ROSEMARY ABBOTT | Sport
HAUNTING IMAGE
It’s been nearly a decade, but for 35-year-old Nic Hill from Christchurch, the scars of the 2015 Cricket World Cup final remain as fresh as ever.
Hill, a lifelong Blackcaps supporter, still has vivid flashbacks to the moment that “shattered his soul” — Brendon McCullum being clean bowled for a third ball duck by Mitchell Starc at a sold out MCG.
“McCullum was our hope. He was the one we all turned to. He’d been on fire that tournament. If anyone could take us to the promised land, it was Baz. But to get bowled out like that? I’m still reeling from it.”
Despite the devastating start, the Blackcaps did manage to recover and get to 150 for 3, but the dream quickly crumbled. All out for 183 and Australia didn’t struggle in the run chase, but for Nic, he’s still haunted by the image of Mitchell Starc running around the field like he’d just won them the final when he bowled McCullum.
“If Baz had just stuck around, things would’ve been different. He would have got us off to a flyer and the others could have again batted around him. It’s not the result, its the weight of the lost opportunity.’”
“That was our chance, you know? Prime time Baz and then ‘poof’ he’s back off walking to the sheds for a third ball duck. I don’t know if I’ll ever get over it.”
More to come.
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