No brotherly love lost as co-hosts vie for glory in Cricket World Cup final

After 48 matches involving teams from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe, cricket's global showcase has distilled itself into a local derby.

Australia and New Zealand welcomed 12 other nations to the Cricket World Cup, but saved the final for themselves, ensuring Sunday's championship match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground will feature the tournament's two best teams and will be permeated by one of world sport's most heart-felt rivalries.

In trying to characterise that rivalry, commentators have evoked a game of backyard cricket between siblings: the older brother (Australia) accustomed to dominating the younger; the younger brother (New Zealand) eager for a win to further establish their own identity and to win their rival's respect.

The status as favourites is disputed, but only in the sense each team have tried to confer it on the other. Australia say New Zealand are the favourites as the form team of the tournament, unbeaten to this stage and the winners, by one wicket, of the match between the teams in pool play.

New Zealand say four-time champions Australia are the favourites as the home team, masters of their own conditions and winners of more than two-thirds of all one-day internationals between them.

It is a heart and head calculation in which Australia are the experts' pick, New Zealand the sentimental favourites. Australia should have the support of most of the MCG crowd and of millions of compatriots in a country where cricket is the national summer sport.

But the New Zealand team's support will extend well beyond their 4.4 million countrymen and women. As each team have been eliminated from the tournament, most recently India, many of those fans have transferred their support to New Zealand as the alternative team they would most prefer to win.

"We've done some amazing things over the last little while," McCullum said. "We've had some tremendous support back home and from around the world. I think the brand of cricket we've played has touched a lot of people and endeared us to a lot of people who follow this game.

"It's probably no secret that most of the other teams around the world would probably prefer New Zealand to win."

Australia captain Michael Clarke might have pared back some of that sentimental advantage in announcing Sunday's match will be his last ODI for Australia. Clarke says he will not prepare differently, but the decision he announced unexpectedly adds a new, emotional context to a match already rich with nuance and subtext.

"It's a special game, no doubt about it," Clarke said. "But it needs to be about the team. It's not emotion, it's skill that helps you win major games and major tournaments and tomorrow will be no different.

"I will train no harder today. I will study New Zealand no harder than I did last time we played them. I will sleep no worse tonight than I ever do. I'll be no less nervous before I walk out to bat. The feeling is exactly the same - if we can win that would be icing on the cake."

"I think that's a fair call - 100,000 people in Australia's backyard, Melbourne Cricket Ground and the history and traditions and against a very good Australian team," he said. "It's been a great ride so far. I guess this is the ultimate game for us to be able to play in everyone's career. That certainly whets the appetite and creates the greatest stage we can ask for."

Central to that staging is the historic rivalry between Australia and New Zealand.

"The rivalry between the two countries is, I think, a healthy rivalry," McCullum said. "We've seen some epic battles over the years.

"We've seen tremendous battles between the two and both countries have stopped while the teams are playing respective sports. So this is no different."