CHRISTCHURCH: New Zealand will head into their opening cricket World Cup encounter on Saturday oozing confidence after they completed their preparations with a 134-run victory over South Africa on Wednesday.

Brendon McCullum’s side have emerged as third favourites for the Feb 14-March 29 tournament, behind Australia and A.B. de Villiers’ side, after a run of good performances at home over the last month.

Kane Williamson top scored for the World Cup co-hosts with 66 from 53 balls while McCullum blasted 59 from 45 deliveries in their score of 331 for eight off 50 overs.

New Zealand’s bowlers then ripped through South Africa’s top order, reducing them to 31-4 in the seventh over and 62-6 in the 14th at Hagley Oval in Christchurch before JP Duminy and Vernon Philander combined for some batting practice.

They put on 121 with Duminy scoring 80, while pace bowler Philander scored 57, but the pair seemed more content to bat out the overs rather than chase down the total and South Africa were eventually dismissed for 197 in 44.2 overs.

Left-arm seamer Trent Boult took three of the first four wickets before he finished with 5-51 from 9.2 overs, while wily left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori dismissed de Villiers for 24 and Wayne Parnell for four to finish with 2-29 from seven overs.

Both sides, who were allowed to use all 15 players in their squads, treated the match as a final contested training run, with South African spearhead Dale Steyn not bowling at all.

Scoreboard

NEW ZEALAND:

M.J. Guptill c de Kock b Parnell 26
B.B. McCullum b Phangiso 59
K.S. Williamson c de Villiers b Philander 66
L.R.P.L. Taylor st e Kock b Duminy 41
G.D. Elliott c Morkel b Abbott 24
C.J. Anderson b Parnell 21
L. Ronchi c de Kock b Philander 19 D.L. Vettori b Abbott 27
N.L. McCullum not out 33
T.G. Southee not out 1

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-2, W-11) 14

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 50 overs) 331

FALL OF WKTS: 1-57, 2-127, 3-180, 4-220, 5-240, 6-249, 7-285, 8-322.

DID NOT BAT: T.A. Boult, T.W.M. Latham, K.D. Mills, A.F. Milne, M.J. McClenaghan.

BOWLING: Philander 8-0-59-2 (2w); Morkel 7-0-31-0 (2w); Abbott 6-0-35-2; Parnell 7-0-52-2 (1w); Imran Tahir 7-0-52-0 (1w); Phangiso 6-0-43-1; Duminy 6-0-35-1 (3w); Du Plessis 3-0-21-0.

SOUTH AFRICA:

Q. de Kock c Guptill b Southee 11 R.R. Rossouw b Boult 2 F. du Plessis c Latham b Boult 8 A.B. de Villiers c B. McCullum b Vettori 24 D.A. Miller c Latham b Boult 4 J.P. Duminy b Boult 80 W.D. Parnell c Latham b Vettori 4 V.D. Philander c Elliott b McClenaghan 57 Imran Tahir b McClenaghan 3 A.M. Phangiso not out 1 M. Morkel c B. McCullum b Boult 0

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-2) 3

TOTAL (all out, 44.2 overs) 197

FALL OF WKTS: 1-11, 2-21, 3-27, 4-31, 5-58, 6-62, 7-183, 8-186, 9-197.

DID NOT BAT: H.M. Amla, F. Behardien, D.W. Steyn, K.J. Abbott.

BOWLING: Boult 9.2-0-51-5; Southee 8-0-29-1 (1w); Vettori 7-0-29-2; McClenaghan 8-0-23-2; N.L. McCullum 3-0-13-0; Mills 4-0-21-0 (1w); Elliott 5-0-30-0.

RESULT: New Zealand won by 134 runs.

UMPIRES: R.E.J. Martinesz (Sri Lanka) and R.J. Tucker (Australia).

PLAYERS PER SIDE: 15 (11 batting, 11 fielding).

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2015

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