29/3/15

Dear Diary, (sorry this entry is a little later than usual but a decent hangover saw me laid low for quite a chunk of time.)

Today is the big day.

After 49 matches and 44 days the final has finally arrived .

Australia V. New Zealand.

The M.C.G.

Everything about this is huge.

Finals of the world cup have traditionally been quite one sided but I have a good feeling that this is going to be a classic game. High scoring, free flowing with lots of twists and turns along the way before my team hit the winning runs off the last ball of the game to win it with a 6 (which I subsequently catch in the crowd, one handed, and claim the ultimate nice wee souvenir for myself.)

It is a baking hot day in Melbourne today and my seat is in the sunshine. I am thankful that security didn't confiscate my bottle of frozen water as its the only thing that is keeping me from melting in the strong afternoon heat.

The place is packed. I’ve never seen so many people in one place before and even before I get inside the ground the noise is deafening from people talking, yelling, shouting, chanting and singing. There’s even a little bit of spontaneous dancing every now and then. It takes an age to get to my seat because people are wandering around so slowly, trying to drink in the G in all its domineering splendor.

Everything seems bigger for this match. The ground seems bigger, the crowd seem bigger, the ground announcer seems to have a bigger voice today and when the national anthems are played the sound and the pride from everyone seems even bigger.

A crowd member manages to get onto the ground during the national anthems and makes it three quarters of the way across the ground, including running on the pitch before he is brought down by security. Once the anthems are over and before the players take the field the big screen informs people that pitch invading is a crime for which the fine is $8300. Nobody even thinks about running on the field after that news.

New Zealand win the toss and chose to bat. The stage is set for McCullum to score a big century and give his team the platform to push on and get a mammoth total. I kinda hope that McCullum tempers his natural aggression and plays like a normal person for a wee while at least, but even as I’m thinking it I know its a fools hope and that McCullum will continue his over attacking way. It has worked for him almost all tournament so why change now.

He is out for a duck off the third ball he faces and there is a squeaking noise in the stadium as every Kiwi supporter’s butt clenches a little tighter. I’ve spent a lot of conversations trying to convince people that New Zealand isn’t just a one man team but when I say this to the lady sitting next to me it feels like I’m trying to convince myself. Stark is bowling well and hostile and it’s easy to see why he’s the competitions leading wicket taker and when he is replaced by Johnson New Zealand must have been thinking ‘You just see off one terrifyingly fast Mitchell and another one comes along.’ After 10 overs New Zealand have made an uncharacteristically slow start and are 1/31. Amazing what a difference McCullum makes. Guptill is out to Maxwell in the first over of spin. 2/22 and the Kiwis need some impetus and staying power. Ross Taylor is the man for that and lucky for N.Z. he’s the next man in.Taylor gets of the mark with an elegant boundary for 4 and New Zealand need more of that if they are to mount a serious challenge. Kane Williamson is caught and bowled shortly afterwards and the Kiwis need a new hero. Taylor and Elliot join forces and steady the innings with the pest partnership for New Zealand and take the score past 50 which comes up in the 15th over (doesn't this Kiwi team usually bring up 50 in 5 overs? and most other nations in 10 overs?)

The 150 comes up after 35 overs and everyone pins their hopes on the batting powerplay bringing some runs. Unfortunately that doesn't happen as Taylor is out off the first ball of it for 40 N.Z. now 4/150. Anderson in, Anderson out. N.Z. 5/150. Ronchi in, Ronchie out. 6/151. Daniel Vettori, one of the worlds greatest allrounders (‘Maybe five years ago’, comes the chat from the lady next to me), comes in batting at 8. Perhaps he can save this failed New Zealand innings. Nope. he’s out for 9. N.Z. 7/169.

Wicket, wicket, wicket and new Zealand are bundled out for 183 with 5 overs left unused.

Its a disappointing total but hope springs eternal and perhaps we could get another low scoring thriller like when the last time these two great nations met back in the group round.

Australia need 184 to win and the short version of what happened goes like this ... Australia get off to a good start, oh, they've won it !!!

The slightly longer version goes like this ... Australia get off to a bad start when Finch is out in the 2nd over for a duck. New Zealand looking good in the field and are up for this challenge but Australian bat normally and hold everything together. After 10 overs they are 1/56 and on target to wrap up the game in 25 overs. The Kiwis need something brilliant to get the breakthrough. When Warner goes, falling into a short ball trap/failing to get on top of one, caught a deep square leg, Smith and Clark form a partnership that ends all hope of a New Zealand comeback in this match.

Clarke had some luck along the way, a played on ball actually hit his stumps but didn’t dislodge the bails, dropped immediately after making his 50, (‘How is all the luck going the Aussies way?’) Some inventive field placing couldn't help McCullum buy a wicket and the 100 partnership came up in 102 balls. Clarke is bowled as New Zealand claim a consolation wicket but the game is over a few minutes as later as Smith gets his 50 and hits the winning runs with a 4 that brings fireworks, confetti and huge cheers from all around the ground. The crowd has been marvelous at this game and almost all of the record making attendance hang around for the post match presentation, all 93 013 of us!!! The game may have finished early but nobody wants this night to end. Even though the game didn’t go the way half the crowd, and an entire nation, wanted it to go but no one wants to walk away from history.

There are a lot of grey men in suites at the presentation ceremony but Sachin Tendulkar get the biggest cheer of the presentation party, probably because he is the only one of them that has actually done something !!! I thought the player of the tournament would have been McCullum as his scintillating batting had everyone tuning in but the Player of the tournament award actually went to Mitchell Stark. Fair enough, leading wicket taker, and game changer, in a tournament dominated by batsmen. Good for him.

After the lap of honour and more fireworks and confetti it was time to leave history behind and head off into Melbourne town and join in the party that was happening everywhere. I knew I was going to regret having that last pint in the morning but nights like this, and world cup finals, don't come along very often.

One last look as I left the stadium and I saw on the big screen ‘See you in England, 2019’

You bet I will.

I can’t wait.


"Look for the ridiculous in everything and you will find it." Jules Renard - (1864 - 1910)