Published on 12:00 AM, March 30, 2015

MR. EFFICIENT

JAMES FAULKNER 


After the fall of the third wicket the Black Caps took a breather and decided to stitch a patient partnership. Grant Elliot and Ross Taylor did the honours with a brilliant 111-run stand for the fourth wicket and looked dangerous. That's when Michael Clarke brought in James Faulkner and boom! And that's when the game changed. In his fifth over Faulkner unleashed a brilliant slower delivery to get Taylor's edge. A ball later he bowled a brilliant yorker which beat the dangerous Corey Anderson and hit the stumps; a crucial moment; that's where New Zealand lost the game. He didn't just stop there. Two overs later he bowled yet another slower delivery to get rid of the danger-man Elliott and ensured that there would no further hiccups. Everybody expected the likes of Mitchell Marsh and Mitchell Johnson to fire in the final; instead, it was the change bowler who did the trick.