NZ cruise to easy victory

MUMBAI, India (CMC):

New Zealand coasted into the next round of the World Cup with minimum fuss yesterday, easily trouncing Canada by 97 runs at the Wankhede Stadium.

Spearheaded by Brendon McCullum's measured 101, the Black Caps powered their way to 358 for six after they were asked to bat in the Group A fixture.

Ross Taylor, leading the side in the absence of the injured Daniel Vettori, extended his sublime form with a breezy 74 from 44 balls, striking six fours and five sixes.

Medium pacer Harvir Baidwan nabbed three for 84, while leg-spinner Balaji Rao finished with two for 62.

In their run-chase, Canada, which eventually folded for 261, plunged to four runs for two wickets in the fifth over before they were rescued by a 125-run fourth wicket stand between captain Ashish Bagai (84) and Jimmy Hansra (70 not out).

Bagai faced 87 balls and struck 10 fours, while Hansra hit four fours and a six off 105 balls.

Canada remain one from bottom of the group with two points following their win over Kenya.

SCOREBOARD

NEW ZEALAND

M Guptill c wkp Bagai b Baidwan 17+B McCullum c Gunasekera b Baidwan 101J Ryder c Osinde b Davison 38R Taylor c Hansra b Balaji Rao 74N McCullum c & b Balaji Rao 10K Williamson not out 34S Styris c Davison b Baidwan 35J Franklin not out 31Extras (b2, lb3, w11, nb2) 18

TOTAL (6 wkts, 50 overs) 358

Fall of wickets: 1-53 (Guptill, 9.5 overs), 2-149 (Ryder, 29.2), 3-185 (B McCullum, 36.4), 4-254 (Taylor, 40.5), 5-259 (N McCullum, 42.1), 6-318 (Styris, 48).

Did not bat: J Oram, K Mills, T Southee.

Bowling: Chohan 7-0-40-0, Osinde 7-0-52-0, Baidwan 9.1-0-84-3, Cheema 4.5-0-64-0, Rao 10-0-62-2, Davison 10-1-30-1, Hansra 2-0-21-0.

CANADA

R Gunasekera c Taylor b Mills 2H. Patel c wkp B. McCullum b Oram 31Z Surkari c Taylor b Mills 1+A Bagai c wkp B. McCullum b N. McCullum 84J Hansra not out 70Rizwan Cheema c wkp B. McCullum b Oram 2J Davison run out 15W Balaji Rao c N. McCullum b Oram 9H. Baidwan c Franklin b Southee 8Khurram Chohan c Taylor b Ryder 22H. Osinde not out 0Extras (b5, lb2, w9, nb1) 17TOTAL (9 wkts, 50 overs) 261

Fall of wickets: 1-2 (Gunasekera, 2.1 overs), 2-4 (Surkari, 4.3), 3-50 (Patel, 12.3), 4-175 (Bagai, 37), 5-179 (Rizwan Cheema, 38.1), 5-185(Hansra, ret. not out, 40.1), 6-205 (Balaji Rao, 42.5), 7-213 (Davison, 44.1), 8-222 (Baidwan, 45.2), 9-261 (Khurram Chohan, 49.4).

Bowling: Mills 2.4-1-2-2, Southee 10-1-36-1, Ryder 1.2-0-15-1, Oram 10-1-47-3, Franklin 4-0-31-0, N. McCullum 8-0-56-1, Styris 10-0-41-0, Williamson 4-0-26-0.

Result: New Zealand won by 97 runs.

Points: New Zealand 2, Canada 0.

Man-of-the-Match: B McCullum.

Toss: Canada.

Umpires: B Oxenford, S Tarapore; TV - S Davis.