Cricket World Cup: Black Caps v Australia - 11 statistics you probably didn't know

Michael Clarke has yet to score an ODI ton against New Zealand. Photo / Getty Images

New Zealand take on Australia at Eden Park on Saturday in what Herald cricket writer Dylan Cleaver has called the 'the most eagerly awaited match on home soil for two decades'.

The two sides have been involved in some classic match-ups over the years, and this weekend's game promises nothing less. To whet your appetites, we've compiled some interesting statistics about the the sides and some of the players likely to be involved.

1. Head-to-head record
New Zealand and Australia have met 126 times in ODI cricket. Australia have the bragging rights, winning 85 matches to New Zealand's 34. There have also been six no-results and one abandoned match.

2. Highest totals
New Zealand holds the record for the highest total posted - 350-9 at Hamilton in February 2007. The match was a transtasman classic. Australia posted a massive 346 in the first innings, with Matthew Hayden scoring 181 off 166 balls. When Scott Styris departed in the 10th over, the Black Caps were 41-4, a seemingly hopeless position. But then something quite special happened. Peter Fulton scored 51 off 40, Craig McMillan hit 117 off 90, and Brendon McCullum hit 86 off 91. All that brought New Zealand right back into the match, but it was an unlikely hero who really stood tall. Bowler Mark Gillespie came in at No 10 and walloped 28 off 15 balls to take the Black Caps to the winning and record-breaking total of 350.

3. Highest and lowest margins
Australia hold the record for the highest winning margin of 215 runs, during the 2007 World Cup in the West Indies. Australia batted first and posted 348, with Hayden scoring another hundred. This time there would be no heroics from the Black Caps, who were rolled for 133. The lowest winning margin is one run, which has happened on three occasions, with New Zealand winning all three - January 1981 in Sydney, January 1988, and Hobart 1990.

4. Brendon McCullum has never scored an ODI ton against Australia.
McCullum has played 42 ODIs against the old foe. He averages 28.02, which is below his career average of 30.63. The mercurial batsman has notched five 50s in that time but has yet to get to triple figures. McCullum will be hoping to go past his best score of 96 this weekend.

5. Michael Clarke has never scored an ODI ton against New Zealand.
The injury-prone Clarke has played 29 games against the Black Caps. He has scored seven 50s in that time with an impressive average of 40.52. But like McCullum, one thing the Aussie skipper hasn't been able to pull off is a century. His best of 98 was scored at the MCG in 2009.

6. Kane Williamson barely knows the Australians.
Williamson has fast become the Black Caps' lynchpin, but of his 68 ODIs only one was against Australia. Williamson scored an unbeaten 18 in that game, an ICC Champions Trophy match at Edgbaston. The game was washed out, leaving Williamson stranded at the crease as the Birmingham rain fell. He has meanwhile played Sri Lanka 15 times and India on 10 occassions.

7. Corey Anderson is the best all-rounder ever?
In 29 ODIs, Anderson has amassed 773 runs at a strike rate of 130.35. That's the best rate in ODI history, 0.34 ahead of the West Indies' Andre Russell. But that's just the batting. Anderson's strike rate as a bowler is just as impressive. His wicket-every 24.9 balls is second only in ODI history to Ryan Harris' 23.4.

8. Expect lots of fast runs
Saturday's match will feature four players with strike rates in the top 10 in ODI history. They are, in order: Anderson - 130.35 (1), Luke Ronchi - 124.41 (3), Glen "The Big Show" Maxwell - 117.85 (4), and James Faulkner - 111.11 (10).

9. Ronchi to face former team for just the second time.
Ronchi started his international career with Australia, playing four ODIs for the men in canary yellow. After switching allegiances, he's gone on to play 39 games for the Black Caps, but only one of those was against Australia. He opened the batting and scored 14 in that game (the Edgbaston match in 2013 mentioned above). Let's hope he can do better at Eden Park.

10. Introductions will be needed before the game
On Saturday it will have been 626 days since New Zealand last played Australia in an ODI match - and even then it was rained off. The game will mark the first meeting for some key players. Household names such as Trent Boult and Corey Anderson have never played in a transtasman encounter while Steve Smith has yet to bat against the Black Caps. Smith meanwhile has played England 17 times in ODIs and New Zealand just once.

11. Australia will most probably win the toss
New Zealand have lost the toss the last seven times against Australia dating back to 2009. Not a good statistic for McCullum who doesn't have a great tossing record. Before then however, New Zealand won eight of nine tosses.

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