In sports, everyone loves it when David triumphs over ­Goliath. But in the Cricket World Cup final Sunday, hosts Australia simply refused to follow that script. Instead, the Australians ran over neighbors New Zealand to claim the World Cup for the fifth time.

The Black Caps were in the final for the first time, which was played at the enormous Melbourne Cricket Ground with over 93,000 in attendance. Most neutrals, including this writer, had been backing them. Much smaller and always in the shadow of their fierce rivals Australia, ­underdogs New Zealand would have savored a win much more.

Australia crushed any notion of an upset by quickly dispatching New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum for 0 in only the fifth ball of the match. From then on, they were dominant in bowling out New Zealand for 183 and reached 186 with little difficulty to win by seven wickets.

Despite the defeat, the ­future looks bright for New Zealand.

New Zealand had been in great form throughout the tournament, winning every single match up until the final, including victories over Australia in the group stage and favorites South Africa in the semifinal.

They boast a strong batting lineup that, besides McCullum, includes Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor. They had a strong 2014 in both tests and one-day internationals and may be ­favored to beat England in their upcoming series in May. It will likely be only a matter of time before New Zealand can make a claim as one of the top sides in international cricket just like their Australian neighbors.

As for the Aussies, the victory represented a return to the top of one-day cricket. They had occupied the throne continuously from 1999 to 2007, winning three straight World Cups.

They were not shy in trying to sledge other sides during the tournament but they backed up their mouths with scary fast bowling, good batting and ­excellent fielding.

So David didn't manage to beat Goliath this time. But then, New Zealand were only a David compared to Australia. In the future, perhaps the Black Caps can turn the tables.

The author is an editor with the Global Times. hiltonyip@globaltimes.com.cn