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Black Caps legend Martin Crowe enjoyed a double celebration at Eden Park on Saturday – he was inducted into the ICC Hall of Fame, and watched New Zealand stumble over the line to beat Australia by one wicket in one of the World Cup’s more extraordinary games.
Pre-game one could reasonably predict two opening batsmen – Australia’s David Warner and Black Caps skipper Brendon McCullum – to blaze seriously big numbers with the bat.
Or for two opening bowlers – Australia’s expressman Mitchell Johnson and Black Cap record-holder Tim Southee – to dominate with the ball.
No way.
Warner scored an out-of-character sedate 34 off 42 with just two fours and a six, while McCullum was more like his normal self with 50 off 24 with seven fours and three sixes.
But Johnson (6-1-68-0), and Southee (9-0-65-2) were pasted to all parts of a chock full Eden Park. It was to be the second stringers turn to have a memorable day out.
Trent Boult’s career best 5-27 was instrumental in Australia struggling to reach the well below par total of 151.
If it hadn’t been for keeper Brad Haddin top-scoring for the Australians with 43, to dominate a 10th wicket stand of 45 with Pat Cummins on seven not out, the total would have been considerably more embarrassing.
Australia lost 8-26, collapsing from 1-80 to 9-106 before the Haddin-Cummins stand.
With New Zealand cruising at 4-131 in reply and needing only 22 runs for victory, Mitchell Starc put his hand up to be counted.
In a stunning burst second-stringer Starc returned career-best figures as well with 9-0-28-6 as the Black Caps lost 5-15.
Starc was on a hat-trick, with Kane Williamson and 11th man Boult together with nine out, and still six runs to get.
Australia was within a ball of the great escape, but the ever patient Williamson, who had been at the crease since the fall of the first New Zealand wicket, straight drove Cummins for a towering six, and the nail-biting was over.
Williamson will probably never play a more meaningful innings for his country than his unbeaten 45 off 42 with five fours, and the match-winning major he saved for last.
Trent Boult was named man-of-the-match, but surviving the Starc hat-trick delivery, with New Zealand still six short and nine down, would have been far more meaningful than the trophy.
So the Black Caps are bowling along at the top of Pool A, unbeaten in four outings, while Australia has one win, one loss, and one no result – exactly the same stats as Bangladesh.
That fact alone should be enough to shake the cobwebs out of the Australians, while the Black Caps, and especially Martin Crowe on his big day, have every right to crow.