World Cup: New Zealand ease into quarter-finals with Canada win

New Zealand outclassed Canada, both mentally and physically, to register a 97-run win in their clash at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Sunday and assured themselves of a quarterfinal berth.

The Canadians, ending up with 261 for nine, were hardly left with any energy, literally, while chasing a mammoth 359-run target.

Skipper Ashish Bagai restored some respect in Jimmy Hansra’s company after Canada were reduced to 4/2 early on.

Bagai and Hansra stood together for 149 minutes and 102 balls to put up a face-saving 125-run partnership. But a cramping Bagai (84 off 87) was then caught behind of Nathan McCullum.

A few overs later, Hansra retired hurt due to cramps only to return later to register his career best score of an unbeaten 70 and also made sure Canada crossed 200 runs for the first time in this World Cup.

The Canadians were given some live lessons on how to be supremely fit, mentally and physically, by Kiwi centurion Brendon McCullum.

After batting for 163 minutes earlier, the wicketkeeper pulled off a stunning catch diving acrobatically to his right for Rizwan Cheema’s dismissal.

Later, some alert thinking by McCullum sent John Davison, who looked like he was taking a walk in the park, deservingly back to the pavilion.

The 40-year-old was seemingly strolling back to the non-striker’s end completing a single when McCullum’s sharp throw caught him short of the ground. The only thing Canada can take back from this game was the fact they survived for 50 overs and registered their best-ever World Cup total.

Earlier, Bagai’s choice to field first backfired as McCullum (101 off 109) smacked a stroke-filled ton before skipper Taylor (74 off 44), James Franklin (31* off 8) and Scott Styris (34 off 27) made life miserable for Canada on a hot day in the city.

After negotiating some early movement, openers McCullum and Martin Guptill stuck to the textbook plan of playing each ball on its merit. But Guptill’s (17) end came earlier than expected when Bagai took a very sharp catch standing up to Harvir Baidwan’s medium-pace in the 10th over.

In the company of new man Jesse Ryder, McCullum raced to his 50 in just 38 balls. After 15 overs, Kiwis were placed at 95/1 and in the next 15 overs, Canada conceded just 56 runs and got Ryder’s wicket too.

Taylor stood besides McCullum when the ’keeper reached his third ODI ton in the 36th over. Rightly so, the skipper straight away opted for the batting Powerplay in the 37th over. This section of play was the most happening of the match.

McCullum was out soon, but Taylor justified his decision with some manic hitting. After claiming the prized wicket of McCullum in his previous over, Baidwan was clobbered for 28 runs, all by Taylor, when he came to bowl the 39th over.

The Kiwi skipper smacked four sixes and a boundary in that over thanks to some terrible fielding on the fence by Cheema and Davison. Kiwis got richer by 74 runs in that period losing McCullum and Taylor.

Kiwis became the first team to score 300+ at Wankhede and they did that in some style. Styris, Kane Williamson and Franklin murdered the Canadian bowling in broad daylight.

The Kiwi lower order amassed 122 in last 10 overs. The last five overs cost the Canadians 84 runs.

Match Scorecard