The West Indies won all the one-dayers in which Viv Richards made a hundred? (28 May 2002)

They called him the King, and with good reason too. The most dominant cricketer of his era, Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards, in keeping with his reputation, ensured that the West Indies never lost a one- dayer in which he made a hundred.

His amazing run began with his first one-day century against England at North Marine drive, Scarborough, on August 26, 1976. Richards' unbeaten 119 off 133 balls, a knock laced with 20 boundaries and one six, saw the West Indies cruise home to a six-wicket win with 14 overs to spare.

The next hundred came on an even bigger stage - the 1979 World Cup final at Lord's. Driving, hooking and pulling with a ferocity rarely witnessed on the cricket field, his 138 off 155 balls, including 11 fours and three sixes, battered Mike Brearley's Englishmen into humbling submission. Fortunately for them, it was to be another five years before Richards was to plunder a hundred off their attack.

In the meanwhile, he contented himself with taking the mickey out of the Australians and the Indians. Each bore the brunt of a Richards hundred twice before the Englishmen faced yet another pummeling at the hands of the master blaster on 31 May, 1984. The 189 off 170 balls that he was to make on the day was to remain the highest one-day score until Pakistan's Saeed Anwar went past it in a one-dayer against India at Chennai in May 1997. Four more hundreds and four more West Indian wins followed, the final one coming against India at Rajkot on January 5, 1988.

In all, the great man made 11 hundreds in the matches spread almost over 12 years. Understandably, he was the Man of the Match on each of these occasions. Only the great West Indian opener Desmond Haynes, who made 15 one-day hundreds in winning causes before finally ending up on the losing side despite scoring his 16th, boasts a comparable record.

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