"We got a reasonable start and Geoff [Howarth] got some but then we sort of fell away. I should have got more by the sounds of things," he said.
"It was just the start of their ferocious pace attack. They had Andy Roberts who was very quick but it was the next year that [Michael] Holding and others came on the scene."
While the Windies were working up to their fearsome best bowling brigade, they had a batting lineup laden with the skill and experience of Gordon Greenidge, Roy Fredericks, Alvin Kallicharran, Viv Richards, Rohan Kanhai and Clive Lloyd.
Hastings wore a box, thigh pad and judgment as a second line of protection behind his bat as NZ worked through games at Edgbaston, Trent Bridge, Old Trafford and The Oval.
"I think the bowling is faster now."
Hastings was a late starter in test cricket, taking guard on debut in 1969 when he was nearly 29 against Wes Hall in his last test for the West Indies. His first class debut came at 17.
Hastings was disappointed to miss out on the 1965 New Zealand side to England "but I didn't score consistently enough. Then I had a couple of better seasons which got me into the side for that series against the West Indies at home".
After his 31 tests and 11 ODIs, Hastings became an international match referee in 10 tests and 18 ODIs.
He sat in matches in Pakistan, including a game at Peshawar, the scene of the recent massacre of 141 schoolchildren and teachers.
"The Northwestern police took us right through the Khyber Pass which is a fascinating place. The history of the place is incredible and we were taken to the Afghan border and met some Taliban who were quite friendly towards us."
That area was safe enough then, although Hastings recalls how a bus carrying the umpires and match referee in Sri Lanka was the target of a terrorist attack in 2009.
Hastings keeps in touch with the international game through television coverage and watches his Burnside club in Christchurch.
He wants to see Sri Lanka and New Zealand open the World Cup at the Hagley Oval on February 14.
"We have got a nice ground down at Hagley Oval now, it's a beauty with big boundaries and a pavilion and they have done a tremendous job getting it ready," he said.
Hastings has not heard of any reunions planned for the original New Zealand World Cup side which has lost two of the 13 players, wicketkeeper-batsman Ken Wadsworth and left arm spinner Hedley Howarth.
"Most will have forgotten that we only had 10 sides at the first tournament where the West Indies won the final against Australia when Viv Richards ran out three guys, two of them from side-on, I think."
Richards' batting and all-round game enthralled Hastings and he is equally absorbed by the technical skill of Virat Kohli and his ability to work the ball on both sides of the wicket.
Kumar Sangakkara was one of the greats with a fantastic record and away from the game he was also a man of great insight and intellect who spoke numerous languages and had given an absorbing address to the MCC several years ago.
In the Black Caps, Kane Williamson suggested he would be one of New Zealand's best, with his sound technique and temperament.
"He looks like he will be Brendan McCullum's successor as captain whose days must be a bit limited, Daniel Vettori has worked hard to come back fit and the World Cup looks like it will be his swansong.
"If we have a good day we can beat any other side. You have to have a bit of luck and we are a dark horse but we have a good buildup against the Sri Lanka and I hope we'd get through to the semifinals."
