It had been the World Cup of bumpers. On a flat MCG deck, it had seemed bounce would be the bowlers' major ally. Australia's pace phalanx, though, were more confident of their quality than the vagaries of the surface, so they took the pitch out of the equation. All through the innings, they were full, fast and pinpoint, setting New Zealand on course for a modest 183 all out in the 45th over. Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson shared five wickets, having sent down several spells of searing, swinging yorkers between them, and James Faulkner - slower but cannier than the other left-armers - claimed three scalps for himself. In all, eight wickets fell to full deliveries.
New Zealand batted first after winning a rare toss, but either side of Grant Elliott and Ross Taylor's 111-run stand, the visitors collapsed. Their slowest start of the tournament became worse when two wickets fell soon after the mandatory Powerplay, and though Elliott's 83 runs from 82 balls was smooth - not withstanding two reviewed lbw decisions - he was forced into a premature attack when the lower middle order fell in a heap during, and just after the batting Powerplay. Faulkner's removal of Taylor and Corey Anderson within three balls in the 35th over signaled the definitive turning point in the innings. Starc and Johnson returned to ravage the tail, before a Glenn Maxwell direct hit found a languid Tim Southee short of his crease.
Though the middle overs would grant New Zealand some hope, the first over foreshadowed the innings nicely. Brendon McCullum's World Cup final innings was a high-octane blur. Mitchell Starc bowled fast and full, straightening the ball only a touch, but menacingly late. McCullum swung straight at the first, missed, then missed again when he advanced next ball. The third inswinging yorker clattered into the base of off stump. Starc took off toward square leg in celebration, the MCG's roar in his ears. Having been comprehensively outdone, McCullum left the field with his team at 1 for 1.
The early wicket helped weigh the New Zealand batsmen down, but Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson were also muted by impeccable pace bowling from Starc, Josh Hazlewood, and later Johnson. Guptill crashed a rare wide Starc ball through extra cover, collected a six off his top edge, before Williamson drove to the straight fence in the 10th over, but those would be New Zealand's only boundaries in the first ten overs. Having averaged more than seven an over through that period in the tournament, New Zealand were 31 for 1 when the field restrictions expired. Australia's exceptional ground fielding ensured even rare loose balls were punished minimally.
Australia grew red hot with the scalps of Guptill and Williamson - the former inexplicably missing an innocuous Maxwell offbreak, the latter spooning a return catch to Johnson in the 13th over. Elliott and Taylor combined to fight the fire, poking the first few runs through the offside with hard hands before Clarke slipped in a few overs from his supporting bowlers to inadvertently ease the pair in. Bringing Maxwell back into the attack did almost work for Clarke though. He had Elliott lbw for 15 off the final ball of the 20th over, before New Zealand's review found the ball to be slipping past leg stump.
Elliott eventually took another top-edged six and laced a few through the covers to move to a strike rate of around hundred, becoming the only New Zealand batsman to appear comfortable at the crease while Taylor plodded at the other end. All through the partnership, Australia's quicks would earn thick edges, but these flew fast and high over the infield. Third man was a productive area for the batsmen.
New Zealand would have had hopes of a total in excess of 250 - perhaps even 300 - when at the onset of the batting Powerplay, they were 150 for 3. But a Faulkner slower ball drew Taylor's edge first ball, and it was held low to his right by a diving Brad Haddin, whose chatter behind the stumps had been incessant. Corey Anderson would miss a straight yorker two balls later, and Luke Ronchi's outside edge was held at slip by Michael Clarke in the following over.
Elliott watched the carnage, then with his team seven down, sought to swing hard at any ball that seemed hittable. Faulkner scored his outside edge in the 42nd over, and New Zealand's innings continued its nosedive.
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