The last of the big ones
Fourteen teams, two pools of seven, and eight of them through to the quarter-finals. That arithmetic meant six weeks of pool cricket settled remarkably little. Scotland lost all six of their games. Ireland won three, including a chase of 305 against West Indies at Nelson in the opening week, and still went home, because West Indies had the same number of wins and a better net run rate. Afghanistan, at their first World Cup, beat Scotland by one wicket at Dunedin with three balls to spare.
The bats had it. Australia made 417 for 6 against Afghanistan at Perth and South Africa 408 for 5 against West Indies in Sydney. In the quarter-final at Wellington, Martin Guptill hit 237 not out from 163 balls, the highest individual score anyone has made in a World Cup match. Two new balls, a maximum of four fielders outside the circle and some very small New Zealand grounds all pushed in the same direction.
Eden Park, twice
The pool match between the two host nations on 28 February lasted 55.3 overs and is the reason a lot of people remember this tournament fondly. Trent Boult took 5 for 27 and Australia were dismissed for 151. Brendon McCullum then made fifty from 24 balls, which should have ended it. Instead Mitchell Starc took 6 for 28, New Zealand lost nine wickets getting there, and Kane Williamson settled the thing with a six off Pat Cummins.
The semi-final at the same ground was nearly as good. Rain cut South Africa's innings to 43 overs and set New Zealand 298. Grant Elliott made 84 not out and hit a six off the penultimate ball. It was the first time New Zealand had reached a World Cup final, at the eighth attempt.
Melbourne
93,013 people came to the MCG, a record crowd for cricket in Australia. It was not New Zealand's night. McCullum was bowled by Starc in the first over, Elliott top-scored again with 83, and the innings ended on 183 in 45 overs. Australia lost three wickets and needed 33.1 overs. Michael Clarke made 74 in his last one-day international; James Faulkner was named man of the match; Starc, whose 22 wickets tied him with Boult at the top of the list, was player of the tournament.
Afterwards
The ICC had already decided that the next World Cup would be cut to ten teams with no qualifying route for associates, a ruling that looked meaner every time Ireland or Afghanistan won something. A generation went at once: Clarke, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson and Daniel Vettori all finished, and Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene played their last one-day internationals together in the quarter-final at Sydney. Australia had a fifth title. New Zealand had, at last, been to a final.