2015 ICC Cricket World Cup Final Australia Vs New Zealand @ MCG Sunday March 29,2015

 

When Australia meets New Zealand in Sunday's final of the ICC Cricket World Cup in Melbourne, it will be co-host vs co-host.

New Zealand will be looking to win their first ever World Cup and on the other hand Australia will be hoping to make it five.

New Zealand have reached their first ICC Cricket World Cup final - they are the seventh different team to make a final appearance

Australia have lost the toss in six of their last seven completed ODIs against New Zealand on home soil, but have won five of these seven meetings.

The Black Caps are attempting to record their 300th ODI victory. They have lost 339 and tied six

Sunday's final will be New Zealand’s first match of the tournament away from home soil and their first at the MCG in since a six-wicket win over the hosts in 2009.

In their last 12 one-dayers at the MCG going back five years, Australia have won all but two and they are unbeaten at the ground in their last six encounters.

Australia' s World Cup Record

1975 - finalist; 1979 - pool phase; 1983 - pool phase; 1987 - winners; 1992 - pool phase; 1996 - finalist; 1999 - winners; 2003 - winners; 2007 - winners; 2011 - quarter-finals

Australia's Road to the Final

• beat England by 111 runs - Aaron Finch's 135 and Mitchell Marsh's 5/33 resulted an easy win. 

• Match abandoned against Bangladesh and called of due to heavy rain without a ball being bowled at the Gabba in Brisbane

• lost to New Zealand by one wicket - Mitchell Starc's 6/28 could not compensate for a batting collapse

• beat Afghanistan by 275 runs - David Warner top-scored with 178 in an Australian run-feast

• beat Sri Lanka by 64 runs - Glenn Maxwell smashed 102 in 53 balls to outshine Kumar Sangakkara ton

• beat Scotland by 7 wickets - Starc led Scotland's rout with four wickets for 14 before Australia chased down the target in 15.2 overs

• beat Pakistan by 6 wickets in the QF's- Hazlewood led a spirited bowling effort with four wickets and the batsmen chased down a moderate target, despite an impressive spell from Wahab Riaz

• beat India by 95 runs in the SF's- Smith's century laid the foundation for a comprehensive win against the defending champions

New Zealands World Cup Record
1975 - semi-finals; 1979 - semi-finals; 1983 - first round; 1987 - first round; 1992 - semi-finals; 1996 - quarter-finals; 1999 - semi-finals; 2003 - super six; 2007 - semi-finals; 2011 - semi-finals 

New Zealand's Road to the Final

• beat Sri Lanka by 98 runs - A solid batting performance from the batsmen saw New Zealand post 331-6, which the bowling attack easily defended by bundling out Sri Lanka for 233

• beat Scotland by 3 wickets - New Zealand skittled Scotland for 142 but then lost seven wickets in a nervous chase to win by three wickets 

• beat England by 8 wickets - Tim Southee picked up seven wickets for 33 as England were all out for 123. Brendon McCullum then blasted 77 in 25 balls as the co-hosts reached their target in 12.2 overs 

• beat Australia by one wicket - New Zealand held their nerve to beat trans-Tasman rivals Australia by one wicket in a low-scoring thriller. Boult took five wickets for New Zealand while Starc did the damage for Australia with six wickets

• beat Afghanistan by 6 wickets - Daniel Vettori stifled Afghanistan with four wickets for just 18 runs off his 10 overs and then McCullum hit 42 off 19 balls as New Zealand chased down the 187-run target with six wickets in hand 

• beat Bangladesh by 3 wickets - Mahmudullah's 128 took Bangladesh to 288-7 but it was not enough as Martin Guptill scored 105 to help his team to victory after early hiccups

• beat West Indies by 143 runs in the QF's - Martin Guptill scored a World Cup record 237 not out to help New Zealand reach 393-6. West Indies could only muster 250 in reply despite a rapid 61 from Chris Gayle 

• beat South Africa by 4 wickets (D/L method) in the SF's- Grant Elliott's unbeaten 84, backed up by brisk 50s from Brendon McCullum and Corey Anderson helped New Zealand chase down a target of 298 in 43 overs. Grant Elliott finished the match with a six on the penultimate ball 

 New Zealand won the toss and chose to bat first

Squads

Australia
Aaron Finch, David Warner, Steven Smith, Michael Clarke(c), Shane Watson, Glenn Maxwell, Brad Haddin(w), James Faulkner, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood.

