Australia captain Michael Clarke bowed out of one-day cricket in style as he claimed 74 runs in Australia's seven-wicket victory over New Zealand in the World Cup final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Clarke, who struck 10 fours and one maximum off 72 balls, and Steve Smith (56 not out) put on a third-wicket partnership of 112 as the hosts made light work of reaching their 184-run target with 101 balls remaining.
Earlier on, Grant Elliott claimed a top score of 83 off 82 balls for New Zealand but his team-mates only managed to muster 100 further runs between them as a powerplay began their collapse in the 36th over and they lost three wickets for just one run.
Mitchell Johnson claimed figures of three for 30 and James Faulkner three for 36 in Australia's attack, who restricted the Black Caps to 183 all out and dimmed any thoughts they might have had of a maiden World Cup final win.
New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum won the toss and chose to bat first but Mitchell Starc started like a train with the former failing to get his bat on two deliveries before the bowler got a full one to swing and hit off stump, sending the skipper back for a duck in the first over.
Martin Guptill hit the first six of the final off Josh Hazlewood but was gone for 15 in the 12th over as he played and missed at a Glenn Maxwell delivery that did not turn a lot but clipped the top of off.
If Guptill's dismissal had been poor from the batsman, Kane Willamson's (12) in the next over was worse as he offered a prodding drive to a Johnson delivery and sent it straight back to the bowler to leave his team 39 for three.
Maxwell thought he had made it 66 for four with the final ball of the 19th over as he got an lbw decision against Elliott but the review showed the ball to be going down the leg side.
Elliott reached his half-century off 51 balls including three fours and one maximum in the 28th over as he and Ross Taylor continued to build on New Zealand's score and they celebrated a 100-run partnership off 126 balls shortly after.
But, just as Taylor was setting in, it was powerplay time and the start of a New Zealand collapse. Faulkner claimed Taylor's wicket for 40 from the first ball of the over following a review, with Brad Haddin claiming a diving one-handed catch behind to leave New Zealand 150 for four.
Australia struck again two balls later as Corey Anderson looked like he picked up the wrong line with shadows from the sun falling at his end as Faulkner's delivery struck his pad and took out his off stump.
Luke Ronchi came to the crease but did no better, narrowly avoiding getting Elliott run out one ball before he lost his wicket to Starc, caught behind at slip by a well-taken catch from Clarke.
Another review was called but turned down after Elliott looked like he might have put his leg in front but he was deemed not out as the umpire's decision stood.
But Australia struck again as Johnson returned and sent Daniel Vettori (nine) packing after his high-pace full inswinging yorker first hit the pad before rattling the stumps to leave the Black Caps struggling on 167 for seven.
Faulkner finally claimed the big wicket of Elliott (83) in the following over as the batsman mistimed the delivery and hit the outside edge behind for a Haddin catch, while Matt Henry became Johnson's third victim before Tim Southee (11) was run out with five overs remaining to leave Australia with a winning target of 184.
The Black Caps struck early on as the hosts began their reply as Aaron Finch ballooned the ball into the air from Trent Boult's inswinging delivery and the Kiwi took an easy catch in the second over to leave them one for two.
But fellow opener David Warner and Smith began to put some runs on the board for Australia and recorded a second-wicket partnership of 61 before the former lost his wicket in the 13th over.
Warner, who struck seven fours in a total of 45 from 46 balls, failed to control the pull on Henry's delivery and sent the ball to deep square where Elliott took a great diving catch.
Clarke came to the crease to the applause of the MCG crowd in his final one-day international and began to mount a challenge alongside Smith as they reached the 100 mark off 125 balls.
The 33-year-old celebrated his half-century - including five fours and that six - off 56 balls much to the delight of the Melbourne crowd with the hosts 138 for two, just 46 short of victory.
Four successive boundaries from Clarke off Southee at the start of the 31st over left Australia needing just 11 runs from 19 overs but he was bowled by Henry for 74 four balls later and left the field to a standing ovation.
Smith celebrated his half-century off 66 balls with four needed for the win and he hit the winning runs as Australia claimed their fifth World Cup final triumph - their first on home soil.
"Unbelievable feeling, we said we wanted to play our best game towards the end of the tournament and to win this final three down, I thought the boys were outstanding tonight," said Smith.
"The bowlers really set it up for us. They've done it all tournament."
Coach Darren Lehmann, who won two World Cups as a player, paid tribute to the hard work his players had put in over the tournament.
"They just keep coming up and fronting up day in, day out. They've been fantastic over the six weeks," he said before his players emptied a tub of energy drink over his head, adding: "That's why I love them.
"There were plenty of nerves but it was a little plan Craig McDermott and I have been working on for a couple of days," he said.
"It was just nice to see it come off, and to happen in front of a packed MCG was amazing."
Like Lehmann, experienced wicketkeeper Brad Haddin was in the mood for celebration with the record 93,013 crowd.
"We delivered on the biggest stage," he said. "It's a great feeling at the moment, so I'm going to try and have a beer with every Australian in the stadium, it's going to be a fun night."
Subject: Australia crush New Zealand to claim a fifth World Cup 
