Stewart was shattered by the 1999 exit (Allsport).

By Andy Hampson, PA Sport

1975

With home advantage and a strong squad boasting more one-day experience than most countries thanks to the successful establishment of domestic competitions, England had a better chance than most of winning the inaugural World Cup.

That it did not happen is down to one then unheralded Australian. Tournament organisers had kept England and Australia apart in the group stages to maintain the public's interest, but England's ended almost as soon as they set foot on the pitch in their semi-final against the Baggy Greens.

Gary Gilmour, a left-arm swing bowler who had not played in any of Australia's previous games, was suddenly thrown into the fray as soon as it became apparent that the Yorkshire groundstaff had typically prepared - or under-prepared to be precise - the wicket of a seamer's dreams.

Gilmour took the new ball and grasped his chance, claiming six for 14 as England were skittled for 93. He then cracked an unbeaten 28 as Australia edged it by four wickets.

Until that point, England had acquitted themselves reasonably well. They won all three group games, including a 202-run thrashing of an Indian side totally bemused by the shortened form of the game.

Sunil Gavaskar bizarrely played out all 60 overs for a paltry 36no as India chased 335 at Lord's as if they were batting out for a draw. New Zealand and East Africa were also beaten, with Dennis Amiss and Keith Fletcher scoring centuries during the tournament.

1979

England went one better than in the previous World Cup as they marched through to the final before coming up against the brilliant West Indies.

Australia and Canada were both disposed of before the host side secured their place in the semi-finals and maintained their 100% record by edging a tight encounter with Pakistan.

New Zealand proved tough opposition in the semi-finals but solid half-centuries from Mike Brearley and Graham Gooch and a brisk 42 from Derek Randall ultimately provided enough of an advantage for England to hold on.

They then looked to have control of the final at Lord's before Collis King played the innings of his life to kick the Windies into gear.

Coming in at number six, King smashed 86 in one of the best World Cup final knocks, and his efforts also had the effect of sparking the great Viv Richards into life.

Richards finished with a magnificent 138no and the West Indies a formidable 286.

England made a solid response with Brearley and Geoff Boycott putting on 129 for the first wicket.

Yet they were never truly up with the required rate and when at one point Clive Lloyd dropped Boycott, after earlier putting down Brearley, the cynics said he had done it on purpose.

England struggled to generate any momentum from such a pedestrian start and they were effectively put out of their misery by Joel Garner, who ripped through the rest of the order with a spell of five for four in 11 balls.

1983

England went into the third World Cup with a weakened side after a rebel tour to South Africa.

Yet they made light of their reduced resources to cruise through to the semi-finals with five wins from six and a player who had ironically defected from South Africa, Allan Lamb, playing a starring role.

Lancashire opener Graeme Fowler had also grasped his chance with four half-centuries for a side that with David Gower, Mike Gatting, Ian Botham and Bob Willis among their number, looked strong.

Any hopes of winning the competition were, however, surprisingly dashed as they slumped to a demoralising semi-final defeat at the hands of India in the semi-finals.

The hitherto confident and imposing England side were not only beaten by their unfancied opponents but comprehensively outplayed.

Two bowlers who had been earmarked by captain Kapil Dev to share 12 overs between them, Mohinder Amarnath and Kirti Azad, strangled the life out the England innings to such an extent that they got through a full 24 between them.

Amarnath then picked up the chase with the bat and, along with half-centurions Yashpal Sharma and Sandeep Patil, steered India to an unlikely win.

England's fun was over for another four years. But India were far from done, pulling off an even bigger upset to dethrone the West Indies in the final.

1987

Thanks to the overwhelming advantages of playing at home, India and Pakistan were the clear favourites for the fourth World Cup, but having reached the final England's loss to an inferior Australian line-up represented yet another failure.

The tournament was preceded by controversy because of initial uncertainty over whether Graham Gooch and John Emburey would be granted visas by India thanks to their South African connections.

Once that was overcome, however, England made comfortable progress to the semi-finals with their top order of Gooch, Bill Athey, Tim Robinson, Allan Lamb and Mike Gatting all scoring runs.

Despite two not unexpected defeats by Pakistan, form had been good, but their best performance came with defeat of India in the semi-finals.

