Early one-day series

[NotMcKenzie]

Ever wondered what the world of ODI cricket was like before the World Cup, but were too productively engaged to bother finding out? Well wonder no more!

Anyway, the talk in this thread inspired me to look at what early series had taken place. In order, the series results:

1970/71: The first ODI, not really a series nor was it scheduled. Aus def. England in 40 (8 ball) over match

1971/72: Unofficial: Australia 1 – World XI 1 (1 abandoned), 40 (8 ball) overs

1972: England 2 – Australia 1, 55 overs (highlights: 2nd ODI

1972/73: New Zealand def. Pakistan, 40 (8 ball) overs

1973: England 1 – New Zealand 0 (1 no result), 55 overs
and England 1 – W.I. 1 (55 overs), WI were declared winners based on scoring rate (!)

1973/74: New Zealand 0 – Australia 2, 35 (8-ball) overs

1974: England 2 – India 0, 55 overs
and England 0 – Pakistan 2, 55 overs

1974/75: Aus lose to Eng in 40 (8 ball) over match
and, New Zealand 0 – England 0 (2 no result), 35 (8 ball) overs

There seems to be pattern here involving England; although New Zealand also jumped on the bandwagon relatively speaking, presaging the scheduling of modern tours of that country.

 

[NotMcKenzie]

To extend this further to the just before the first World Series Cup tri-series (one can assume English ODI's were 55 overs):

1975/76: Aus def WI in 40 (8-ball) over match
and NZ 2 – India 0, 35 (8-ball) overs

1976: England 0 – WI 3

1976/77: NZ defeat Pakistan by 1 run in 1st ODI in Pakistan (35 (8 ball) overs). Again NZ showing themselves to be ODI pioneers.
and, WI defeat Pakistan, of course, in first West Indian ODI. This was apparently 50 scheduled overs, though both innings have a 45 maximum.
Interestingly, the West Indies seems to have seen both the first five-day tests and the first fifty-over ODIs.

1977: Eng 2 – Aus 1

1977/78: Pakistan 1 – England 2, 35 (8 ball) overs
and WI 1 – Aus 1, 50 overs. Australia levelled the series with a last-ball win.
Surprisingly, England did not play any ODIs when it toured NZ that season. NZ would not play any ODIs in its next home season either

1978: England 2 – Pakistan 0
and England 2– New Zealand 0

1978/79: Pakistan 2 – India 1, 40 (6 ball) overs. Scorecard say India conceded the final match in the 38th over.
and, Australia 2 – England 1 (1 no result, 1 abandoned), 40 (8 ball) overs. This was the first actual series in Australia. I wonder (for some reason) what happened to the trophy from this series; it was planned to be a perpetual one, but that was before the WSC split ended.

India seems to have been very slow on the uptake, playing no series at home at all.

 

[wpdavid]

I couldn't follow your link, but here's footage from 1972 of the first ever ODI at Lord's
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP_mFyheLUM

By 1972, England had three domestic one day competitions; two knock out cups and one league. Maybe that's why we played so many of the early ODIs.