Australia 100-2 from 21 overs (target 184)

Batsmen: Smith 26, Clarke 22

Fall of wickets: 2-1 (Finch 0), 63-2 (Warner 45)

Bowling figures: Southee 5-0-35-0, Boult 7-0-29-1, Vettori 2-0-6-0, Henry 7-0-27-1

New Zealand 183 (45 overs): Elliott 83, Johnson 3-30, Faulkner 3-36

NZ won toss

Listen to TMS commentary via the audio tab.

Scorecard

Image source, Reuters

Thanks James, sterling work. It's looking ominous for the Black Caps now, isn't it? How do you get rid of Michael Clarke and Steve Smith when there's a World Cup on the line? A wrecking ball? New Zealand are still aggressive in their field settings and body language, Matt Henry digging in a bouncer which Steve Smith easily evades. A single to backward square brings up the Australia 100 and the crowd stands to applaud. They'll be doing a lot of that this evening.

Darren Lyons: Martin Crowe. What a legend, met him in the UK when played league cricket 30+ yrs ago. Please let the Black Caps do it for him.

Ryan Evans: Not a chance Australia aren't going to reach 184. The MCG will be rocking in about 90 minutes tops.

Daniel Vettori, who still seems to be struggling with a leg injury, is recalled to the attack. There's some chat that he may have injured himself during the celebrations for Finch's wicket, which would be cruel indeed.

It would be miraculous if the bespectacled spinner can produce a match-turning spell at less than full fitness, but then again New Zealand are dealing in miracles now. No trouble yet for Clarke and Smith though - they keep the scoreboard ticking towards victory with three singles. With that, it's time for me to hand you back to Marc Higginson.

Bryan Waddle
BBC Test Match Special

"Brad Haddin seemed to be talking to Grant Elliott almost every ball earlier. Sad to see the send-off he gave him, there's no place for that in any form of cricket."

Louis Strong: Steve Smith is simply world class. Such quality stroke play and decision making when he bats. And he's 25. Insane!

Jon Akhurst: All this talk of lefties - who would you pick for a CWC15 left handers v right handers match and who would win?

Over to you for the lefties XI v righties XI?

Clarke brings the 'runs needed' quota down into double figures with a clever scoop over Luke Ronchi's head, and then smashes another boundary through gully. The off side is packed with fielders behind square but Clarke is still finding ways to evade them. The dream is fading here for New Zealand.

Image source, Getty Images

Allan Border
Ex-Australia captain on BBC Test Match Special

"I think McCullum's worked out that the game isn't going to go higher than 40 overs, so he'll just go with Southee, Boult and Henry for now - Vettori looks like he has a problem with his Achilles. If he has to introduce a fourth or fifth bowler later, so be it."

Listen to TMS commentary via the audio tab.

Wardy: Really glad England are so bad at this one day stuff. We're so far away that the Australian gloating means nothing to us.

Southee, still searching for that magic formula that enabled to him to reduce the England batting order to rubble at Wellington, continues. His deliveries seemed almost magnetically drawn to the stumps that day, but he hasn't quite been able to recapture that form since. Clarke carves him over the slip cordon for another morale-draining four.

Allan Border
Ex-Australia captain on BBC Test Match Special

"I think you'd throw Kumar Sangakkara in the reckoning for player of the tournament - four hundreds is quite compelling. But it's hard to get past those two left-arm quickies Trent Boult and Mitchell Starc, in a bat-dominated tournament."

DrHolmes: Someone from the New Zealand side needs to do a Wahab here!

Matt Henry keeps plugging away, but this situation is tailor-made for Clarke and Smith - no scoreboard pressure, they can just knuckle down and steadily advance towards this target without taking too many risks. Are we watching Australia's present and future ODI captains?

Stephan Shemilt
BBC Sport in Melbourne

"Poignant stuff at the back of the press box, where Martin Crowe has appeared. Crowe, the former New Zealand captain, has written movingly about his battle with cancer, even suggesting that this might be the last match he watches. He is being greeted by all who are here - Lara, Pollock, Graeme Smith, Simon Doull, Aggers, Ganguly. There is genuine warmth of feeling."

Rob Gallagher: Is it fair to say this game was decided in that first over, Australia on the front foot straight away, setting the tone?

Now Southee does to return to the attack. The paceman fires down a couple of wides - New Zealand can ill-afford those with such a small total to defend. Smith, who seems to be playing a totally different game at the moment, continues his untroubled progress with a single to third man.

Stephan Shemilt
BBC Sport in Melbourne

"An excellent set-piece as I returned to the press box from a wander outside. Usual drill, flash the badge at the man on the door, he nods, on we go. There's a pair of Indian gentlemen behind me. 'Sorry, he can't come in.' No badge, apparently. 'But he's the chairman of the ICC'. Sure enough, it was Mr Srinivasan in all his glory."

Andrew Samson
BBC Test Match Special statistician

"Bowlers whose first World Cup wicket was in a final:

"Graham Gooch 1987, Andrew Symonds 2003, Michael Clarke 2007, Matt Henry 2015."

Image source, Getty Images

McCullum continues with Henry for the moment - surely he'll think about bringing Southee back before too long. Henry's arms are momentarily aloft in celebration but they soon drop to his side in bewilderment - he forces Steve Smith into a slightly late forward defensive and the ball trickles back on to the stumps, but doesn't dislodge the bails. Unbelievable.

Image source, Getty Images

Trent Boult continues - it looks like he will bowl right through here. How many wickets do New Zealand need from him before the 20-over mark? Two? Three? He so nearly gets one as well, spearing in a penetrating full ball which forces Clarke into a mistimed shot that flies off the leading edge, agonisingly bisecting two fielders in the covers.