Black Caps prevail in nervy Eden Park epic

Mitchell Starc bowled Australia to within an inch of an unbelievable victory to turn what appeared a comfortable New Zealand run chase into a heart-stopping World Cup epic.

Black Caps No.11 Trent Boult survived two balls from Starc before Kane Williamson blasted a six down the ground from Patrick Cummins to complete a one-wicket win – with an incredible 26.5 overs left in the contest.

Boult's five wickets earlier orchestrated a stunning Australian collapse and Brendon McCullum blasted a belligerent 21-ball half-century that looked set to hand Australia a chastening World Cup thumping and blow Pool A wide open.

But Starc typified Australia's never-say-die attitude with 6-28 from nine overs to put Australia within sight of what would have been a memorable victory.

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Starc bowls Elliott // AFP

As it was, Williamson was the hero for 40,000 Eden Park faithful, his first six the match-winner in an unbeaten 45 as New Zealand regained the Chappell-Hadlee trophy.

Mitchell Johnson suffered at the hands of the Black Caps as he saw his first five overs disappear for 68 runs. But it is Australia's batsmen that will most regret the loss that now makes the clash with Sri Lanka at the SCG a must-win encounter to stay in the top two of Pool A.

Captain Michael Clarke pulled the strings, setting aggressive fields more typically seen in Test match cricket than a limited-overs encounter with the attitude of wickets or bust. It nearly paid off as the Black Caps wobbled before Williamson nervelessly delivered the knock-out blow.

"Our batting was horrendous to put it politely, and Mitchell Starc was a genius," Clarke said after the match.

"Both teams would probably say we didn't at as well as we'd have liked," adding that he had no problems with the pitch after just 55.3 overs were needed for the result in a bowler-dominated game.

Asked if the two-week break between matches enforced by last week's washout against Bangladesh had an impact, Clarke replied: "I don't think so, credit to New Zealand way they bowled. We let ourselves down with the bat."

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Starc fires up for Australia // Getty Images

Joyous Kiwi supporters had chanted "you're worse than England" in the Eden Park stands as Australia's batsmen fell thick and fast in mustering just 151 in 32.2 overs.

Despite the disappointing effort with the bat and Johnson's pummelling – primarily at the hands of McCullum – Australia's bowlers showed plenty of heart to make a below-par total competitive.

Boult's career-best 5-27 ripped the heart out of the Australian middle order as they lost 8-26 in less than 10 overs.

After his first five-over spell went for 24 runs, Boult returned in the 18th over to take five wickets for one run (a wide, no less) in 18 balls.

With Australia staring down the barrel, McCullum started intent on a swift finish with a blistering half-century made all the more impressive after he played on with a throbbing arm that may yet prove to be broken.

McCullum reached his half-century on his 21st delivery having taking 15 runs off four balls from Johnson – a stinging riposte to the stinging blow the Kiwi captain had endured.

McCullum's hitting forced an early change of plans from Clarke, the introduction of a bat pad signalling a short-pitched attack. The Black Caps captain was subsequently struck on the left elbow by Johnson.

A sizeable lump quickly appeared and McCullum was in obvious discomfort, but did not let it affect his batting.

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A huge lump appers on McCullum's arm // Fox Sports

McCullum played down the impact after the match, saying "Yeah, I'll be right" when asked about it.

Wickets to Starc either side of the scheduled interval quietened the crowd and gave the Australians belief the impossible could happen as the Black Caps wobbled at 4-79.

The reintroduction of Johnson brought 16 runs and the Black Caps were back on track. 

McCullum had Eden Park rocking, continuing the party atmosphere started when Australia's vaunted batting line-up fell in a heap in Auckland.

From 1-80 in the 13th over, Australia were sitting pretty after a blistering start. Then the collapse came thick and fast.

Two wickets in two balls became a loss of 3-15, which became 5-17, then 6-24, then 8-26 to not just rip the heart out the Australian line-up but ask serious questions about the co-hosts position as tournament favourites.

New Zealand had used just three bowlers for the first 27 overs, such was their dominance, with the Australians having no answer to Trent Boult, who finished his 10-over spell with 5-27.

After the blistering start by the Australians, Black Caps skipper Brendon McCullum gambled to call on Daniel Vettori for the seventh over.

The result was an immediate stemming of the flow of runs, and then a flood of wickets.

Shane Watson and David Warner had put on 50 runs together before the under-fire No.3 was the first to fall after sending a pull-shot straight down mid-wicket's throat.

