New Zealand will take on Australia for the 11th time at the Cricket World Cup when the two teams meet at Lord's tomorrow. It is a rivalry which has produced some remarkable finishes and stunning individual performances, none more so than in 2015, where two matches will live long in
2019 Cricket World Cup: The history of World Cup clashes between New Zealand and Australia
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1987 World Cup (Group stage) – Lost by 17 runs
Needing a win to stay alive in the tournament, New Zealand were asked to bowl by Australia who made 251-8, led by an superb anchoring 126 not out from Geoff Marsh. Once again, knocks from makeshift opener Martin Snedden (32 from 56), Wright (61 from 82) and Rutherford (44 from 57) got New Zealand in position at 173-3, but the middle order couldn't hit them to victory - bowled out with eight balls to go as New Zealand bowed out of the tournament.
1992 World Cup (Group stage) – Won by 37 runs
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The opening game of the 1992 World Cup saw Martin Crowe steal the limelight at Eden Park.
Taking on the defending champions, Crowe entered at 13-2, and never left.
He added 108 with Ken Rutherford for the fourth wicket and, battling through a knee injury, ended unbeaten on 100 as New Zealand made 248-6.
Crowe then turned his magic to captaincy, giving off-spinner Dipak Patel the new ball and tying down the Australian top order – Marsh especially struggling with 19 from 56 balls. Boon held things steady throughout with 100 runs of his own, but after Chris Cairns copped some stick, Crowe opted for the slow medium pace options of Gavin Larsen, Chris Harris, Willie Watson and Rod Latham –affectionately named "Dibbly, Dobbly, Wibbly and Wobbly".
Dibbly – Larsen – was the best of them all with 3-30 as Australia were dismissed for 211.
1996 World Cup (Quarter-final) – Lost by six wickets
The scene of what still remains New Zealand's biggest World Cup partnership, and one of their most heartbreaking defeats.
Lee Germon – promoting himself up the order to number three – and Harris added 168 for the fourth wicket, dragging New Zealand out of a hole at 44-3. Germon made 89 from 94 balls, before Harris pushed on with 130 from 124 balls as New Zealand made a hugely competitive 286-9.
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It would have been the equivalent to setting a target of over 350 today, but Australia clinically chased it down. Mark Waugh made 110 from 112 balls at the top of the order, Shane Warne was promoted to number four to bash a 14-ball 24, before Steve Waugh (59 not out from 68) and Stuart Law (42 not out from 30) ensured Australia got home comfortably in the end, with 13 balls to spare.
1999 World Cup (Group stage) – Won by five wickets
New Zealand's last victory over Australia at a neutral venue – with the unlikely duo of Geoff Allott and Roger Twose stealing the show in Cardiff.
Allott took 4-37, while Larsen went for just 26 from his 10 overs as Australia were restricted to 213-8, with only Ricky Ponting (47 from 88 balls) and Darren Lehmann (76 from 94) passing 21.
New Zealand were in serious trouble in response at 49-4, but Twose made an unbeaten 80 from 99 balls, adding 148 with Cairns (60 from 77) as they hunted down the total with just under five overs remaining.
It proved to be a pivotal victory as New Zealand needed Net Run Rate to edge out the West Indies to advance to the Super Six; their run eventually ending in the semifinal at the hands of Pakistan.
2003 World Cup (Group stage) – Lost by 96 runs
The match where one of New Zealand's greatest ever bowling spells was wasted.
Shane Bond destroyed the Australian top order in Port Elizabeth, taking an incredible 6-23 as he reduced Australia to a rabble at 84-7. Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Ponting, Damien Martyn, Brad Hogg and Ian Harvey were all removed by the tearaway, but after Bond was bowled out by the 29th over, Australia recovered.
As always, Michael Bevan was resolute, making 56, and adding 97 for the eighth wicket with Andy Bichel, who made his only ODI half-century with a vital 64. It allowed Australia to post 208-9, but Australia's seamers had just as much fun. Glenn McGrath removed makeshift opener Daniel Vettori, as well as Nathan Astle and Scott Styris, and while Stephen Fleming resisted to make 48, a rising Brett Lee delivery down the legside was gloved through to Gilchrist.
That reduced New Zealand to 102-6, and Lee finished them off, taking the last five wickets to fall as New Zealand collapsed to 112 all out – leaving Bond with the second-best figures ever for a bowler in a losing effort.
