Cricket World Cup Schedule 2015: New Zealand vs. Australia Odds, Fixture Info
Australia and New Zealand have played out some engrossing cricket matches in their storied history, but there will be none quite as significant as Sunday’s World Cup final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
The two host nations have both been superb at this competition, making the most of favourable and familiar conditions to turn in some remarkable displays. In addition, a thrilling encounter between the two in the group stages—which the Black Caps won by one wicket—has whet the appetite for what should be a day of high drama Down Under.
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Here’s a look at how the bookmakers are seeing things on the cusp of this momentous occasion, as well as some of the players poised to write their names into the annals of the game with a stirring display for their team.
| Australia | 2/5 | New Zealand | 2/1 |
| Brendon McCullum (NZ) | 6/1 | David Warner (Aus) | 7/1 |
| Steve Smith (Aus) | 13/2 | Aaron Finch (Aus) | 8/1 |
| Kane Williamson (NZ) | 13/2 | Ross Taylor (NZ) | 10/1 |
| Martin Guptill (NZ) | 7/1 | Glenn Maxwell (Aus) | 10/1 |
| Mitchell Starc (Aus) | 9/2 | Mitchell McClenaghan (NZ) | 7/1 |
| Trent Boult (NZ) | 5/1 | James Faulkner (Aus) | 8/1 |
| Mitchell Johnson (Aus) | 6/1 | Josh Hazlewood (Aus) | 8/1 |
| Tim Southee (NZ) | 6/1 | Daniel Vettori (NZ) | 8/1 |
Odds courtesy of oddschecker.com and accurate as of 9:30 a.m. (GMT), Mar. 26.
Date: Sunday, Mar. 29
Time: 4:30 a.m. BST/2:30 p.m. local/11:30 p.m. ET, Mar. 28
Forecast: Sunny, 25C
Martin Guptill—Top Batsman (7/1)
Amidst the pressure-cooker atmosphere of a World Cup final, it can be easy for a side to get wrapped up in the emotional wrangle of the occasion.
While New Zealand will be hopeful of skipper Brendon McCullum leading from the front with patented aggression, in Guptill they have a steady head at the top of the order who will be vital to the Black Caps’ cause.
While the skipper typically seizes the spotlight with his brutish hitting first up, Guptill is a perfect foil. He plays with a steadiness and composure that brings a real calmness to this New Zealand team and, as he showcased during that extraordinary unbeaten 237 against the West Indies, can accelerate with distinction, too.
As we can see here courtesy of Freddie Wilde of ESPNcricinfo, once Guptill gets on the charge, he can be a tough man to halt:
An innings of similar style would do wonders for the New Zealand cause. The MCG is going to be a hotbed of green and gold, and while cricket typically remains a beacon of sportsmanship and respect, the Black Caps players will be in for a real hostile reception. A calm start from Guptill would go a long way to settling those nerves.
He’s been in wonderful form, too. As we can see courtesy of BBC Test Match Special, the opener has already passed a substantial landmark:
Of all the illustrious names set to take to the hallowed turf on Sunday, Guptill may not be the most high profile. But with the focus of the cricketing world set to be trained on the MCG for this showpiece occasion, he’s the perfect candidate to lay solid foundations for a New Zealand triumph.
Mitchell Starc—Top Bowler (5/1)
Given the astonishing array of batting talent in this Australia team, much of the focus has been on scoring big runs and sensational boundary hitting. But Starc has proven himself to be as equally vital a component to this enthralling Baggy Greens team, taking a staggering 20 wickets at the tournament so far.
He’s an engrossing bowler to watch, too. The left-armer goes about his business with accuracy and aggression, meaning he’s a prime candidate to send the stumps of an opponent flying, something that’s hugely enamouring to fans watching around the world.
Indeed, the batsman’s stumps windmilling across the ground is quickly becoming a patent of Starc's, per OptaJason:
But what’s most impressive about Starc is how his raw unpredictability is complemented by an economical streak. So if the wicket is a batsman’s paradise—as has often been the case at this tournament—while the left-armer may not be tearing through the opposition with a flurry of wickets, he can settle things down by bowling an economical line and length.
As noted by Bleacher Report’s Tim Collins, Starc’s economy rate is incredibly meagre when you consider how dominant batsmen have been at this World Cup:
There will be a certain sense of trepidation for the New Zealand players in facing Starc, too. He very nearly hauled Australia to a victory in that aforementioned tussle earlier in the tournament, turning in one of the very best bowling performances you will ever see.
If he can repeat the trick at the MCG in front of a raucous Aussie crowd, then you suspect the Baggy Greens will be sampling their fifth world crown come the competition’s climax with Starc the toast of the nation in bars up and down the land.
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