The court case filed by Tony Greig, John Snow and Mike Procter and backed by Kerry Packer, against the ban imposed by the TCCB (Test and County Cricket Board) on the contract rebels being able to play First-class and Test cricket, proved to be a landmark one.
After seven weeks of testimony, Justice Slater ruled in favour of the players, declaring that they were entitled to make a living, and that it was wrong on behalf the ICC or any other cricketing authority to stand in their way, just because their vested interests were threatened.
The TCCB and the other authorities were ordered to bear the legal costs, and the English county sides were free to continue to field Packer rebels, even if they were not picked for Test teams.
Packer was still unable to use the term "Test match" or describe sides as national teams, so he came up with the idea of calling five-day international matches as Supertests instead.
Denied the use of using traditional Australian venues to stage the initial matches, two Australian Rules football grounds in Melbourne and Perth were leased instead.
That gave birth to one of the many innovations that World Series Cricket initiated. Faced with preparing grass pitches of a suitable standard at these venues, the organisers hired John Maley, who pioneered the use of drop-in pitches. These were grown in greenhouses and transplanted to the playing arena and 'dropped in' by crane.
WSC was originally envisaged as Australia versus the Rest of the World. Soon, the West Indian element emerged as a separate contingent. That is because, offered the chance to make more money with WSC than they would normally earn in their entire careers, the entire West Indian international squad signed up to the new venture almost to a man.
And there was no bigger draw in cricket of the era than the Calypso Kings.
Finally, the first Supertest took place between the Australians and the West Indies in December 1977.
The standard of the cricket played was high, particularly the fast bowling, but the match failed to capture the public imagination. The official first Test between India and a second-string Australia, which was taking place at the same time in Brisbane, attracted far more television viewers.
It seemed like Packer and his supporters had misjudged the appetite for the breakaway series.