive Lloyd got them back. They were slow to begin with but did not lose their wickets and that is where the comeback stated.
Kanhai scored a half century but it was a thrilling 85-ball 102 by the captain Lloyd that turned things around. At one stage it looked unlikely that the side would get to more than 225 in the innings. Lloyd’s innings ensured that the West Indians had 291/7 in the 60 overs.
In reply, the Aussies were always in hunt with most of their top-order getting starts. Captain Ian Chappell scored a half century for them and with a good partnership with Alan Turner, took the score to 85/1. However, once Turner got out and later at 162, Chappell departed, the side capitulated to 233/9.
With the West Indians looking more likely to win it and with the skies turning darker by the minute, the pace bowling combination of Jeff Thomson and Lillee threw their bats at everything. Lillee was bowled off a no-ball and there was a crowd invasion which would have allowed the batsmen to take 20 runs – but they got only three and later with 18 needed off nine balls, Thomson was run-out.
The West Indian side had won the first ever World Cup by 17 runs.