Gooch's hundred and Gatting's half-century had put them well in control, but it still took a nerve-defying boundary catch by the latter off the dangerous Kapil Dev to swing the game their way once and for all.

Gatting was not so well acclaimed after the final. The captain was looking well set as he and Athey brought Australia's 253 within in range - but an ill-judged reverse sweep off opposite number Allan Border brought about his, and in many people's opinion, his team's downfall.

It was certainly a poor shot and took some living down, but in truth Gatting was made the scapegoat.

Had Athey, looking composed after a stylish half-century, not been narrowly beaten by a Steve Waugh throw the story could have been different.

1992

England proved the World Cup bridesmaids yet again, and many of the team are probably still wondering how.

By 1992 England were bursting with one-day talent and the way they started the tournament suggested that, at last, the trophy was theirs.

Quite where Pakistan sprung up from to unseat them in the final is still a good question.

Imran Khan's 'Cornered Tigers' certainly came out fighting after a poor start - and ultimately their run was timed to perfection, whereas England perhaps peaked too soon.

India, West Indies, Australia, Sri Lanka, South Africa and Zimbabwe were all beaten in the group stage - and Pakistan would have gone the same way had rain not intervened.

What misfortune they had there, though, was paid back in abundance in their semi-final as they overcame South Africa again in one of the most controversial endings to a game of cricket ever.

Needing 22 off 13 balls, victory was in South Africa's compass until farcical rain rules reduced the target to 22 off one.

England seemed to use up all their luck there and then as Pakistan, whom England had shot out for 74 in that abandoned group game, hit back to win the one that counted.

Even so, with Neil Fairbrother and Allan Lamb building a fruitful partnership, a target of 250 was within reach.

That all changed as Wasim Akram bowled two of the best balls he has ever bowled in successive deliveries to remove Lamb and Chris Lewis.

It left Fairbrother with too much to do, and the run chase fizzled out.

1996

The contrast in England's play from one campaign to the next was marked.

In 1992, winning the World Cup for the first time had seemed their destiny until they fell at the final hurdle.

Four years later it was clear the rest of the world had moved on, and England had been left a long way behind.

Things started badly as Graham Thorpe dropped two catches in a dismal defeat to New Zealand.

Wins over the United Arab Emirates and Holland barely masked the deficiencies as England were destroyed by South Africa in their next game against serious opposition.

Defeat to Pakistan followed, but England had fortunately done enough with wins over non-Test playing sides to scrape through to the quarter-finals.

There their luck ended as champions-elect Sri Lanka ruthlessly demonstrated how the world order had changed.

A total of 235 - and that inflated by a half-century from Phil DeFreitas - proved inadequate once Sanath Jayasuriya got to work.

It was a crushing defeat, but England deserved nothing less. Sri Lanka's brash and innovative approach made them worthy world champions.

Mike Atherton endured a miserable tournament both on and off the field, his snapping at a local journalist and subsequent furore epitomising the shambles they had become.

An energy-draining tour of South Africa immediately before the event had not helped, but England's failure to reach the semi-finals for the first time was a major disappointment.

1999

If 1996 was bad, 1999 was technically worse as England failed to even advance from the group stages.

Opening wins over a disappointing Sri Lanka and Kenya were followed by a crushing 122-run loss to South Africa at The Oval from which they never really recovered.

They responded with a good win over Zimbabwe. But their hopes of progressing came down to their final game against India - and when they needed to deliver they failed.

Admittedly defeat would not have mattered had South Africa, as expected, beaten Zimbabwe. But once rain forced the game into a second day and they knew victory was needed for survival, England should have been able to knock off the required 233.

Yet they simply wilted under the pressure as a lack of discipline and several bad shots allowed India to tighten the noose.

Left-handers Graham Thorpe and Neil Fairbrother kept hopes alive with 30s, but all around them there were signs of batsmen losing their heads.

Andy Flintoff briefly hinted at revival with one enormous six off Anil Kumble. But two balls later the leg-spinner, not for the last time, had the Lancastrian in his pocket.

Darren Gough and Angus Fraser hit out a bit towards the end. But their late slog merely prolonged the agony, and India won by 63 runs.

It was an abject performance, and the meekness of the surrender effectively ended Alec Stewart's hopes of retaining the captaincy.