The first one-day final

Ted Dexter and the victorious Sussex side © The Cricketer Enlarge

Today sees the final of the Friends Provident Trophy at Lord's. It is the pinnacle of the English domestic one-day season, traditionally played out in front of a full house, and a descendant of the world's oldest limited-overs competition.

The idea of a one-day cricket competition had been mooted as long ago as the 1940s when the structure of the post-war game was being discussed. But at that stage nobody thought about limiting the number of overs. By the early 1960s the public was increasingly turning off domestic cricket, and county treasurers desperately needed a way to balance the books. In 1962, Leicestershire experimented with a small limited-overs knock-out cup and it proved a commercial success, drawing big crowds. Buoyed by that, the authorities decided to go for broke.

It was perhaps fitting that the announcement of the new competition, sponsored to the tune of £6500 per annnum, came on November 16, 1962, the day the distinction between amateurs and professionals was finally abolished.

The Gillette Cup started on a wet May Day at Old Trafford in 1963 where Lancashire beat Leicestershire in a game that spilled into a second day. It was the only tie of that day - with 17 first-class counties, two had to meet in a preliminary round as the idea of allowing minor counties to join the party had not been considered. And in an era where over-rates were still high, each side faced 65 overs, with bowlers limited to 15 overs each.

Sussex and Worcestershire, the two finalists, had fairly untroubled routes to Lord's. Sussex beat Kent - scoring a daunting 314 for 7 - and then Yorkshire in front of a record 15,000 at Hove, and Northamptonshire in the semi-finals. Worcestershire defeated Surrey and Glamorgan and then routed Lancashire in the semi-finals, bowling them out for 59.

The reaction to the numbers attending Gillette Cup games was much as it was when Twenty20 launched - initially amazement and then delight that a product had been found which appealed to the public and brought in much-needed cash.

We are used to the razzmatazz of the one-day game - coloured clothing, white balls, run-rates of six or more an over - but that has as much in common with the original final back in 1963 as a village friendly does to a Twenty20 international nowadays. Most sides approached limited-overs games much as they would any other match. If you watch the BBC TV footage of the first final, the fields are conventional, and slogging is for the final overs. Maidens were common, balls played on their merits. And as for diving around the field ...

The draw for the first Gillette Cup at Lord's in the spring of 1963 © The Cricketer Enlarge

Most captains realised early that batting first was the best approach as it enabled their side to set the pace - only four out of 14 matches up to the final was won by the side chasing. Fewer captains looked much beyond that, but Ted Dexter at Sussex did. "He was innovative in his field settings and his use of different players," Robin Marlar said, "and he comprehended what it was all about."

More than 25,000 paid a flat price of 7/6d (37p) to watch the final on September 7. "Supporters wore favours [rosettes]," Wisden almost spluttered, "and banners were also in evidence."

Sussex named a side geared to the one-day game, batting right down the order and reliant on a four-man seam attack. Worcestershire went for a more conventional set-up, with only two seamers and three spinners; they were also without one of their best fielders, Jim Standen, who chose to play football for West Ham instead (the following year he would achieve the double of an FA Cup and a County Championship winners medal).

Everyone agreed that the final was an exciting affair, but it was hardly a run-fest. Dexter won the toss, Sussex batted and got off to a good start with Alan Oakman and Richard Langridge putting on 62 for the first wicket. But the left-arm spin of Doug Slade (11-2-23-2) and Norman Gifford (15-4-33-4) ground Sussex down and in the end only Jim Parks' 57 enabled them to a score of 168 in 60.2 overs. If anything underlines the difference between old and new it is this total, one which would barely be sufficient in a modern Twenty20 match.

Dexter learned from his opposition and his first-change bowler was Oakman, an offspinner, who proved as hard to get away as Gifford and Slade had been. He finished with figures of 13-4-17-1, his wicket the priceless one of Tom Graveney. Oakman's 13 overs took the total number of overs by spinners employed by Dexter in the four matches to 23. Dexter also eschewed close fielders, operating with one slip almost throughout, whereas Worcestershire were, again, more conventional.

Jim Parks on the attack during his crucial 57 © The Cricketer Enlarge

As the asking-rate grew, the light faded and it started to drizzle. Bad light was not an issue, and Dexter showed his ruthless side, bringing on his fastest bowler, John Snow, who was making his one-day debut, and proved almost unplayable. Snow had never even been to Lord's before, and when he batted he had got lost and had to be pointed through to the Long Room to get to the middle. He took 3 for 13 in eight overs to leave Worcestershire 133 for 9.

The game had one last twist. Roy Booth milked the strike, protecting the No. 11, Bob Carter, and Worcestershire inched towards the target. Dexter, as was allowed then, posted everyone on the boundary to save fours, underlining his understanding of the format's requirements.

In the end the ask proved too much. Carter failed to beat Ken Suttle's throw as he scurried to come back for a second run. Worcestershire were left 14 runs short with ten balls remaining.

The crowd rushed on, and in stygian gloom Dexter lifted the trophy and accepted the winner's cheque for £2000. The players got a bonus of £9 each, but they had to wait until Christmas for that.

Five days later Sussex, as champions, took on West Indies in a special one-day match at Hove. The game was 55 overs a side, given that it was mid-September and the light would not allow for more, and Hove was again packed to the rafters. Sussex underlined their one-day credentials, scoring a four-wicket win with more than three overs in hand.