Australia 151 all out from 32.1 overs (Brad Haddin 45, David Warner 34, Trent Boult 5-27, Tim Southee 2-54 and Daniel Vettori 2-45) lost to the BLACKCAPS 152-9 (Brendon McCullum 50, Kane Williamson , Mitchell Starc 3-*) by one wicket at Eden Park.
The BLACKCAPS squeaked home thanks to a blistering bowling effort and 5-27 for Man Of The Match Trent Boult, and a six by Kane Williamson to win it when all around him was carnage. The win gives them two Cricket World Cup points, the Chappell-Hadlee trophy and consolidates their place at the top of Pool A, but it was heart in mouth stuff at the end.
Chasing 152 for the win, Brendon McCullum again blazed at the top of the innings with 50 from 24 balls, smashing the Aussie pace men to all corners with seven fours and three sixes and getting his side off to a runaway start.
A fired up Mitchell Johnson hit back with a bouncer that hit the skipper, hitting McCullum's left arm at 147.2km per hour. McCullum went down for a moment with an impressive bruise, but was able to carry on.
Martin Guptill went for 11, caught by Pat Cummins from Mitchell Starc, before McCullum was caught for 50 from 24 balls to end his fiery innings. Then Ross Taylor was bowled by Starc for one, to send the teams off for the tea break.
When Grant Elliott was bowled by Starc first ball back and put Starc on his first hat trick of the match, the nerves set in, but Kane Williamson and Corey Anderson, who were tied down fast for a few overs, were able to rebuild the innings and made 52 together, before Anderson was caught by Cummins from Glenn Maxwell. The third umpire reviewed the catch to see if it carried, but after several replays, Anderson was on his way.
From there, it was chaos. Luke Ronchi, then Dan Vettori lost their wickets cheaply. Then Williamson, who was playing a mature innings to get his side home, called Adam Milne through for a single with seven runs to get. Milne was then bowled by a Starc yorker, before Tim Southee went the next ball in the same fashion.
There were still six runs to get with one wicket remaining, and the tension was overpowering and unpleasant, if you were a BLACKCAPS fan.
Boult survived the hat trick ball, and the next to end the over, before Williamson smashed the first ball from Cummins’ next over straight for six to end the game, to the nation’s relief.
The win lifts the BLACKCAPS to the top of Pool A and gives them the Chappell-Hadlee trophy.
Earlier, Australia, got off to a blazing start with 50 from their first 5 overs, but skydived from 80-1 to all out for 151 as the BLACKCAPS delivered one of their all-time great World Cup performances.
Australian skipper Michael Clarke won the toss and elected to bat first in the hot and fine conditions and the visitors got off to a blistering start.
The Australian openers, Aaron Finch and David Warner, showed no respect for the hero from Wellington, Southee as they went after the seamer with 15 coming off his first over.
The spearhead of the BLACKCAPS attack soon had his revenge when he bowled Finch for 14 in his second over. Dan Vettori frustrated Shane Watson (23) and Warner, getting the former caught in the deep by a sharp catch by Southee on the midwicket boundary.
The very next ball Southee bounced back beautifully by removing the danger man Warner LBW.
It looked a touch high and the Australians reviewed, but the ball was deemed to be clipping the top of leg stump and Warner was on his way to a chorus of boos.
There was more reason to cheer when Vettori chipped in by removing Steve Smith, caught behind Luke Ronchi for four.
BLACKCAPS skipper McCullum again showed his innovation by bringing Boult back into the attack and the left armer continued his golden run by bowling Glen Maxwell (1) and then Mitchell Marsh (0) in the same over.
All of a sudden, the four time World Champions had gone from 80-1 to 97-6 and the noise around the ground was deafening.
There was more to come from Boult as he removed the Aussie skipper when Clarke hit it straight to cover point and moments later he had Mitchell Johnson in the same fashion, both times Kane Williamson taking fine catches.
Boult then cleaned up Mitchell Starc for his first five-wicket bag in ODIs, but it was all over in the 33rd over when Corey Anderson had Haddin caught in the gully by the sub fielder Tom Latham for 45.