2007 World Cup (Super Eight stage) – Lost by 215 runs
To this day, this defeat holds as New Zealand's biggest in terms of runs, with Australia posting a mammoth 348-6 and then rolling New Zealand for 133.
Hayden blasted 103 from 100 balls, with Ponting (66 from 70), Michael Clarke (49 from 46) and Michael Hussey (37 from 44) producing handy support, before Shane Watson teed off at the end with an unbeaten 65 from just 32 deliveries.
With Bond and Jacob Oram rested, New Zealand's seam attack was hugely underwhelming. Michael Mason (0-27 from three), James Franklin (3-74 from eight) and Mark Gillespie (0-67 from six) weren't up to the task – and nor were the batsmen.
Only three players made double figures – Fleming (12), Styris (27), and Peter Fulton, who was the last man dismissed for 62 as New Zealand slumped from 77-2 to 133 all out.
Already locked in to the semifinals, the loss didn't particularly matter in terms of the standings, but it was hardly an ideal preparation, and sure enough, Sri Lanka easily accounted for New Zealand four days later in the semifinal.
2011 World Cup (Group stage) – Lost by seven wickets
Having required just eight overs to chase down Kenya's 69 in a remarkably lopsided opening victory, New Zealand ran into a much tougher challenge with a limp second display in Nagpur.
Batting first, New Zealand were reduced to 73-6 by the three-headed fast bowling monster of Lee, Shaun Tait and Mitchell Johnson. Remarkably, they mustered only four singles in the first 15 overs. Coach John Wright had opted to play an extra batsman, and Jamie How's 22 at No 7 was then added to by 52 from Nathan McCullum and 44 from Vettori as they reached 206, but it wasn't nearly enough as Australia absolutely cruised to victory with seven wickets and a mammoth 16 overs to spare.
2015 World Cup (Group stage) – Won by one wicket
23 years after Crowe took centre stage at Eden Park, this time it was the man set to eventually surpass all of his records, Kane Williamson, who was the hometown hero.
He had some serious help from Trent Boult though, whose stellar spell caused an Australian batting collapse. From 80-1, two wickets to Vettori and a scalp from Tim Southee put New Zealand back in the game at 95-4, before Boult took over.
The three Mitchell's – Marsh, Johnson and Starc - Glenn Maxwell and Clarke were all removed in the span of three remarkable overs from Boult, who ended with 5-27, and put Australia on the brink of defeat at 106-9. A 45-run stand for the final wicket between Brad Haddin and Pat Cummins provided some hope though, but New Zealand's chase looked simple when Brendon McCullum blasted at the top of the order.
A 24-ball 50 saw Johnson (6-1-68-0) take extreme punishment, but when McCullum fell at 78-1 (in the eighth over), it all fell apart. Starc emulated Boult's earlier efforts with 6-28, and from 139-5, suddenly New Zealand were at 146-9, still needing six runs to win.
From there, it was Williamson - holding steady throughout as the carnage happened at the other end - who saved the day, lofting Pat Cummins for six over long-on to seal a memorable one-wicket win – amazingly with 27 overs to spare.
2015 World Cup (Final) – Lost by seven wickets
There were to be no such heroics a month later in the World Cup final.
Playing in their first World Cup final, New Zealand's hopes of glory took an immediate hit when Starc knocked over McCullum's stumps in the first over. Williamson (12) and Martin Guptill (15) didn't last much longer, but from 39-3, a 111-run partnership between Ross Taylor (40 off 72 balls) and semifinal hero Grant Elliott (83 from 82) dragged New Zealand back to 150-3, and poised to launch with 15 overs to go.
That take-off never eventuated. James Faulker removed both Taylor and Elliott, and snagged Corey Anderson for a second-ball duck, while Starc removed Luke Ronchi for a fourth-ball duck. Seven wickets fell for 33 runs, and New Zealand were all out for 183.
It was never going to be enough. Aaron Finch was removed by Boult in the second over, but David Warner (45), Steve Smith (56 not out) and Clarke (74) ensured it was a stress-free chase to give Australia their fifth World Cup, and denying New Zealand their first.
Most runs in Australia v New Zealand World Cup matches
David Boon - 201
Martin Crowe – 162
Ricky Ponting – 162
Chris Harris – 159
Michael Clarke - 159
Most wickets in Australia v New Zealand World Cup matches
Mitchell Starc - 8
Glenn McGrath - 8
Mitchell Johnson - 7
Shane Bond - 6
Trent Boult - 6
