'Proud of them, but gutted'

Disappointed New Zealand fans had trouble hiding their emotions as they witnessed the Cricket World Cup slip away from the Black Caps in Melbourne.

Australia claimed victory by seven wickets, backed by a record-breaking crowd at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The Black Caps were no match for Australia, posting just 183 runs off 45 overs, which the home side reached with 16.5 overs to spare.

As the game reached an end, one New Zealand fan threw his cap on the ground in anger, while others left the ground and the fan zone early.

Aucklander Alex Hogan said he was gutted and deflated, as New Zealand didn't play their best.

"I'm feeling quite depressed," he said. "There's batting and then there is going out and getting smoked. And we didn't go out there and bat. We went out there and got smoked."

Regan Tait from Geraldine said he walked out of the grounds early, as the last 30 minutes were painful to watch.

"I'm not happy. But very proud to be a Kiwi and the whole campaign has been amazing," he said.

"They performed a little bit under par, but they should still hold their heads really high."

Black Caps supporter Andy Bryant agreed, saying his thoughts were mostly with the players.

"They've done so well over the last four to five weeks. Proud of them, but gutted for them. They proudly deserved a better showing than what they had."

Aussie fans stoked

The day started on a confident footing for New Zealanders. And it took a while for the mood to shift.

Despite the Black Caps losing three wickets in the early overs, New Zealanders at the fan zone continued to be optimistic.

When they were all out for 183 and began to bowl, the outlook began to change, but it wasn't over yet.

"We got our first wicket early and the signs are looking good," supporter Ray Dunn said. "It looks like a tall order, but still, where there's time there's still hope."

The game continued to slip away. The Black Caps lost - and the Australians couldn't contain their excitement.

"I'm stoked. Just stoked. We just won a World Cup," Australian Travis Key said.

"We came out and kicked ass. The Kiwis played really good, but we played on another level today. It was a great game," he said.

"It's one of the best days of my life, other than being born."

Australian supporter Brad Murray said his team's winning performance "knocked his socks off".

"I haven't had a moment like that in my life. It was just unreal," he said.

The game ended up fireworks, and with some New Zealanders looking forward to the next tournament, the Rugby World Cup.