24 January 2005	Monday	13 Zilhaj 1425

WELLINGTON, Jan 23: Stephen Fleming smashed a century off 54 balls to steer New Zealand to a nine wicket win over a World XI in the first of three fundraising one-day matches at Christchurch on Saturday.

The Kiwi skipper belted 10 fours and nine sixes in a brutal display of hitting, helping New Zealand pass the World XI's total of 158 in just 16.1 overs. "In 15 years of playing international or first-class cricket, I don't think I've seen anyone hit the ball like that," said World XI captain Shane Warne.

"Occasionally Brian Lara or Sachin Tendulkar when they've got to about 100, but that was just unbelievable." Fleming's century would have been the fourth fastest in one-day cricket history but won't count because the match was not given official status.

Fleming began modestly, reaching 44 off the first 34 balls he faced, before exploding into action when Sri Lankan off-spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was introduced into the attack.

Fleming smashed six sixes off Muralitharan, leaving the Sri Lankan with the unflattering figures for 0-57 from just 3.1 overs. The match was effectively over after the World XI, made up of past and present international players, crumbled to be all out for 158 in the 40th over.

England's Graeme Hick top scored with 44 and South African Jonty Rhodes chipped in with 36 but the total was always too small. Fleming, opening the batting, made 106 before being dismissed just short of the target, leaving Nathan Astle (36 not out) and Chris Cairns (eight not out) to complete the victory.

The three match series was organised to raise funds for victims of the Asian tsunami and to fill a scheduling hole after Sri Lanka's tour of New Zealand was postponed. Organisers said they raised more than US$350,000 from Saturday's opening match and hoped to take the total past $1 million after matches in Wellington and Hamilton.

SCOREBOARD



WORLD XI 



S.Jayasuriya c Cairns b Tuffey              5 



C.Spearman c Wilson b Tuffey                14 



I.Harvey lbw b Mills                        0 



K.Sangakkara c Cairns b Mills               0 



G.Hick c McCullum b Wilson                  44 



J.Rhodes c Astle b Cairns                   36 



L.Klusener c McCullum b Vettori             4 



H.Streak c Fleming b Vettori                0 



C.Vaas not out                              20 



S.Warne run out                             26 



M.Muralitharan b Vettori                    0 



Extras (lb-5 w-4)                           9 



Total (all out, 39.3 overs)                 158



Fall of wkts: 1-16 2-20 3-20 4-20 5-99 6-112 7-112 8-113 9-158 10-158.



Bowling: Tuffey 8-0-25-2 (w-3), Mills 7-1-30-2 (w-1), Cairns 8-1-38-1, 
Wilson 7-1-27-1, Vettori 9.3-1-33-3.



NEW ZEALAND 



S.Fleming c Spearman b Warne                106 



N.Astle not out                             36 



C.Cairns not out                            8 



Extras (lb-4 w-6)                           10 



Total (for one wkt, 16.1 overs)             160



Fall of wkt: 	1-148



Did not bat: M.Sinclair, S.Styris, H.Marshall, B.McCullum, 
J.Wilson, D.Vettori, K.Mills, D.Tuffey.



Bowling: Vaas 5-0-28-0 (w-1), Streak 3-0-22-0 (w-1), Harvey 2-0-23-0 (w-2), 
Muralitharan 3.1-0-57-0 (w-1), Warne 3-0-26-1 (w-1).



Result: New Zealand won by nine wickets. -Reuters