Ruthless Australia thump Kiwis by seven wickets

NAGPUR, India, (Reuters) – Ruthless Australia  compounded the miseries of rivals New Zealand by notching up a  seven-wicket victory in their World Cup match yesterday.

Chasing an easy target of 207 runs for victory, Australia  openers Shane Watson (62) and Brad Haddin (55) piled on 133 for  the first wicket in just 18 overs as they punished the erratic  bowling of New Zealand in the Group A encounter.

The start ensured that there were no hiccups, though both  openers departed in the same over to paceman Hamish Bennett.
Captain Ricky Ponting (12) followed soon after, stumped  brilliantly down the leg side by Brendon McCullum off Tim  Southee. Vice captain Michael Clarke and Cameron White saw Australia  home in just 34 overs with an unbeaten fourth-wicket stand of 40  runs to extend their team’s unbeaten run in World Cup to 31  matches.

The Kiwi bowlers did not help their cause by bowling 32  extras, which included 29 wides.

TOUGH GOING! Martin Guptil took 19 balls to get off the mark and then was bowled by Shane Watson for 10.

The match was played against a sombre backdrop following the  devastating earthquake in Christchurch earlier this week.
Both teams observed a minute’s silence and wore black  arm-bands, while the New Zealand flag flew at half mast in  memory of the victims of the earthquake, which has claimed at  least 113 lives with 228 people still missing.

Some of New Zealand players struggled to keep their  emotions in check as they linked arms while their national  anthem was being played before the start of the match.

After the solemn start, the Australian pace duo of Mitchell  Johnson and Shaun Tait vindicated Ponting’s decision to field  first by skittling New Zealand for a 206.

Overnight rain and a little cloud cover prompted Ponting to  bowl first in the day match and some fiery fast bowling saw the  Kiwis lose their first six wickets with just 73 runs on the  board.

Johnson (four for 33) and Tait (three for 35) shared seven  wickets among themselves, while Brett Lee and Shane Watson also  chipped in with a wicket apiece.

Steve Smith was the only spinner to pick up a wicket.

SCOREBOARD

New Zealand innings
M. Guptill b Watson                                           10
B. McCullum c Krejza b Tait                           16
J. Ryder c Haddin b Johnson                       25
L. Taylor b Tait                                                     7
J. Franklin c Haddin b Johnson                    0
S. Styris c Haddin b Tait                                   0
J. How lbw b Smith                                           22
N. McCullum lbw b Johnson                         52
D. Vettori c Haddin b Lee                               44
T. Southee c Ponting b Johnson                     6
H. Bennett not out                                               0
Extras: (b-1 lb-8 w-13 nb-2)                          24
Total: (all out; 45.1 overs)                           206
Fall of wickets: 1-20 2-40 3-66 4-66 5-67 6-73 7-121 8-175  9-206 10-206
Bowling: Lee 8-2-29-1, Tait 7-0-35-3 (2nb, 4w), Johnson  9.1-3-33-4 (2w), Watson 3-1-9-1 (1w), Krejza 9-0-47-0 (1w),  Smith 9-0-44-1 (1w)

Australia innings
S. Watson b Bennett                                     62
B. Haddin c Franklin b Bennett                55

R. Ponting st B. McCullum b Southee    12
M. Clarke not out                                          24
C. White not out                                            22
Extras: (lb-3 w-29)                                       32
Total: (for three wickets; 34 overs)    207
Did not bat: D. Hussey, S. Smith, M. Johnson, J. Krejza, B.  Lee, S. Tait.
Fall of wickets: 1-133 2-136 3-167
Bowling: Southee 10-2-45-1 (4w), Vettori 7-0-39-0 (1w),  Bennett 7-0-63-2 (7w), N. McCullum 3-0-22-0, Ryder 5-0-24-0  (3w), Franklin 2-0-11-0.
Result: Australia won by seven wickets.