BackWorld Cup 2015 final: As it happened
Updates and analysis of the match
Premium—Fairytale finish to the game as Michael Clarke led from the front one last time to guide Australia to a 7-wicket win over New Zealand in the World Cup final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Clarke, who announced his retirement from one-day cricket on Saturday, was dismissed for a 72-ball 74, with only nine runs remaining to get. Australia achieved the target of 184 runs in the 34th over of their innings.
In-form batsman Steve Smith, followed up his century in the semi-final against India with yet another fifty to get Australia over the line with Shane Watson at the other end.
New Zealand can’t complain much as they were thoroughly outclassed by their opponents with ball and field first, and then the bat.
—This is all too easy for Australia now. The New Zealand fight, in many ways has fizzled out. Clarke since getting his eye in, has looked like a completely different player. He’s charging down the wicket to the spinner effortlessly and putting it away over the straight boundaries for fours and sixes. Its been that sort of an innings. Started slowly, and now just as he’s set, looking like Clarke of yore. He reached his fifty with a single off Vettori. Smith, in the meanwhile, has been going about his business in typical fashion. Just rotating the strike as often as he can, giving it to his captain who looks set to finish his one-day career off in style. Australia, cantering along at this stage, are 140/2 after 28 overs, needing another 44 runs to lift their 5th World Cup trophy.
—After Australia lost Warner at 63, Michael Clarke walked out to the middle, batting in his last one-day innings for Australia. The Kiwis, sensing an opportunity tried doing what Pakistan successfully did against Clarke—bowled some sharp back of a length deliveries with some pushed fuller, importantly making Clarke play. He rode through that period where he struggled initially and now, just as he’s set, the shots are flowing, albeit slowly. Smith, in the meanwhile, has looked rather fluent during his stint in the middle. No fuss batting, just keeping the strike rotated as often as he can with the odd boundary here and there. Australia have looked comfortable since Warner’s departure, just chugging along nicely towards the 184-run target. They brought their 100 up in the 21st over. At the end of that over, Australia, just the two wickets down are 100/2.
—Just as you thought Australia were easing along nicely, New Zealand strike, get their second wicket with the danger man Warner out for 45. Back of a length from Matt Henry, and on to Warner’s body. He tried pulling it on one leg, awkward from Warner. The ball climbing as it took top edge of his bat, high in the air and Elliott made no mistake there. Australia, 63/2 after 12.2 overs. Can New Zealand pick a couple more wickets quickly?
—After losing Finch early, David Warner and new batsman Steve Smith got going straight up, putting away anything loose from the New Zealand bowlers, who were looking for early swing. Warner, who began rather cautiously, with a few swings and misses, cashed in on Southee, in the fourth over, hitting him for three fours. With New Zealand on the attack, that over came as a much needed release for the Aussies, fetching 15 runs. The runs started coming for Australia, and Smith too, cashed in next over, pulling a short one from Boult for four. 20 runs in the 5th and the 6th for Australia. They followed it up with three runs off Vettori’s first over, early spin from New Zealand there, to move on to 41/1 after 7 overs.
—He’s gone, there. Aaron Finch out for a duck, caught by Trent Boult off his own bowling. The ball swung into the right-hander as he tried to play it through mid-wicket. Didn’t connect, he played on to his front pad and the ball ballooned off the edge back to Boult. Great start for the Kiwis, Australia, 2/1 after 1.4 overs.
—And that’s that. Excellent display by Australia here. That run-out sums up everything there. Superlative ground fielding by Maxwell there. Boult played it to short-leg and Maxwell, in a flash, picks it up and throws it to the bowler’s end, where Southee was clearly out of the crease. Direct hit, and a run-out to cap it off. New Zealand, 183 all out after 45 overs. That’s 33/7 in the last ten overs. Dramatic collapse there.
—And, nine out now. Matt Henry, the fast bowler is gone for a duck caught by Starc off Johnson. Third wicket for Johnson here. He’s been excellent right from the start. Looked good for more. A low full-toss from Johnson there, and he drove it straight to Starc, who was just placed there before the delivery. In the last ten overs, New Zealand have lost 6 wickets for 32 runs. New Zealand, 182/9.
—And gone, again! That’s the end of a fantastic knock from Grant Elliott, out for 83 there. Eight wickets down are New Zealand. Slower one from Faulkner, again the back of the hand delivery from the left-armer and Elliott, didn’t pick it first up. He looked to swing down the leg-side could only manage to find an edge, gladly taken behind the wicket by Brad Haddin. New Zealand, who at one stage were 150/3 have now collapsed to 171/8 after 42 overs.
—That’s number seven gone now. Vettori, in his last ODI innings for New Zealand, departs for 9. Johnson, coming back into the attack, bowled it full and fast, with the ball coming late into the left-hander. A touch of reverse swing from Johnson. The ball thudded onto his pad, beat his inside edge and crashed into the stumps, there. New Zealand, 167/7 after 41 overs.
—That’s three in the power play now. Australia have struck again through Starc. Luke Ronchi the man out for another duck. Starc pitched it wide and on a length, and Ronchi flashed at it, not hard enough. The ball went with the angle, took his outside edge through to first slip. Excellent captaincy by Clarke there. Great intensity from Australia right after the power play. New Zealand, 151/6 after 36.2 overs
—Gone again there, that’s two in three balls! New Zealand lose their fifth, Corey Anderson the man out. James Faulkner, the man for Australia. Bowled him for a duck, just his second ball. Full and quick from Faulkner and Anderson played down the wrong line, and the ball crashing into the stumps. New Zealand, 150/5 off 35.3 overs.
