7. THE AUSSIES DELIVER A FIVE STAR PERFORMANCE
Hot favorites Australia lived up to their reputation by beating New Zealand by 7 wickets in the final of the 2015 ICC CWC at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground. The stage was set as 93,013 people gathered at the MCG to watch the grand finale. It was indeed an emotional setting for the Aussies as their skipper Michael Clarke had announced his retirement from ODI Cricket on the eve of the big final. The players wanted to win the World Cup at any cost to thank their leader for his 10 years of faithful service to Australian Cricket in limited overs cricket. Electing to bat first, the Kiwis could post no more than 183 runs on the board; largely due to the efforts of the Aussie pacers. Grant Elliott (83) did his best to pull his side out of the precarious situation, but his act withered away owing to a horrid display by the rest of the batting department. The Aussies overwhelmed their Trans-Tasmanian rivals and reached the target with 107 balls to spare. Michael Clarke top scored for the Aussies with a classy 74 off 72 deliveries, which helped his side bag the most prestigious trophy of the game for the fifth time. James Faulkner was adjudged the ‘Man of the Match’ for his figures of 3/30 and Mitchell Starc was conferred the ‘Man of the Tournament’ for his 22 wickets.