Watson, who admitted before the match it was "crunch time" for him to score runs, had looked to be finding form before rocking back to sky a Vettori delivery straight to Southee on the boundary line.

Watson's wicket, off the final ball of the 13th over, was followed immediately by that of David Warner on the first ball of the 14^th, given out LBW to Southee after being pinned on the crease.

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Southee celebrates after trapping Warner // Getty Images

Warner and Michael Clarke conferred before opting for a review, which showed the ball clipping the top of the bails by the narrowest of margins.

Then it became a procession. Steve Smith (4) outside edged Vettori to be well caught by former Australian representative Luke Ronchi behind the stumps, Glenn Maxwell (1) chopped on a wide Boult delivery flashing hard, while Mitchell Marsh (0) opted for a tentative push only for the same result.

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Vettori celebrates Smith's wicket // Getty Images

"Shot selection has been very poor," former Australian batsman Mark Waugh, now a Cricket Australia selector, said on commentary.

"The pitch looks like it is pretty good. We've given away some wickets here, the Australians. "

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Maxwell chops on Boult // Getty Images

Clarke had watched the carnage from the non-striker's end, moving to 12 in his first international cricket since the first Test against India in early December.

The Australia skipper became Boult's third victim when he drove on the up and was caught at short cover by Kane Williamson.

Mitchell Johnson followed soon after in identical fashion and Mitchell Starc had his middle stump uprooted by Boult to complete his five-wicket haul.

It had all looked so different early in Auckland, with the Australians dominating the early exchanges. 

Eden Park was rocking for this Chappell-Hadlee showdown and the players were not immune to the occasion – Southee delivered a wide first up and Warner belied recent talk about learning to pace his innings and play himself in by starting like a whirling dervish, swinging his bat hard at everything.

Australia had made an ideal start after the returning Clarke won the toss and elected to bat – 15 runs coming from the first over from Southee.

It was the first time in World Cup matches the opening over had yielded 15 runs since the 2003 World Cup final, when Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden took Zaheer Khan to the cleaners on the way to a successful trophy defence.

Finch smashed Southee straight back over his head for six on the opening ball of his second over but New Zealand's trump card struck back by knocking the Victorian's off-stump out of the ground on the very next ball.

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Finch is bowled by Southee // Getty Images 

Finch's departure for 14 from just seven balls did nothing to stem the run-rate with Watson quickly into the action.

Australia brought up their first fifty after six overs, which prompted Black Caps skipper to gamble and bring on spinner Daniel Vettori. It stemmed the Australian run tidal wave, just two from his over.

Vettori nearly had the breakthrough in his second over – Trent Boult, who has taken some stunning grabs in his time, could only get a finger to a mis-hit cut shot at short third man.

Warner survived that but carnage was soon to follow.

Last wicket pair Brad Haddin (43) and Pat Cummins (7*) proved the point there are no demons in the Eden Park pitch. They added 45 for the 10th, wicket, a record for Australia against New Zealand.

Brad Haddin was the last man out, edging to gully after top scoring with 43.

Australia: David Warner, Aaron Finch, Shane Watson, Michael Clarke (c), Steve Smith, Glenn Maxwell, Mitchell Marsh, Brad Haddin (wk), Mitchell Johnson, Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, George Bailey (12th) 

New Zealand: Brendon McCullum (c), Martin Guptill, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Grant Elliot, Corey Anderson, Luke Ronchi (wk), Dan Vettori, Tim Southee, Adam Milne, Trent Boult (12th man to be named)

Trans-Tasman tale of the tape

Overall: Played 126; Australia 85, New Zealand 35, NR/abandoned 6

World Cup: Played 9; Australia 6, New Zealand 3

Australia's record in 2015: Played 6; won 5, lost 1, NR/abandoned 1

Australia's record at Eden Park: Played 16; won 11, lost 6

Dire Aussie batting efforts

70 v New Zealand in 1986 at Adelaide Oval - Australia's lowest total in an ODI

129 v India in 1983 at Chelmsford - Australia's lowest total at a World Cup

126 v New Zealand in 1993 at Basin Reserve, Wellington - Australia's lowest ODI total in New Zealand

151 v New Zealand in 2015 at Eden Park - Australia's lowest ODI total in Auckland

Did you know?

Australia's collapse of 8-26 in nine overs was their worst eight-wicket collapse in an ODI, breaking the mark of 8-27 set against Pakistan in 2009 and Sri Lanka in 2013

On the bright side

Brad Haddin and Pat Cummins' partnership of 45 runs was a record 10th-wicket ODI stand for Australia in ODIs against New Zealand.