Williamson creates NZ cricket folklore

Kane Williamson has lofted himself into cricketing folklore at Eden Park.

With New Zealand nine down chasing 152 for victory against Australia he deposited Pat Cummins over long on with a match-winning six to finish on 45 not out and carry his team to the top of their World Cup pool and the Chappell-Hadlee trophy.

The extra practice he put in when spied heading to the indoor nets with coach Mike Hesson during the week was worth it.

The Australians were clever too. Captain Michael Clarke made fielding adjustments within earshot but no one can get inside Williamson's batting mind; it's Fort Knox.

New Zealand are now Cricket World Cup favourites, but only just.

That sentence has never been written but suddenly rings true after the pulsating victory.

The theatre wouldn't have been out of place in London's West End as runs and wickets ebbed and flowed across the afternoon.

Mitchell Starc, he of the devastating in-swingers to right-handers, took six for 28 from nine overs as New Zealand wavered in the latter stages, despite reaching the target with 26.5 overs to spare.

It was a tight, low-scoring contest, not within cooey of lofty score predictions in excess of 300. Led by Trent Boult's maiden five-wicket ODI haul and an unbeaten 52-run fifth-wicket partnership between Williamson and Corey Anderson, they pulled themselves to the top of their pool by their finger tips and guaranteed a home quarter-final.

With Australia 48 for one after five overs, New Zealand had every right to panic.

Captain Brendon McCullum didn't.

He engraved another chapter in his book of extraordinary captaincy. He backed his bowlers and reaped the rewards. The slips were stacked as the wickets fell and in-fielders such as Williamson at short cover enjoyed catching practice. Australia were dismissed for 151, their fifth lowest ODI total against New Zealand.

How on earth did that happen against the world's No 1 side?

McCullum took Tim Southee off after he conceded 32 runs from three overs, brought Daniel Vettori on in the seventh and counted on two hands as eight wickets fell for 26 runs, led by Boult's five for 27. His figures are the fifth best by a New Zealand bowler against Australia in ODIs. His spell was 5-3-3-5. It took until the 28th over for a fourth bowler to be used.

Australia's World Cup prospects were the latest to be placed in New Zealand's bowling and fielding vice.

On most other occasions in Auckland city, the cacophony would result in a noise control call-out. At Eden Park, no New Zealand fans were complaining about the decibels.

The chant "you're worse than England" rang out around the cauldron.

It ceased later...

During the England fixture eight days ago it was Southee who couldn't be faulted on his way to seven for 33. This was Boult's turn. He scythed through Glenn Maxwell (1), Mitchell Marsh (0), Michael Clarke (12), Mitchell Johnson (1), Mitchell Starc (0). Part of the scorecard looked like binary code.

Southee got the opening breakthrough of Aaron Finch for 14 off seven, removing his off stump and snarling a follow-through grin as he pumped his fists in joy.

Vettori and Boult then cramped Australia against the early odds, restricting them to 20 runs from the final five overs of the opening powerplay. The pair produced a clinical display but that's become situation normal.

By the 12th over McCullum brought back a refreshed Southee. He dismissed David Warner lbw for 34 from 42 from the first ball of the 14th. Warner was arguably the most important victim.

He was the only batsman genuinely set until Brad Haddin guided the lower order. Warner used the team review, and rightfully so because it hit high, but it was deemed to be clipping the bails.

Haddin produced a cameo of 43 from 41 balls before edging Anderson's second ball to substitute fielder Tom Latham at fly slip.

The adversity started in the middle order with the consecutive ball wickets of Ross Taylor and Grant Elliott. Losing five wickets for 15 runs at the end heightened the drama.

McCullum set the New Zealand tone early with 50 off 24 balls but suffered severe bruising to his forearm from a Mitchell Johnson delivery. There are no concerns at present about the arm being broken. He remained in the dressing room rather than heading to hospital. (New Zealand Herald)

SCOREBOARD

Australia innings 
Aaron Finch b Southee 			14
David Warner lbw b Southee 		34
Shane Watson c Southee b Vettori 	23
Michael Clarke c Williamson b Boult 	12
Steven Smith c Ronchi b Vettori 	04
Glenn Maxwell b Boult 			01
Mithcell Marsh b Boult 			00
Brad Haddin c sub (Latham) b Anderson 	43
Mitchell Johnson c Williamson b Boult 	01
Mitchell Starc b Boult 			00
Pat Cummins not out 			07
Extras (b 4, lb 2, w 6) 		12
TOTAL (all out; 32.2 overs) 	       151

Fall of wickets: 1-30 (Finch, 2.2 ov), 2-80 (Watson, 12.6 ov)
		 3-80 (Warner, 13.1 ov), 4-95 (Smith, 16.3 ov)
		 5-96 (Maxwell, 17.2 ov), 6-97 (Marsh, 17.4 ov)
		 7-104 (Clarke, 19.6 ov), 8-106 (Johnson, 21.3 ov)
		 9-106 (Starc, 21.6 ov), 10-151 (Haddin, 32.2 ov)
Bowling: Southee 9-0-65-2
	 Boult 10-3-27-5
	 Vettori 10-0-41-2
	 Milne 3-0-6-0
	 Anderson 0.2-0-6-1

New Zealand innings
Martin Guptill c Cummins b Starc 	11
Brendan McCullum c Starc b Cummins 	50
Kane Williamson not out 		45
Ros Taylor b Starc 			01
Grant Elliot b Starc 			00
Corey Anderson c Cummins b Maxwell 	26
Luck Ronchi c Haddin b Starc 		06
Daniel Vettori c Warner b Cummins 	02
Adam Milne b Starc 			00
Tim Southee b Starc 			00
Trent Boult not out 			00
Extras (w 10, nb 1) 			11
TOTAL (9 wickets; 23.1 overs) 	       152

Fall of wickets: 1-40 (Guptill, 3.5 ov), 2-78 (McCullum, 7.4 ov)
		 3-79 (Taylor, 8.1 ov), 4-79 (Elliot, 8.2 ov)
		 5-131 (Anderson, 19.4 ov), 6-139 (Ronchi, 20.6 ov)
		 7-145 (Vettori, 21.5 ov), 8-146 (Milne, 22.3 ov)
		 9-146 (Southee, 22.4 ov)

Bowling: Johnson 6-1-68-0
	 Starc 9-0-28-6
	 Cummins 6.1-0-38-2
	 Marsh 1-0-11-0
	 Maxwell 1-0-7-0