World Cup 2015 in photos
World cricket's trans-Tasman jaunt
The fun began in Christchurch, on February 12, with the opening ceremony kicking off with a game of 'backyard cricket' at the Hagley Oval•Getty Images
Brendon McCullum's New Zealand took first strike in the tournament, on February 14, against Sri Lanka, and the captain set the tone for his side, lofting his first ball through the covers for four off Nuwan Kulasekara. New Zealand got to 331 for 6, and defended it easily.•Getty Images
Another great rivalry was renewed a day later, when India and Pakistan clashed at the Adelaide Oval. And for the sixth time out of six in World Cups, it was India who came up trumps on the back of a Virat Kohli century and a four-for from Mohammed Shami - one of the tournament's finest bowlers with his impressive pace, lengths and accuracy.•Getty Images
UAE almost made a splash in their first game, in Nelson. They got to their highest ODI total, 285, led by Shaiman Anwar - just one of several handy knocks from him in the tournament - before Zimbabwe stumbled but recovered to win by four wickets.•AFP
India v South Africa was one of the biggest match-ups in the tournament - and would decide who topped Group B - but again, it was a no-contest. South Africa fell well short as India went old-school at the MCG, timing their innings well to get to 307 before seeking out accuracy with the ball and discipline in the field to apply the squeeze. •Getty Images
What's a cricket tournament without an AB de Villiers masterclass? This time it came against West Indies, when he bludgeoned 150 off 64 balls (the fastest 150 in ODI cricket) and finished 162 not out off 66. That form continued through most of the tournament and, apart from being the key to South Africa's fortunes, most agreed there's little he cannot do.•Getty Images
… and the cricket lived up to the high-octane atmosphere. In a spectacular display with the ball, Boult, Southee and Vettori combined to roll Australia for 151, only for Mitchell Starc to return the favour. Then, with New Zealand needing six to win and No. 11 at the other end, an ice-cool Kane Williamson deposited Pat Cummins over long-on (in pic). •Getty Images
England were unceremoniously dumped out of the tournament by a pumped up Bangladesh, who got to 275 riding on a century from the in-form Mahmudullah before Rubel Hossain & Co triggered a slide. Cue in wild celebrations from Bangladesh and their adoring fans. •BCB
On to the quarter-finals then. To begin, South Africa did something they have never done, ever: win a World Cup knockout. And they did so in some style too, bowling Sri Lanka out for 133 at the SCG - Imran Tahir, with 4 for 26, was destroyer-in-chief - and then sealing the win with 32 overs and nine wickets to spare.•AFP
Dropped catches lose matches, West Indies found out in Wellington. Martin Guptill was put down third ball of the game, and went on to score 237 off 163. New Zealand got 393 for 6, and their place in a seventh World Cup semi was a foregone conclusion long before West Indies were bowled out for 250.•ICC
World Cup final day dawned with 93,013 fans set to make the journey to the MCG, along with the - indisputably - two best teams in the tournament. •Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
Over in Melbourne, a giant robot took guard to recreate the magic moments of World Cups past•Getty Images
The game also set the trend in the stands, with a fan - the first of seven - latching on to a one-handed catch, putting him in the pool for a sum of money that built up as New Zealand progressed through the tournament. •Getty Images
There might have been several one-sided games between Full Members at the World Cup, but it took all of three days for an Associate to produce an upset: an adventurous Paul Stirling, smooth Ed Joyce and nerveless Niall O'Brien helped Ireland coast to a target of 305 against a listless West Indies in Nelson.•Getty Images
Tim Southee played the lead role in arguably the most one-sided ODI ever between top teams. Swinging Southee was almost unplayable during his spell that fetched 7 for 33, and England were rolled for 123. As if that wasn't enough punishment, Brendon McCullum then blasted 77 off 25 to get his side home in under 13 overs at the Cake Tin. •Associated Press
The sleeping giant awakens... Against Zimbabwe, in Canberra, Chris Gayle survived an lbw review first ball by the slimmest of margins and went on to slam the World Cup's first double-hundred. His 215 came off 147 balls with 10 fours and 16 sixes. •Getty Images
