Press Trust of India
Wellington, Feb 20: New Zealand established their credentials as top contenders for the World Cup with a thumping eight-wicket victory over England in a Pool A match here Friday. This was the third successive win for the co-hosts in as many matches.
Skipper Brendon McCullum (77, 25b, 8×4, 7×6) recorded the World Cup’s fastest fifty, off just 18 balls, after Tim Southee wreaked havoc with a seven-wicket haul. The earlier record belonged to McCullum when he had scored a 20-ball 50 against Canada in the 2007 edition of the tournament.
Opting to bat after winning the toss at the Westpac Stadium, England were bowled out for a paltry 123 with fast bowler Southee (7/33) achieving the third best figures in World Cup history after Glenn McGrath and Andy Bichell. In reply, New Zealand completed the formality in just 12.2 overs with McCullum blasting the England attack out of the park.
McCullum went on the rampage from the first ball and was especially severe on Steven Finn, who was smashed for 49 runs in two overs. McCullum had only three singles in the entire innings with the remaining 74 coming in boundaries. His assault included four consecutive sixes off Finn, which saw him reach the milestone. He was finally dismissed by Chris Woakes.
Earlier, Southee produced one of the best World Cup spells to help New Zealand bowl out England for a paltry total. The 26-year-old pacer, whose previous best in ODIs was 5/33, bowled Ian Bell and Mooen Ali with just 36 runs on the board as England found the going tough from the very beginning.
Trent Boult, Adam Milne and the experienced Daniel Vettori joined the party to leave England reeling at 104 for four in the 26th over.
After that Southee returned to clean up the visiting side’s lower order in a jiffy to set up the win. Only Joe Root (46, 70b, 3×4) showed some resistance against a Kiwi attack that looked very penetrative.
Scoreboard:
(England): Ian Bell b Southee 8, Moen Ali b Southee 20, Gary Ballance C Williamson b Boult 10, Joe Root c Vettori b Milne 46, Eoin Morgan c Milne b Vettori 17, Jerome Taylor b Southee 0, Jose Buttler c Ronchi b Southee 3, Chris Woakes b Southee 1, Stuart Broad c Vettori b Southee 4, Steven Finn c Taylor b Southee 0, James Anderson n o 1; Extras (lb-6, w-7) 13, Total: (in 33.2 over) 123.
Fall: 1/18, 2/36, 3/57, 4/104, 5/104, 6/108, 7/110, 8/116, 9/117, 10/123
Bowling: Tim Southee 9-0-33-7, Trent Boult 10-2-32-1, Adam Milne 5.2-1-25-1, Daniel vettori 7-0-19-1, Corey Anderson 2-0-8-0.
(New Zealand): Martin Guptill b Woakes 22, Brendon McCullum b Woakes 77, Kane Williamson n o 9, Ross Taylor n o 5, Extras (lb-4, w-8) 12, Total: (for two wickets in 12.2 overs) 125
Fall: 1/105, 2/112.
Bowling: James Anderson 5-0-37-0, Stuart Broad 2.2-0-27-0, Steven Finn 2-0-49-0, Chris Woakes 3-1-8-2.
