Starc to Faulkner, the World Cup final belonged to Australia's left-arm fast bowlers

It may have been a batsman’s World Cup but it was a bowler’s final; a left-arm Australian fast bowlers’ final to be exact. The two Mitches – Starc and Johnson - and James Faulkner combined to take eight New Zealand wickets for 86 runs. Starc set the tone in the first over against Brendon McCullum. The World Cup’s most parsimonious opening bowler versus its most aggressive opening batsmen. McCullum lasted three balls and hit nothing but air. [caption id=“attachment_2178933” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  The two Mitches – Starc and Johnson - and James Faulkner combined to take eight New Zealand wickets for 86 runs. AFP[/caption] The first ball was full and swinging. McCullum, being McCullum went hard at it but the ball wasn’t where he thought it was. It darted past his inside edge and somehow missed the offstump. This wouldn’t do for McCullum so he charged Starc next ball. Starc followed him with another full, swinging delivery that somehow missed legstump. We can’t be sure McCullum even saw it. We can be sure it put a little doubt in McCullum’s mind because he was stuck in his crease to the next delivery, which was – you guessed it – full and swinging. IT darted under McCullum’s bat before he could bring it down and the thrilling sound of ball hitting stumps echoed around the MCG. Starc set off on a victory lap as the crowd erupted with New Zealand 1 for 1. “Craig McDermott and I worked on a plan a few days ago. Nice to see it come off,” Starc said after the game in his typically understated way without revealing what that plan actually was. New Zealand had lost their leader and spirit guide but they still had their talisman in Kane Williamson. It was stone-cold Williamson who smacked Pat Cummins for six to beat the Aussies in Wellington in the group stage. This was still a good batting wicket. If Williamson could get stuck in, the early loss of Baz would have minimal impact. Enter Mitchell Johnson. Williamson had limped his way to 12 from 32 balls and looked as comfortable as yogi in a pin-striped suit. Johnson had beaten Williamson with a couple of near 150k howitzers that zipped away from him in the previous over. This time the ball stopped just a touch on Williamson and all he could was chip the ball back to Johnson. Another roar from the crowd. Johnson was engulfed by his teammates. In their first World Cup final, New Zealand were 39 for 3 after 12.2 overs. This New Zealand team has guts, though. Grant Elliot, their semi-final hero, and Ross Taylor, set about the task of clearing the debris and putting up fresh scaffolding on which to build New Zealand’s innings. They kept Australia at bay for 22.5 overs while adding 111 relatively untroubled runs. At 150 for 3 in the 35th over, it looked like New Zealand might get close to 300. Enter Faulkner. Australia like using him in the batting PowerPlay because he has a sleeve full of tricks. As a result, he has taken 30 percent of his wickets in the PP overs. He didn’t have to wait long to show them off. His first ball was a slow legcutter. Taylor went to cut and Brad Haddin flew to his right to take a stunning one-handed catch. When the third umpire confirmed it wasn’t a bump ball, New Zealand’s slide had begun (though nobody knew it yet). Faulkner now had a different threat to confront. Taylor was patiently accumulating but Cory Anderson likes to bash the ball around. If got stuck in, New Zealand could get away in a hurry. Faulkner served up a length ball. Anderson defended. Then came the quick full delivery. Anderson was late on the shot. The ball brushed his pads and found offstump. Faulkner took off towards point in celebration. 150 for 3 had become 150 for 5. The trio would take four more wickets between them as New Zealand lost their last 7 wickets for 33 runs. Their total of 183 may have matched India’s score in the 1983 final, but that was as far as the comparison went. From that point on, it was all but impossible to see Australia bottling the chase. Faulkner was the Player of the Match for taking 3 for 36 but it was Starc who has led this Australian attack with brutal effectiveness. He was rightly name the Player of the Tournament for his 22 wickets at a scarcely believable average of 10.18 and a strike-rate of 17.4. For him at least, it was a tournament for left-handed fast bowlers too.