De Villiers' left-field brilliance seemed to rub off on some of his team-mates, with Rilee Rossouw bringing out this outrageous, leaping upper-cut for six to get to a rapid fifty against West Indies. One of the shots of the tournament.•Getty Images
Another day, another total over 400. And this was the biggest of them all, a record for World Cups, Australia piling up 417 for 6 against Afghanistan. The men who made it happen: David Warner with 178 off 133, and Glenn Maxwell with 88 off 39. •Getty Images
In his final one-day tournament, Kumar Sangakkara scored a record fourth-straight century (124) in Sri Lanka's victory against Scotland. His previous three knocks (105*, 117*, 104) came against Bangladesh, England and Australia, winning causes except the game against Australia. •AFP
A Rohit Sharma ton - after a controversial no-ball gave him a second go - ensured India an easy path into the final four, Bangladesh falling away for 193 in reply to 302 at the MCG. •Getty Images
The most dramatic scenes of World Cup 2015 were yet to come though. They arrived at Eden Park, in a high-quality match, in front of an electric crowd, when Grant Elliott hit the ferocious Dale Steyn for a match-winning six off the penultimate ball of the semi-final. Amid the frenzied celebrations, New Zealand's unlikely hero found time to pick up and embrace the devastated bowler too.•Getty Images
Just when New Zealand seemed to have recovered from Mitchell Starc's near-perfect opening over, then they ran into James Faulkner. His double-wicket maiden to kick off the batting Powerplay triggered a slide that New Zealand could not arrest. •Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
Across the Tasman, the tournament began with Australia playing the old foe: England. It was also a sign of things to come, with England falling away without much fight at the hands of Man of the Match Aaron Finch (135) and Mitchell Marsh (5 for 33). •ICC
Afghanistan's World Cup debut did not quite go as planned - Bangladesh registered a 105-run victory in Canberra - but the country's passion for cricket was on full display. (In pic: Afghan refugees in Peshawar watch the match.)•AFP
West Indies produced one of the most unbelievable periods of play in the tournament, reducing Pakistan to 1 for 4 on their way to a 150-run win in Christchurch. A team effort got them to 310, before Jerome Taylor and Jason Holder did all the damage at the top and Andre Russell provided the finishing touches. •AFP
A day after an Ireland v UAE thriller, the Associates were at it again: Afghanistan and Scotland dueled fiercely, Afghanistan eventually winning by one wicket. It was regal quick Shapoor Zadran who hit the winning runs in a chase of 211, having held his nerve with 19 needed off 19 after Samiullah Shenwari was out for 96 attempting a fourth-consecutive six off offspinner Majid Haq. •AFP
In what eventually turned out to be a dress rehearsal for the final, a boisterous, partisan New Zealand crowd packed into Eden Park …•Getty Images
Pakistan's high point came against South Africa in Auckland, when their left-arm pace-bowling trio of Mohammad Irfan, Wahab Riaz and Rahat Ali crafted an inspired defence of 231. Their team-mates turned it on in the field, too, Pakistan's intensity raised to levels not seen before in the tournament. •Getty Images
In one of the more emotional plays of the tournament, in his final game for Zimbabwe - before heading to England on a Kolpak deal - Brendan Taylor struck a fab 138 off 110 balls against India at Eden Park, before getting a warm ovation from his team-mates, the fans and the opposition, India. •Getty Images
Australia got past Pakistan in the third quarter-final, but not before a serious working over from the red-hot Wahab Riaz. Pakistan were defending 213, but it seemed a lot more courtesy one of the most fearsome spells in World Cup history. Wahab had Shane Watson hopping, repeatedly, with a clever string of bouncers and verbal barrage, and might well have sealed the deal but for some shoddy Pakistan fielding. •Getty Images
Steven Smith took centrestage in the second semi-final, batting Australia into a position of dominance with an effortless 105 off 93. Australia's pacers did the rest, bowling India out 95 runs short of the target and setting up a trans-Tasman final at the #MCGsobig•Getty Images
And so the World Cup trophy was snatched up by Australia for a mind-boggling fourth time in five tournaments. A fitting farewell from one-day cricket for captain Michael Clarke.•ICC
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