Australia's batsman Michael Clarke celebrates his half century as New Zealand's spin bowler Daniel Vettori looks on during the 2015 Cricket World Cup final. Photo / Getty Images
The Herald's Cricket World Cup 2015 final blog with Steven Holloway, Nick Edlin and Kris Shannon takes place below with analysis from Black Cap Jimmy Neesham. App users tap here.
Ball-by-ball statistics and scoreboard - Click here
3.23pm: Preamble
Some Opta stats for today's final.
- 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.
- Shane Watson has scored 86 runs off the 85 balls Tim Southee has bowled to him in ODIs, without being dismissed.
- Brendon McCullum has scored 308 of his 329 tournament runs in the mandatory power play, hitting 59 boundaries in the 150 balls he has faced.
- Ross Taylor has been dismissed three times by off-spinners in the tournament, more than any other player. He has also fallen once to leg-spin.
- 15 of Trent Boult's 21 wickets in the tournament have been batsmen batting at numbers 1 - 4; this percentage of 71.4% is the highest of anyone taking at least 10 wickets.
- Michael Clarke (62.6) and Martin Guptill (61.1) have the respective third and sixth highest all-time World Cup averages, minimum 10 dismissals.
- Steve Smith's last 12 ODI innings in Australia have produced 812 runs at an average of 81.2 and a strike rate of 96.4.
- Batsmen have failed to make contact with 27.2% of shots played off Mitchell Starc's bowling in the tournament - the next highest play and miss percentage is Vernon Philander's 18.4%.
3.10pm: Preamble
Martin Crowe is on the pitch. Photos from Getty photographer Michael Dodge:
Yesterday he brought fans to tears with the following:
My precarious life ahead may not afford me the luxury of many more games to watch. So this is likely to be it. I can happily live with that.
"To see the two sons I never had, Ross Taylor and Marty Guptill, run out in black, drawing on all their resolve and resilience, will be mesmerically satisfying.
I will hold back tears all day long. I will gasp for air on occasions. I will feel like a nervous parent.
Whatever happens, March 29 at the MCG will be the most divine fun ever.
3.07pm: Preamble
This from Herald writer Jamie Morton on Martin Guptill's dad's trip to the TAB:
Simply enjoying his Black Cap son's success wasn't enough for Peter Guptill - so he has bet on it. And now, he only has to watch son Martin score 10 more runs today before he can cash in on the $10 bet he placed with the TAB.
While reluctant to discuss the bet, Mr Guptill, 62, said he had backed his son to become the highest scorer for New Zealand and for the tournament overall.
He flew out to Melbourne at 4am yesterday, having finished one work shift 24 hours before and then working another. But the flight had been paid for - "someone shouted me a trip", he hinted - and he had finally secured the new passport which he'd earlier told media he wasn't sure would arrive in time.
"I actually got a knock on the door on Thursday morning and there was an Indian courier driver with a great big smile on his face," he said. "He said, Peter Guptill? I said, 'yeah?'. And he said, 'I think this is your passport'. I think he'd been following the story."
He's looking forward to catching up again with other families turning out to the MCG to watch their boys play - that's if they were seated together. "Who knows? Knowing the Aussies, they'll probably put one of us in each section."
3.02pm: Preamble
Jimmy Neesham is keeping our spirits up:
2.55pm: Preamble
Andrew Alderson is at Melbourne's Langham Hotel, getting ready to leave. Here's what he saw:
Dozens of fans have gathered to farewell the New Zealand and Australian team buses as they prepare to make their way from their hotel to the Melbourne Cricket Ground for this afternoon's World Cup final.
It has been selfie-mania as the teams wandered out in dribs and drabs to get settled for the short ride to the sports cathedral known to many simply as the 'G'. Selfie-sticks bobbed above the crowd to get a snap or two as the players emerged from a side exit at the Langham Hotel.
The best quote was reserved for one woman of grandmotherly disposition who suddenly whipped out her phone to get a selfie as Glenn Maxwell walked past. "Give 'em heaps Maxy," she bellowed.
Her daughter cried "Aw, Mum" in the background and put her head in her hands.
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum was part of an advance party which went to the ground by mini-van to, as he put it, "scope out the joint". He was relaxed and said the team's preparation could not have gone better.
New Zealand's order heading onto the bus was, at last report, Tim Southee, Luke Ronchi, Matt Henry, Kane Williamson, Kyle Mills, Corey Anderson and Ross Taylor.
The Australians were demonstrably staunch in their stride-by.
Maxwell quickly got his shades into place after initially shaping to go onto the New Zealand bus. James Faulkner was first out of the door followed by Maxwell, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc and George Bailey.
