A poor batting performance cost the Blackcaps in a crushing 86-run defeat to Australia at the Cricket World Cup at Lord's on Sunday (NZ time).
After being set 244 for victory, the Blackcaps struggled against Australia's deadly bowling attack and were eventually bowled out for 157 on a hot London's day where temperatures reached over 30C.
- As it happened - Blackcaps v Australia from Lord's
- Pakistan pip Afghanistan to keep semi-finals hopes alive
- Trent Boult makes history at Lord's
For the first time this World Cup, coach Gary Stead made two changes to his starting side, bringing in leg-spinner Ish Sodhi for Matt Henry, and replacing Colin Munro with Henry Nicholls.
Both players failed to make an impact as Sodhi was 0/35 from six overs bowling along with five runs with the bat, while Nicholls only managed eight runs off 20 balls.
Kane Williamson (40) top-scored for New Zealand, while Ross Taylor (30), Martin Guptill (20) were the only other batsmen to score more than 15 runs as Mitchell Starc (5/26) and Jason Behrendorff (2/31) claimed seven wickets between them.
Starc now has 24 wickets for the tournament, seven scalps clear of his nearest rival in New Zealander Lockie Ferguson on 17.
The Blackcaps went onto lose their last eight wickets for just 60 runs.
The result is New Zealand's second consecutive defeat of the tournament after going unbeaten in their opening six games of the showpiece event.
Earlier, the Blackcaps restricted Australia to 243/9 thanks to some superb death bowling from Trent Boult, who became the first player to take a one-day international hat-trick at Lord's with three wickets in the final over.
The 29-year-old paceman finished with figures of 4/51 claiming the wickets of Usman Khawaja, Mitchell Starc and Jason Behrendorff in succession.
Boult's hat-trick was his second in one-day cricket, after he took one last November in Abu Dhabi.
But the Blackcaps would have felt they should have dismissed Australia for much less after the defending World Cup champions fell to 46/3 and 92/5.
They managed to dismiss Aaron Finch (16), David Warner (eight), and Steve Smith (five) early in the contest, but they grassed a crucial opportunity to remove Khawaja early.
Khawaja was dropped on just one at second slip by Guptill trying to drive a wide ball from Boult before wicket-keeper Tom Latham missed a chance to have him caught on 34.
The left-hander went onto put on a 107-run sixth-wicket partnership with Alex Carey.
Khawaja was eventually dismissed for a game-high 88, while Carey, who was named man of the match, was out for 71 in the 43rd over.
Ferguson (2/49), Jimmy Neesham (2/28) and Williamson (1/25) were the other wicket-takers for New Zealand.
Despite the loss, New Zealand can still qualify for the Cricket World Cup semi-finals if India beat England at Edgebaston on Sunday.
The Blackcaps face England in their final pool game on Wednesday at Chester-le-Street in Durham.
Newshub.
Join us for live updates of the Blackcaps v England Cricket World Cup clash from 9:30pm on Wednesday