HAMILTON–Martin Guptill scored 105 as New Zealand faced and only just surmounted the stern test it wanted before the knockout rounds of the Cricket World Cup, beating Bangladesh by three wickets yesterday to finish pool play unbeaten.
Mahmudulluh made his second consecutive century – 128 not out from 123 balls – as Bangladesh reached 288-7 after being sent in and stand-in captain Shakib Al Hasan (4-55) sprang a carefully-planned trap when his left-arm spin captured the wickets of New Zealand's leading batsmen Brendon McCullum (8) and Kane Williamson (1).
New Zealand was under pressure at 33-2 in its largest run-chase of the tournament, was revived by Guptill but faltered again and scraped home with Daniel Vettori (16) and Tim Southee (12) at the crease and seven balls to spare.
After Guptill's century and Ross Taylor's 56, Grant Elliott and Corey Anderson both made 39 to edge New Zealand toward its target before the final act was left to Vettori and Southee.
New Zealand needed 26 off the last three overs, lost Anderson after he had hit a six, then negotiated the last tense steps to victory through Vettori's big hitting and cool head.
Bangladesh will now face India in a quarterfinal in Melbourne on Thursday and will go into that match with some confidence after a solid and well-rounded performance. It posted the highest total of any of New Zealand's six pool opponents and became the first team New Zealand hasn't been able to bowl out in its six pool matches.
New Zealand's quarterfinal won't be known until Sunday when the last two Pool B matches are played. (Cricinfo)
England restores a little pride vs Afganistan
In Sydney, England recovered a little bit of pride from a pitiful Cricket World Cup campaign by beating Afghanistan by nine wickets in a rain-affected Pool A match.
After the rain cut Afghanistan short at 111-7 in the 37th over at Sydney Cricket Ground, England got in just in time to rapidly reach a revised target of 101. Given 25 overs, England did it in 18.1 overs.
England was eliminated from quarterfinals contention on Monday in a 15-run loss to Bangladesh, and finished with a 2-4 win-loss pool record.
Afghanistan, making its World Cup debut, finished 1-5.
Ian Bell scored a composed 52 not out, and combined for an opening 83-run stand with Alex Hales, who nicked Hamid Hassan (1-17) in the 14th over for 37, including two sixes. James Taylor (8 not out) finished off the chase with Bell.
Afghanistan will rue some poor fielding, which saw Hales dropped twice at backward point by Najib Zadran off Shapoor Zadran, blowing a chance to exploit a nervy England start.
Afghanistan also didn't start the match well, losing both openers inside eight overs, after being sent in by England. Joe Root caught out both at first slip.
A shower gave Afghanistan respite for 40 minutes, but another wicket quickly fell.
New batsman Samiullah Shenwari (7) hit Afghanistan's first boundary in the 13th over, but he became Chris Jordan's second wicket, spooning a catch to Eoin Morgan at point. It was Shenwari's lowest score of the tournament, following impressive half-centuries against Scotland and New Zealand, and scoring more than 250 runs in total.
Afghanistan reached 50 in the 21st over before rain forced another delay.
England again struck in the first over after the resumption, with Ravi Bopara teasing Nasir Jamal (17) into an edge to Jos Buttler. Bopara took 2-31.
Captain Mohammad Nabi wasted little time getting set, smashing a six off spinner James Tredwell into a group of Afghani supporters in a sparse crowd of 9,000 at the SCG. Bopara ended Nabi's cameo on 16, caught at mid-on, to reduce Afghanistan to 93-6.
Shafuqullah Shafaq top-scored for Afghanistan with 30. (Cricinfo)
Scoreboards
England vs Afghanistan
Afghanistan Innings
J Ahmadi c Root b Broad 7
N Mangal c Root b Anderson 4
A Zazai c Buttler b Jordan 6
N Ahmadzai c Buttler b Bopara 17
S Shenwari c Morgan b Jordan 7
S Shafiq c Bopara b Tredwell 30
M Nabi c Tredwell b Bopara 16
N Zadran not out 12
H Hassan not out 0
TOTAL: (for 7; 36.2 Ov) 111
Extras: (0nb, 6w, 0b, 6lb) 12
Did not bat: D Zadran, S Zadran
Fall of Wickets: 17, 20, 25, 34, 65, 93, 101
Bowling: J Anderson 7-0-18-1; S Broad 8-1-18-1, C Jordan 6.2-2-13-2, R Bopara 8-1-31-2, J Tredwell 7-0-25-1
England Innings
A Hales c A Zazai b Hassan 37
I Bell not out 52
J Taylor not out 8
TOTAL: (for 1, 18.1 Ov) 101
Extras: (0nb, 1w, 0b, 3lb) 4
Did not bat: J Root, E Morganm J Buttler, R Bopara, C Jordan, S Broad, J Anderson, J Tredwell - -
Fall of Wickets: 83
Bowling: S Zadran 4-0-25-0; D Zadran 3-0-23-0; H Hassan 5-0-17-1; M Nabi 4.1-0-14-0; S Shenwari 2-0-19-0
Toss: England, who chose to field
Player of the match: CJ Jordan (England)
Results: England win by 9 wickets (D/L Method)
New Zealand vs Bangladesh
Bangladesh Innings
T Iqbal c Anderson b Boult 13
I Kayes b Boult 2
S Sarkar c Anderson b Vettori 51
Mahmudullah not out 128
S Al Hasan c Ronchi b Anderson 23
M Rahim c Ronchi b Anderson 15
M Rahman c McCullum b Elliott 40
M Hossain c Taylor b Elliott 11
M Hossain not out 0
TOTAL: (for 7; 50.0 Ov) 288
Extras: (0nb, 4w, 0b, 1lb) 5
Did not bat: T Islam, Taskin Ahmed.
Fall of Wickets: 4, 27, 117, 151, 182, 260, 287
Bowling: T Southee 10-1-51-0; T Boult 10-3-56-2; M McClenaghan 8-0-68-0; D Vettori 10-0-42-1; C Anderson 10-0-43-2; G Elliott 2-0-27-2
New Zealand Innings
M Guptill c M Hossain b Al Hasan 105
B McCullum c Sarkar b Al Hasan 8
K Williamson c Iqbal b Al Hasan 1
L Taylor lbw b M Hossain 56
G Elliott c Ahmed- b MHossain 39
C Anderson b M Hossain 39
L Ronchi c M Hossain b Al Hasan 9
D Vettori not out 16
T Southee not out 12
TOTAL: (for 7; 48.5 Ov) 290
Did not bat: M McClenaghan, T Boult
Extras: (0nb, 4w, 0b, 1lb) 5
Fall of wickets: 27, 33, 164, 210, 219, 247, 269
Bowling: S Al Hasan-8.5-1-55-4; T Islam 10-0-58-0; M Hossain 8-1-40-1; T Ahmed 8-0-49-0; S Sarkar 4-0-19-0; M Rahman 2-0-14-0; Mahmudullah 3-0-22-0; M Hossain 5-0-32-2
Result: New Zealand win by 3 wickets
Toss: New Zealand, who chose to field
Player of the match: MJ Guptill (New Zealand)