2.50pm: Preamble
Dylan's tweet has us thinking about Star Wars and that famous line, "That's no moon, it's a space station." And comparing cricket to Star Wars is something we can't get enough of here. Here's something we prepared earlier:
2.48pm: Preamble
Dylan Cleaver is at the MCG. He's in awe:
2.40pm: Preamble
Herald photographer Brett Phibbs has been capturing the mood of the crowds outside the MCG. The fans maybe nervous as hell but they aren't showing it:
2.28pm: Preamble
Kevin Pietersen may be supporting the Aussies but one person who has declared all-out war on green and gold is UK Telegraph writer Rob Bagchi, who has written a piece on why everyone should want Australia to lose World Cup. It's entertaining stuff.
For those with longer memories who believe that revenge is a dish best served cold, minds will turn back 34 years to a final played in the World Series Cup at the MCG in 1981. With the series level at 1-1 and New Zealand needing a six off the last ball to tie the match, Australia's captain, Greg Chappell, instructed his younger brother Trevor to bowl an underarm delivery to Brian McKechnie to prevent him hitting a six.
The former Australia all-rounder Keith Miller, the man who forever epitomises the best of his country's cricketers' life-affirming nonchalance, said the day after: "Yesterday one-day cricket died and Greg Chappell should be buried with it." Robert Muldoon, the New Zealand prime minister, went further still: "It was an act of true cowardice and I consider it appropriate that the Australian team was wearing yellow."
2.10pm: Preamble
Who is supporting Australia out there, a part from the Australians that is? Well close Shane Warne buddy and CWC commentator Kevin Pietersen is. But he must be ashamed because he's restricted his love of yellow to his socks.
2.00pm: Preamble
@cricketworldcup just posted a look inside the Aussie dressing room. No half-eaten pies, death rays, posters of mullet-era John Farnham - I'm surprised:
1.55pm: Preamble
David Leggat at the MCG: There's a large gathering of on-ground security staff getting a final briefing. And who's that out on the pitch having a final look? Shane Warne, Kevin Pietersen and Allan Border.
Which raises one of the big questions of the day: if McCullum, whose toss record ain't flash, happens to call correctly, which way will he go? A hunch: he'll bat first.
He's emphasised all through the cup it's about backing themselves, not worrying about the opposition. Batting first will be the assertive move, and it fits his personality.
The anthem singers are clearing their throats. All we need now is a crowd inside, not outside the Colosseum.
1.52pm: Preamble
David Leggat at the MCG: Don't worry about a yellow-out in the 100,000. There's at least as many black - and beige - shirts on the increasingly crowded concourse. Batman and Superman are there, waving a New Zealand flag.
Indian fans are decked out in black. A group of Indians in a lift last night were asked who they were supporting: "New Zealand of course."
Maybe Brendon McCullum had a good point yesterday - more than one nation want New Zealand to win today.
Two Kiwi fans were spotted getting into a cab and leaving (!!) the ground. There's an Indian street food stand doing good business. Maybe they booked the spot before the semifinals in anticipation and got it wrong - but the lines suggest they'll still do good business today.
1.48pm: Preamble
Dylan Cleaver flew out to Melbourne from Auckland Airport this morning. He spotted a very brave man in the check-in queue:
1.45pm: Preamble
@cricketworldcup has been posting lots of behind-the-scenes goodies on its Twitter account, including videos of the dressing rooms (rated G, no nudity) and the pitch (and I've never thought I'd be this interested in shaky footage of grass in all my life):
1.40pm: Preamble
A bit of pre-match colour from David Leggat: The crease lines are being freshly painted on the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the boundary rope sponsors' logos are being put in place. People are wandering the outfield performing various tasks, both important and seemingly menial. Cameras are in place with late tinkerings from their handlers. Not a spectator in the ground yet but that unmistakeable buzz that something rather big is at hand. Outside the crowds are gathering, there are queues building at the souvenir stands. Coffee makers are getting busy. Plenty of Kiwi flags, shirts and hats on display.
1.30pm: Preamble
The 2015 Cricket World Cup final is here. Well, almost. The match does start until 4.30pm but everyone on the Herald sports desk is raring to go, so we are starting our live coverage NOW! At the MCG, we have sports writers Dylan Cleaver, David Leggat and Andrew Alderson and photographer Brett Phibbs. Providing match coverage from the Herald sports desk will be sports writers Nick Edlin and Cameron McMillan and an army of men and women in beige. Last but not least, we have Black Caps all rounder Jimmy Neesham batting for us. If you want to follow me on Twitter or send your message for Black Caps, I'm on @ozvaughan.
The newly upgraded Waitaha Reserve has been officially opened in Welcome Bay, Tauranga.