Kiwis lost it with McCullum

This was not how the script was supposed to run for Brendon McCullum, the personification of the aggressive cricket that had taken New Zealand to their first World Cup final.

With 328 runs, an extraordinary strike rate of more than 191, 44 fours and 17 sixes, the Black Caps captain had led by fearless example as the co-hosts took the tournament by storm.

His day's work at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Sunday started well enough when he won what many thought would be a crucial toss and elected to go in with Martin Guptill and take on Australia's pace bowlers.

With the anthems done and dusted, the crowd settled down in anticipation of another of the opening bombardments with which McCullum had taken apart new-ball attack after new-ball attack.

Australia's Mitchell Starc, who had taken a wicket every 16.7 balls coming into the match, had other ideas and the duel was nasty, brutish, and short.

Brought onto strike by a single from Guptill from the second ball of the opening over of the innings, McCullum swung and missed the first two deliveries he faced from the lanky left-arm paceman.

Another fullish inswinger from Starc elicited a slightly more tentative stroke, again the bat was by-passed and the ball clattered into McCullum's off stump.

He was Starc's 21st victim of the World Cup but in cricket, all wickets are not equal and both the bowler's celebration and the roar generated by the crowd of more than 93,000 indicated this one was very special.

The batsman of the tournament was trudging back to the dressing room with his first duck in nine matches, the first captain to be dismissed without scoring a run in a title decider.

McCullum said he had no regrets after "one hell of a ride" at the World Cup came to an end with the seven-wicket reverse.

"We played some outstanding cricket, but we ran into an outstanding Australia team tonight who continue to set the way in world cricket. Michael Clarke deserves to bow out as world champion."

Turning to the ball that dismissed him, McCullum added: "It was quick one. It all unfolded not as we planned.

"I thought we got ourselves back in the game at 150 for three but Australia as they do put us back under pressure. We were the second-best team.

"We've got no regrets -- as a cricketer this is the greatest stage you can ask for."