ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Australia's Fifth Title, New Zealand Unbeaten Until the Final
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 was the 11th edition, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand from 14 February to 29 March 2015. Australia won the tournament — their fifth World Cup title and fourth in the last five tournaments — defeating New Zealand by 7 wickets in the final at Melbourne Cricket Ground on 29 March 2015. Australia chased New Zealand's 183 to win with 27 balls remaining; James Faulkner scored 36* and Michael Clarke (playing his final World Cup match) scored 74. New Zealand went through the entire tournament undefeated until the final — the only team to go the entire way and lose the final. AB de Villiers scored 162 not out from 66 balls against West Indies in the quarter-final — one of the greatest individual innings in World Cup history. Martin Guptill scored 237 not out against West Indies in the quarter-final — the highest score in World Cup history (second-highest in all ODI cricket behind Rohit Sharma's 264).
The ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 was the 11th edition, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand from 14 February to 29 March 2015. It was a 14-team tournament played in a two-group format, with the top four from each group advancing to the quarter-finals. Australia won their fifth title and their third consecutive in Australia/New Zealand, defeating New Zealand in the final at Melbourne Cricket Ground. The tournament produced two of the most extraordinary individual innings in ODI history — Martin Guptill's 237 not out and AB de Villiers' 162 not out (both in the same quarter-final round).
Martin Guptill's 237 Not Out: Highest World Cup Innings
In the quarter-final between New Zealand and West Indies at Westpac Stadium, Wellington on 21 March 2015, Martin Guptill scored 237 not out from 163 balls — the highest individual score in World Cup history and the second-highest in all ODI cricket (behind Rohit Sharma's 264 against Sri Lanka on 13 November 2014). He hit 24 fours and 11 sixes. New Zealand scored 393/6 and won by 143 runs. The innings accelerated dramatically in the second half: Guptill was on 55 at the end of 30 overs before reaching 237 by the 50th over. The score of 237* remains the highest individual innings in a World Cup match.
AB de Villiers' 162 Not Out vs West Indies
In South Africa's quarter-final against West Indies at Sydney Cricket Ground on 11 March 2015, AB de Villiers scored 162 not out from 66 balls — at a strike rate of 245 — in one of the most destructive individual World Cup innings in history. He hit 17 fours and 8 sixes. South Africa scored 408/5 — their highest World Cup total — and won by 257 runs. The innings came in de Villiers' preferred position (middle-lower order, with wickets in hand) in the closing overs. Despite his extraordinary performances, South Africa lost their semi-final to New Zealand in Auckland — becoming the first team in World Cup history to lose a semi-final by two consecutive tournaments (2011 and 2015).
The Final: Australia Defeats New Zealand
New Zealand went through their first seven matches in the tournament undefeated — the only team in World Cup history to remain undefeated right through to the final and then lose. In the final at MCG on 29 March 2015, New Zealand scored 183 all out — below par on the MCG surface. Australia chased 184 and won with 27 balls remaining (7 wickets), with Michael Clarke scoring 74 in his final international innings before retirement. Clarke had been playing through a hamstring injury. His appearance in the final was widely seen as his farewell; he retired from international cricket after the match. Australia's 7-wicket win extended their World Cup dominance: 5 titles, 4 in the last 5 tournaments.
Frequently asked questions
Is Martin Guptill's 237 not out the highest ODI score in history and how does it compare to Rohit Sharma's records?
Martin Guptill's 237 not out against West Indies at Wellington on 21 March 2015 is the highest individual score in World Cup history — but it is the second-highest in all ODI cricket. Rohit Sharma holds the ODI world record with 264 against Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens, Kolkata on 13 November 2014 — scoring 264 from 173 balls. Rohit also scored 209 (vs Australia, November 2013) and 208* (vs Sri Lanka, December 2017) — the only batsman to score three ODI double centuries. Guptill's 237* is the highest individual score in a World Cup match and is the joint second-highest in all ODI cricket. The distinction matters: Guptill's record is specifically a World Cup record; in ODIs generally, Rohit leads by 27 runs.
Why did South Africa fail to win the 2015 World Cup despite having AB de Villiers?
South Africa lost their 2015 World Cup semi-final to New Zealand by 4 wickets in Auckland on 24 March 2015 despite AB de Villiers' extraordinary form throughout the tournament. The reasons are structural. South Africa have a well-documented history of semi-final exits across cricket tournaments — between 1992 and 2015 they were eliminated from every World Cup semi-final they reached (1992, 1999, 2007, 2011, 2015), earning the informal label of 'chokers'. In the 2015 semi-final specifically: South Africa batted first and scored 281/5 (a competitive total), with Faf du Plessis scoring 82 and de Villiers 65. New Zealand chased under the lights in Auckland and won with 1 ball to spare through Grant Elliott's six off Dale Steyn in the final over. The result — one ball remaining, one shot to finish — was the closest possible semi-final exit. South Africa's inability to win a World Cup knockout match is one of cricket's most discussed collective failures and remains unresolved: they were eliminated again in the 2023 World Cup after going undefeated in the group stage.