New Zealand
Brendon McCullum(c), Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Grant Elliott, Corey Anderson, Luke Ronchi(w), Daniel Vettori, Tim Southee, Matt Henry, Trent Boult.

 

NZ scored 183/10 in 45 Overs

Fall of wickets(NZ)

Brendon McCullum                  00(3 Balls)

Martin Guptill                           15(34 Balls with 4x1 and 6x1)

Kane Williamson                       12(33 Balls with 4x1)
Ross Taylor                               40(72 Balls with 4x2)
Corey Anderson                        00(2 Balls)
Luke Ronchi                              00(4 Balls)
Daniel Vettori                             09(21 Balls with 4x1)
Grant Elliott                               83(82 Balls with 4x7 and 6x1) - 9th ODI Fifty
Matt Henry                                00(7 Balls)
Tim Southee                               11(11 Balls with 6x1)
Wicket Takers(Australia)
Mitchell Johnson                        3/30(9 Overs)
James Faulkner                          3/36(9 Overs)
Mitchell Starc                             2/20(8 Overs)
Glenn Maxwell                            1/37(7 Overs)

It was Mitchell Starc, who gave Australia a perfect start by shattering Brendon McCullum's stumps to send the jam-packed crowd at the MCG into paroxysms of delight.

Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson followed him back to the pavilion.

Ross Taylor(34) and Grant Elliott(72) then put on 111 Runs for the 4th wicket and consolidated the NZ innings

Australian team feeling elated after Steven Smith hit the winning shot for the team

Mitchell Johnson(3/30 in 9 overs), James Faulkner(3/36 in 9 overs) were star performers with the ball while Michael Clarke scored 74 Runs(72 Balls with 4x10 and 6x2)as Australia registered a comprehensive win

Michael Clarke scored 74 in his last ODI as Australia (186/3) defeated New Zealand (183) by seven wickets in the final at the MCG to win their fifth World Cup title
Michael Clarke added 112 runs with Steve Smith (56)

Scorecard

NZ scored 183/10 in 45 Overs

Australia scored 186/3 in 33.1 Overs

Aaron Finch                            00(5 Balls)

David Warner                          45(46 Balls with 4x7)

Michael Clarke                        74(72 Balls with 4x10 and 6x2) - 58th ODI Fifty

Steve Smith                             56*(71 Balls with 4x3)-7th ODI Fifty

Shane Watson                          02*(5 Balls)

Wicket Takers(NZ)

Matt Henry                              2/46(9.1 Overs)

Trent Boult                               1/40(10 Overs)
Match Result - Australia won by 7 wickets

 

On Sunday,Michael Clarke led Australia to their fifth World Cup title - and his second - with a seven-wicket win over New Zealand in front of 93,013 fans at the MCG

Australia rode on the brilliance of Mitchell Starc(2/20 in 8 overs), Mitchell Johnson(3/30 in 9 overs) and Josh Hazlewood, with the new ball. If Starc swung it at pace, then Johnson and Hazlewood bowled back of a length and hit the bat hard. Faulkner with his box of tricks ran through the middle-order and took 3 wickets

Man of the Match: Australia's James Faulkner receives the MoM award from Sachin Tendulkar.
James Faulkner ended his 9 over spell with the figures of 3/36 including the crucial wickets of Ross Taylor, Grant Elliott and Corey Anderson.
Player of the Tournament: Mitchell Starc receives the award from Sachin Tendulkar. The Australian speedster ended the 2015 World Cup as the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 22 wickets alongside New Zealand's Trent Boult.