Mitchell Starc, Brendon McCullum and the yorker that fired a World Cup party

When his first two in-swinging yorkers to Brendon McCullum at the start of the 2015 World Cup final failed to hit their mark, Mitch Starc worried the Kiwi was destined to score a century. Then he lined up a third …

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Mitchell Starc feared Brendon McCullum would thrash a blazing century on the MCG just seconds before he bowled the New Zealand captain in the 2015 World Cup final.

Starc’s third consecutive in-swinging yorker smashed McCullum’s off stump in what is regarded as one of the great deliveries in ODI history, leaving the Kiwis rattled at 1/1.

The prized wicket of McCullum for a duck set Australia on course for its fifth World Cup, emboldening the force field that runs around Aaron Finch’s men entering this week’s tournament in England.

Brendon McCullum starts the long walk off the MCG pitch as Mitch Starc and Australia celebrate.

“After that first (delivery) missed I did think it was going to be his day, that he got away with it and he was going to go on and score 100,” Starc told the Herald Sun.

“But thankfully that third one hit and I guess the rest is history. It was very loud, I’ve never played in front of that many people before — especially in Australia.

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“To play in front of 95,000-plus people was just an incredible experience for us all.

“Josh Hazlewood was down at fine leg and still reckons I carried on and celebrated down to fine leg and he didn’t have to move.

“He puts some mayo on that story, but I was out of breath and my heart-rate was through the roof for the next ball. It was an incredible day for us all.”

The 2015 victory was Australia’s fifth and was riotously celebrated on the MCG pitch.

Starc, 29, tinkered with “mental and physical bowling cues” during his four months on the sidelines this year, helping bring that toe-crushing inswinger back to life for the World Cup.

Starc showed it off when he trapped Finch lbw in Australia’s centre-wicket match simulation at Whitgift School in London last week.

McCullum blasted four half-centuries and was striking at more than 190 in the 2015 World Cup with his brutal bat speed spearing New Zealand into the final.

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Former Australian wicketkeeper Brad Haddin, who is an assistant coach for the World Cup, asked McCullum before Starc’s first ball if he was going to have a crack.

“I said to him, ‘Too right (I am)’,” McCullum has since said.

“He (Starc) was too good for me. You can’t be too proud to admit when someone’s better than you, that’s the beauty of the game.

“I walked off, I was content that I tried my best but Mitchell Starc on his day was too good.

Starc finished the campaign as the player of the World Cup.

“When he’s on song, he’s tough to play. He’s coming from (196cm), he’s bowling 150kph and swings the ball from the left arm.”

Starc said he planned the famous delivery with former captain Michael Clarke and bowling great Craig McDermott while current coach Justin Langer was watching on from a grade final at the WACA.

“I had it up on the telly and it was a great moment for everyone. It was a great ball to start it off,” Langer said.