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| March 4, 2003 | Tuesday | Zul Hijjah 30, 1423 |
Kiwis keep hoping after sealing Windies’ fate
BENONI (South Africa), March 3: New Zealand threw caution to the wind as they hurtled to a five-wicket World Cup win over Canada on Monday, in the process knocking West Indies out of the tournament.
Chasing Canada’s 196, the New Zealanders lost skipper Stephen Fleming, Nathan Astle and Craig McMillan early in a frenetic run chase before galloping home in 23 overs in a last-ditch attempt to increase their run rate in their final Group ‘B’ outing.
Scott Styris, who made 54 not out off 38 balls, ended the game by hitting a four, a six, a four and a single off the final four deliveries from medium pacer Barry Seebaran.
That gave New Zealand 16 points, equal with Kenya who have already qualified for the Super Sixes, and Sri Lanka.
New Zealand will qualify automatically if Sri Lanka beat South Africa in Durban later on Monday night.
South Africa will qualify from Group ‘B’ if they win that day-nighter, leaving the third and final qualifying berth to be decided on run rate between New Zealand and the Sri Lankans.
“We’ve got a nervous evening ahead of us,” Fleming said. “We’re not sure which way the Durban game will go.
“We were always going to go hard at the start, we trusted the guys down at the bottom of the order. They can hit the ball well, and they did.”
The West Indies, meanwhile, can already start packing.Carl Hooper’s side play Kenya on Tuesday in their last game but can only reach 14 points.
New Zealand won the toss on Monday but were frustrated by Man-of-the-Match John Davison’s sparkling 75 before the Canadians were dismissed in 47 overs.
Davison, who later took three for 61, reached his half-century from 25 balls, equalling the third quickest fifty in World Cup history.
Davison, who struck the quickest ever World Cup century against West Indies eight days ago, hit two fours and a six in the fourth over from Andre Adams and moved to his half-century by smashing Jacob Oram for three sixes in an over.
Frustrated by accurate bowling from left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori and medium-pacer Chris Harris, however, Davison then holed out to long on trying to loft Harris for another six. The rest of the innings failed to emulate Davison as Oram took four for 52, while pace bowler Shane Bond took three for 29.
In reply, the New Zealanders set off in sprint mode and held their nerve despite a clatter of early wickets.
Skipper Fleming (five) was run out after a ridiculous mix-up with McMillan (14), who was caught off a skied edge after Astle (11) charged at Davison’s off spin and was stumped.
That made it 32 for three after four overs but the carnage continued, Andre Adams making a 20-ball 36, Chris Harris 38 off 29 balls and Styris 54 off 38 balls.
Styris paid tribute to Harris for steadying New Zealand nerves after they lost their fifth wicket for 114.
“We call him the king (in those situations). He was fantastic,” said Styris.
Scoreboard
CANADA:
I. Maraj lbw b Bond 0
J.M. Davison c Cairns b Harris 75
N. Ifill c McCullum b Oram 7
I.S. Billcliff c Fleming b Styris 8
N.A. de Groot lbw b Oram 17
J.V. Harris c McCullum b Bond 26
A. Bagai b Oram 1
A.M. Samad lbw b Bond 12
A. Codrington b Oram 7
A. Patel b Styris 25
B.B. Seebaran not out 4
EXTRAS ( LB-1, W-12, NB-1) 14
TOTAL (all out, 47 overs) 196
FALL OF WKTS: 1-21, 2-43, 3-80, 4-98, 5-123, 6-129, 7-152, 8-153, 9-173.
BOWLING: Bond 10-3-29-3 (3w); Adams 6-0-38-0; Oram 10-1-52-4 (7w); Vettori 10-0-34-0 (1nb, 1w); Styris 4-0-23-2 (1w); Harris 7-1-19-1.
NEW ZEALAND:
C.D. McMillan c Bagai b Davison 14
S.P. Fleming run out 5
N.J. Astle st Bagai b Davison 11
C.L. Cairns c Maraj b Davison 31
A.R. Adams c sub b Seebaran 36
S.B. Styris not out 54
C.Z. Harris not out 38
EXTRAS (LB-3, W-5) 8
TOTAL (for five wkts, 23 overs) 197
FALL OF WKTS: 1-19, 2-31, 3-32, 4-97, 5-114.
DID NOT BAT: B.B. McCullum, J.D.P. Oram, D.L. Vettori, S.E. Bond.
BOWLING: Patel 3-0-32-0 (3w); Davison 10-0-61-3 (1w); Codrington 2-0-33-0 (1w); Seebaran 7-0-61-1; Ifill 1-0-7-0.
RESULT: New Zealand won by five wickets.
UMPIRES: A.V. Jayaprakash (India) and B.G. Jerling (South Africa).
TV UMPIRE: T.H. Wijewardene (Sri Lanka).
MATCH REFEREE: D.T. Lindsay (South Africa).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: John Davison.—Reuters
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