World Series Cricket - February 1978

February 1 The International Cricket Conference begins its special meeting at Lord's. Delegates are: DJ Insole, DB Carr (UK), RJ Parish, JJ Warr (Australia), L Murray (West Indies), BJ Patterson, MC Cowdrey (New Zealand), MA Chidambaram (India), Chaudhry Mohammad Hussain, Zafar Altaf (Pakistan). DG Clark is chairman, JA Bailey secretary.

Writing in the Sydney Sun, Tony Greig says he believes there were other reasons for his dismissal as Sussex captain besides that given: his criticisms of Geoff Boycott.

February 2 At the end of the Lord's meeting it is announced that the ICC and the TCCB will not be appealing against the High Court ruling of November 25. Countries will have to decide individually whether to select WSC players for Test matches, and in England it will be left to each county to choose whether or not to renew existing contracts with WSC players. The ICC agreed unanimously that there would be no unilateral dealings with Kerry Packer; any proposal from him would be referred to the Conference. Costs of the High Court case, estimated at around £250,000, will be shared equally by ICC and TCCB.

February 3 The Sydney Sun claims that Sunil Gavaskar and Bishan Bedi are to be offered $50,000 contracts by WSC for next season. Bedi denies that he has received such an offer, and says "I don't want to say anything until I do."

February 5 WSC West Indies beat WSC Australia by 25 runs in the final of the International Cup in Sydney before a crowd of 19,000, and win the £5800 prize. The match was over by 3.15 pm, only Gordon Greenidge, Bernard Julien (28), Clive Lloyd (22), David Hookes (29) and Greg Chappell (24) reaching double figures. Hookes twice hooked Andy Roberts for six.

February 6 On the first day of the two-day final of the WSC Country Cup in Canberra the Australian team are 58 for 5 in reply to the World XI's 253 (Asif Iqbal 69, Snow 42).

February 7 It is revealed that Greig and Sydney promoter David Lord have had lengthy discussions with a view to effecting a compromise between World Series Cricket and the International Cricket Conference, with a new international series, under the auspices of the ICC, to be played in addition to scheduled Test series. Greig did not sign the "joint statement" because it did not constitute "a perfectly true expression of my views"; and Australian Cricket Board chairman Bob Parish reiterates that if the WSC organisation wishes to reopen talks with the Board it should approach the ICC in London.

John Woodcock, writing in The Times, pleads for a settlement to the situation: "Now is the time, though, for the Board to make a move. They can bargain from a position of strength; they can cut down the bloodshed; they can cleanse the air. For the good of cricket something must be tried in the near future. It may mean a lot of dismounting from high horses."

A meeting of Kent's full committee decides to have back all four of their Packer players - Asif Iqbal, Derek Underwood, Alan Knott, and Bob Woolmer- if they wish to return. Part of the statement reads: "With 12 capped players possibly available and several others of the highest potential on the staff (Kent) will pursue a selection policy which aims to give their young players the fairest possible chance of development in the interests both of Kent and of English cricket." Hampshire also announce that Gordon Greenidge, Barry Richards, and Andy Roberts will be playing for them this summer.

WSC World XI go on to victory in the Country Cup final, dismissing WSC Australia for 168 (Greg Chappell 57). Snow takes 3 for 30, and Greig 3 for 33 and four catches.

February 9 A letter from Surrey's chairman, Raman Subba Row, in The Times advocates "a genuine discussion" between the ICC and "the rival system". "We believe", the letter continues, "that a round-table meeting would enable each side to analyse the good and the bad elements of both systems and could even lead to a unification of the two - for the benefit of the game, the players and the watching public the world over."

Only 1354 spectators watch the opening day of the final World Series match, in Melbourne.

February 10 WSC Australia go on to 538 for 6 declared as Chappell and McCosker put on 219, and Chappell and Hookes 152 in 83 minutes. Roberts and Daniel are absent from the World XI attack, both injured. WSC World XI are 58 for 0 at the close. The attendance is 2494.

February 11 A letter from Oliver Popplewell, QC, in The Times states that the authorities "should stand firm and beware the siren song of compromise" until such time as Kerry Packer notifies them that players signed by him would be released for the whole of the England tour of Australia in 1978-79. He observes that "the strength of feeling among the majority of county players and cricket-lovers is likely to manifest itself even more forcibly before the season is over, whatever discussion there may be."

On the third day of the Melbourne Supertest WSC World XI reach 370 for 8 (Viv Richards 170, Barry Richards 76, Greenidge 46).

A WSC limited-overs match in Devonport, Tasmania is abandoned after a hailstorm, with the World XI having made 153 against an Australian XI.

February 12 WSC World XI finish with 434, 104 runs behind, and dismiss WSC Australia a second time, for only 167 (Hookes 53, Garner 5 for 52). Needing 272 to win, the World XI are 37 for 2 at the close, Lillee (2 for 141 in the first innings) having had Barry Richards caught behind for a duck.

In Devonport, WSC World XI (151 for 3; Majid 76) beat WSC Australian XI (150; O'Keeffe 46, Padmore 5 for 20) by seven wickets in a one-day match.

February 13 Before a crowd of 2716 WSC Australia save a 3-0 whitewash by taking the final Supertest against WSC World XI by 41 runs, dismissing them for 230 (Walker 5 for 62, Lillee 5 for 82). Knott and Daniel have a last-wicket stand of 78.

It is estimated that World Series Cricket lost £2,100,000 in its first year: an outlay of £3½ million offset by advertising revenue of around £941,000 and gate receipts of £481,000. A total of 354,933 spectators passed through the turnstiles to watch the 80 days of play. The Australia-India Test matches drew 273,000 over 26 days, an average attendance of over twice that for WSC.

"We are still amateurs," says Kerry Packer at the end of the series, "but we are more professional than we were, and we will become even more professional."

Prize money totalling $201,500 has gone into a provident fund for three years, after which it will be paid out with interest.

February 15 It is agreed at a meeting between the Victorian Football League and Kerry Packer that the mobile pitches at VFL Park will stay in place through the football season, at an additional cost to WSC, who paid the VFL $850,000 for three summers' use of the ground, with an original agreement to remove the pitches before the start of each football season.

February 16 Packer agrees to release West Indies players for the upcoming tour by Australia. A spokesman dismisses claims that WSC has lost as much as stated, saying the real figure would be "nearer £1.3 million".

February 17 Jim Allen becomes the first WSC player to take part in an ICC-approved match when he turns out for Leeward Islands against the Australians in St Kitts.