"Not even rugby union's World Cup has witnessed an Australia and New Zealand final."
The Age - Chris Barrett
"Australia's World Cup dream is alive and well, and with it a mouthwatering trans-Tasman final is in store for Sunday.
"Michael Clarke's team fly to Melbourne on Friday one match away from lifting Australia's fifth title and fourth in the last five tournaments, the only object standing in their way their closest geographical rivals and co-hosts, New Zealand."
Brendon McCullum's unbeaten Black Caps side beat No.1-ranked Australia in a low-scoring thriller in the group stage, but are appearing in a first ever World Cup final at the MCG and in their first match outside New Zealand in this tournament.
Sydney Morning Herald - Malcolm Knox
"After a World Cup of shimmering individual performances, the teams to contest the final will be those who have proved the greatest collective depth. A.B. de Villiers, Chris Gayle, Rohit Sharma, Wahab Riaz, Shikhar Dhawan, Sarfraz Ahmed, Mahmudullah and others have burned brightly and flamed out. New Zealand and Australia will meet in Melbourne because they have been the best teams.
"When New Zealand lost Brendon McCullum and Kane Williamson in their semi-final on Tuesday, they could turn to Corey Anderson and Grant Elliott. At the Sydney Cricket Ground on Tuesday, every time Australia's Plan A went amiss, they were able to come up with a B, a C, a D and ultimately an MJ."
"...And that tells the story of why Australia are in the final. They bat deep, they bowl deep, they are well led and they have no weak links in the field. New Zealand are in the final for the same reason, strength in depth. Cricket is an individual game played in a team context. Over the course of a long tournament, the individual has mattered less and less, the team more and more."
Former cricketers react to the final showdown
For more coverage of the Cricket World Cup from nzherald.co.nz and NZME check out #CricketFever.