—And out! Just as the partnership between Taylor and Elliott was looking threatening, Faulkner’s slower ball has undone Taylor here. Bowled back of the hand by Faulkner, Taylor tried to follow the angle, looked to drive and Haddin made no mistake there, with a brilliant diving catch to his right. New Zealand, 150/4 after 35.1 overs.
—Grant Elliott reached his second consecutive fifty off 51 balls as New Zealand have slowly, but surely, clawed their way back into the game. It’s been a solid, largely untroubled innings so far. He began nervously, but just grew into confidence as knock got going. The singles were coming, the boundaries were flowing. It’s been exactly the type of knock that New Zealand would have wanted to steady their progress, and set up some platform before Corey Anderson & co check in. New Zealand, after 31 overs, are 126/3.
—After the Kiwis lost early wickets, Ross Taylor and Grant Elliott have consolidated, putting together a 50-run stand. Taylor looked solid, unnerved by wickets falling around him, while Elliott, who took New Zealand home in the semi-final, began rather nervously, trying a little too hard to get bat on ball. However, once the duo got going, especially after Elliott survived a close leg-before shout, a decision that was reversed upon review, the boundaries started coming, especially after a top-edge that went for six. That six in many ways, got Elliott going, and the runs started flowing a touch freely. Elliott’s driving has been near perfect, especially through the extra cover region. The partnership between the two has fetched 69 runs and bar that leg-before shout, they have looked largely unnerved. At the end of 27 overs, New Zealand, getting some momentum, are at 108/3.
—New Zealand survive a scare there. Could have so easily been four down, if not for that review by Elliott. Maxwell struck his knee roll in line, pitched outside off stump and Elliott going for a sweep, misses it completely. Dharmasena gives it out, looked like a convincing appeal from the Aussies there. Elliott reviewed it, and replays suggested that the ball was missing leg stump and going over. Looks like Maxwell’s angle of delivery might have made the all important difference there. New Zealand after 20 overs, 66/3.
—Three gone, now. Kane Williamson goes. This isn’t looking good for the Kiwis. Full from Mitchell Johnson, and the New Zealand number three played it right back to the bowler. Johnson has looked up for it today. Bowled at pace, and the ball held his line, going across the right-hander and well, the batsman checked his shot. Johnson at his menacing best here. Williamson gone for 12 off 33 balls, New Zealand, 39/3 after 12.2 overs.
—And New Zealand lose their second! Maxwell with the wicket. Missed out on a short wide one from Maxwell the ball before and paid the price the next ball. The ball from the offie too close to cut and Guptill rocking back tries to punch it only to miss it completely. The ball turned just a shade into the right-hander, taking the top of off. New Zealand, 33/2 after 11.2 overs. Guptill gone for 15 off 34 balls. Just as he looked set, surviving much of the early storm from Starc, Hazlewood and Johnson, Guptill departs. Untimely.
—Since McCullum’s wicket, Kane Williamson and Martin Guptill have tried to steady the innings but the Australians, with some aggressive bowling and good field placements have given nothing away. Starc especially has looked sharp, with his length and pace, aided by a nice shape to the right hander. Runs coming in trickles for the Kiwis, as opposed to the quick start they’d make in the earlier games. The boundaries, quite a rare phenomenon so far in the opening exchanges. Unchartered territory for New Zealand. At the end of 10 overs (mandatory power play), New Zealand are 31/1.
—Australia have gotten off to a perfect start in the final of the World Cup at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), removing danger man Brendon McCullum for a duck in the very first over of the innings. McCullum, who has been instrumental in giving New Zealand some brisk starts throughout this World Cup, was bowled by Starc for 0. Starc stayed full to the Kiwi captain first up, and with McCullum seemingly having made his mind up about his gung-ho approach, paid the price, trying to flay a fuller delivery at pace from the left-armer, only to miss it completely. Huge wicket for Australia in the very first over.
New Zealand win toss, will bat first
This is it! New Zealand captain Brendan McCullum won the toss in the final of the World Cup against Australia and decided to bat first. The wicket looks good and with a lightning fast outfield, seems like a good toss to win and put runs on the board. All four teams batting first prior to this game at this World Cup, have gone past 300.
New Zealand is playing a World Cup final for the first time, while Australia has won four of the previous six championship matches it has contested at cricket’s marquee limited-overs tournament.
Both teams are unchanged from their semifinal wins, with Josh Hazlewood holding his spot in Australia’s pace attack ahead of Pat Cummins on the basis of his strong form in the knockout stages.
Australia captain Michael Clarke will be playing his 245th and last one-day international, having announced his retirement from the ODI format on Saturday. He needs 93 to reach 8,000 ODI career runs.
New Zealand veteran Daniel Vettori will play the last match of his 18-year international career at the MCG.
Unbeaten New Zealand is playing away from home for the first time in the tournament, and is coming off a next-to-last-ball semifinal win over South Africa in Auckland. It was New Zealand’s first win in seven attempts at the World Cup semifinal stage.
New Zealand won the toss only three previous times in the tournament, in the pool stage against Associate countries Scotland and Afghanistan and in the quarterfinal against West Indies.
Six of the New Zealanders in the starting XI were on the team which beat Australia by six wickets at the MCG in 2009, the last match between the teams at the venue.
Every team that has batted first at the MCG this World Cup has gone on to score in excess of 300 runs, while the highest ever successful run chase at the ground was 297-4 by Australia against England in 2010/11.
The teams
Australia: Aaron Finch, David Warner, Steve Smith, Michael Clarke (captain), Shane Watson, Glenn Maxwell, James Faulkner, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood
New Zealand: Brendan McCullum (captain), Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Grant Elliott, Corey Anderson, Luke Ronchi, Daniel Vettori, Matt Henry, Tim Southee, Trent Boult
AP contributed to this story.
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