MELBOURNE: After 48 matches involving teams from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe cricket’s global showcase has distilled itself into a local derby.

Australia and New Zealand welcomed 12 other nations to the World Cup but saved the final for themselves, ensuring Sunday’s championship match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground will feature the tournament’s two best teams and will be permeated by one of world sport’s most heart-felt rivalries.

In trying to characterise that rivalry, commentators have evoked a game of backyard cricket between siblings: the older brother (Australia) accustomed to dominating the younger; the younger brother (New Zealand) eager for a win to further establish its own identity and to win its rival’s respect.

The status as favourites is disputed but only in the sense each team has tried to confer it on the other. Australia say New Zealand are the favourites as the form team of the tournament, unbeaten to this stage and the winners, by one wicket, of the match between the teams in pool play.

New Zealand say four-time champions Australia is the favourites as the home team, master of their own conditions and winners of more than two-thirds of all One-day Internationals between them.

It’s a heart and head calculation in which Australia are the experts’ pick, New Zealand the sentimental favourites. Australia should have the support of most of the MCG crowd on Sunday and of millions of compatriots in a country where cricket is the national summer sport.

But the New Zealand team’s support will extend well beyond their 4.4 million countrymen and women. As each team has been eliminated from the tournament, most-recently India, many of those fans have transferred their support to New Zealand as the alternative team they would most prefer to win.

Part of that is the natural tendency to support the underdogs, unrated New Zealand against top-ranked Australia, but it goes further. Cricket fans around the world have been captivated by New Zealand’s progress through the tournament, by its aggressive, risk-taking style of play and by the humility of their players, most-often represented by captain Brendon McCullum.

“We’ve done some amazing things over the last little while,” McCullum said on Saturday. “We’ve had some tremendous support back home and from around the world. I think the brand of cricket we’ve played has touched a lot of people and endeared us to a lot of people who follow this game.

“It’s probably no secret that most of the other teams around the world would probably prefer New Zealand to win than Australia.”

Australia captain Michael Clarke might have pared back some of that sentimental advantage in announcing Sunday’s match will be his last ODI for Australia. He said he won’t prepare differently, but the decision he announced unexpectedly Saturday adds a new, emotional context to a match already rich with nuance and subtext.

“It’s a special game, no doubt about it,” Clarke said. “But it needs to be about the team. It’s not emotion, it’s skill that helps you win major games and major tournaments and tomorrow will be no different.

“I will train no harder today. I will study New Zealand no harder than I did last time we played them. I will sleep no worse tonight than I ever do. I’ll be no less nervous before I walk out to bat. The feeling is exactly the same — if we can win that would be icing on the cake.”

McCullum said when the World Cup began New Zealand dreamed of making the final — something they have never previously achieved — but they dreamed more specifically of a final against Australia in Australia.

New Zealand’s Corey Anderson prepares to catch the ball as team-mates (L to R) Kane Williamson, Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor look on during a training session on Saturday.—AP

“I think that’s a fair call — 100,000 people in Australia’s backyard, Melbourne Cricket Ground and the history and traditions and against a very good Australian team,” he said. “It’s been a great ride so far. I guess this is the ultimate game for us to be able to play in everyone’s career. That certainly whets the appetite and creates the greatest stage we can ask for.

“Central to that staging is the historic rivalry between Australia and New Zealand. The rivalry between the two countries is, I think, a healthy rivalry,” McCullum said. “We’ve seen some epic battles over the years [and] it’s not just cricket and rugby.

“We’ve seen tremendous battles between the two and both countries have stopped while the teams are playing respective sports. So tomorrow is no different; It is a healthy rivalry which will continue well after our time.

In their last 12 one-dayers at the MCG going back five years, Australia have won all but two and they are unbeaten at the ground in their last six encounters.

Crucial to New Zealand’s chances of lifting a first World Cup is, perhaps, how their potent new ball attack of Trent Boult and Tim Southee handle the change of conditions on the drop-in wicket.

Consensus has it they will get less of the swing they have used to such devastating effect back home and will have to adjust the length of their deliveries.

Australia expect that to play to their advantage the same way New Zealand benefited in the one-wicket victory at Eden Park — the only defeat for Michael Clarke’s side.

“I think the fact that the conditions are different will certainly help us, and we’ve played a fair bit of cricket throughout the summer at the MCG as well,” Clarke said after the semi-final win in Sydney on Thursday. “Conditions are a lot different to what New Zealand have been playing in New Zealand. But in saying that, I think we’re going to have to play our best cricket, there’s no doubt about it.”

Australia have a potent bowling attack of their own in the rampant Mitchell Starc and Mitchell Johnson, with the older Johnson looking close to his best with two key Indian wickets in the semi-final.

It has largely been a World Cup more notable for batting, though, and both sides have quality all their way through their line-ups.

The fearless aggression shown by openers McCullum and Martin Guptill has been a sight to behold for cricket lovers everywhere.

And if there was any doubt about New Zealand’s ability to deal with pressure, they can point to two tight victories won with sixes — first Kane Williamson against Australia and then Grant Elliott in the semi-final against South Africa.

For Australia, Steve Smith has been calmly racking up runs all season and in the likes of David Warner and Glenn Maxwell they also have the power hitters to inflate a batting total in a few short overs.

And such is the confidence of the Black Caps that they opted to name an unchanged XI for the title-decider with fast bowler Matt Henry, a late replacement for the injured Adam Milne, retaining his spot.

Teams:

AUSTRALIA (probable): David Warner, Aaron Finch, Steve Smith, Michael Clarke (captain), Shane Watson, Glenn Maxwell, James Faulkner, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood.

NEW ZEALAND: Martin Guptill, Brendon McCullum (captain), Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Grant Elliott, Corey Anderson, Luke Ronchi, Daniel Vettori, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Matt Henry.

Umpires: Kumar Dharmasena (Sri Lanka) and Richard Kettleborough (England).

TV umpire: Marais Erasmus (South Africa).

Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (Sri Lanka).

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2015

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