The Hindu : Sport : Vincent in good nick

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 23, 2007
ePaper

Sport

Sport

Vincent in good nick

GROS ISLET (AP): Brendon McCullum battered the Canada attack for a record-fast 50 and Lou Vincent added 101 to guide New Zealand to 363 for five, its highest World Cup total.

The Group C match counted for little Thursday in terms of the competition - New Zealand, with two wins, had already advanced to the Super 8s and winless Canada was already out of contention.

So after being sent in, New Zealand used its innings as batting practice and surpassed its previous highest World Cup total of 331 _ set two days earlier against Kenya - in the 48th over.

McCullum, batting at No. 7, reached his 50 off 20 balls. He finished unbeaten on 52 from 21 balls, slogging five sixes and one four in an 85-run sixth-wicket stand with Jacob Oram (not out 35).

Vincent failed to score in his first two innings in St. Lucia, but on Thursday hit a six to midwicket to earn his first World Cup runs. Once off the mark, Vincent belted nine fours and a six to reach his third one-day hundred in his 97th ODI. Two balls later, he was caught and bowled by John Davison (2-67) for 101.

Stephen Fleming hit eight boundaries and a six to reach 66, when he was caught low at short midwicket by Geoff Barnett, who was born in Canada but grew up in New Zealand, where he still plays club cricket.

Peter Fulton fell three runs shy of 50 when he was trapped lbw off Kevin Sandher (2-58) after adding 80 runs with Vincent. Scott Styris (28 off 17 balls) hit four consecutive fours off Abdool Samad before skying a ball straight in the air which wicketkeeper Ashish Bagai ran to catch.

New Zealand made three changes, with batsman Ross Taylor (hamstring), and fast bowlers Shane Bond and James Franklin rested. Fulton, Daryl Tuffey and Jeetan Patel played instead.

This is the last game for Canada coach Andy Pick, who quit this week because contract negotiations broke down.

School children again made up the majority of the crowd, which only took up a third of the 20,000-seat stadium.-AP

SCOREBOARD

New Zealand: L. Vincent c & b Davison 101, S. Fleming c Billcliff b Sandher 66, P. Fulton lbw b Sandher 47, S. Styris c Bagai b Samad 28, C. McMillan c Samad b Davison 10, J. Oram (not out) 35, B. McCullum (not out) 52; Extras (b-1, lb-5, w-17, nb-1): 24; Total (for five wkts. in 50 overs): 363.

Fall of wickets: 1-142, 2-222, 3-253, 4-266, 5-278.

Canada bowling: Cummins 10-1-59-0, Bhatti 5.3-1-25-0, Samad 2.3-0-31-1, Osinde 4-0-45-0, Sandher 10-0-58-2, Davison 10-0-67-2, Dhaniram 8-0-72-0.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport