McCullum’s comfortable ton leaves Canada on the ropes

 

Umpire Shavir Tarapore, center, signals for six after New Zealand batsman Ross Taylor, left, hit a six off the bowling of Canada's Harvir Baidwan, right. -AP Photo

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MUMBAI: New Zealand’s Brendon McCullum relished first use of the revamped Wankhede Stadium which will stage the World Cup final when he completed a chanceless century to help set Canada a formidable 359 target in Group A on Sunday.

McCullum paced his innings at no more than a steady rate and passed 4,000 career ODI runs on 95 before reaching three figures in 107 balls including 12 fours and two sixes.

The Kiwis closed on 358-6 after a middle order flourish. No less than 12 sixes were hit during the innings.McCullum was out in the 37th over for 101, caught trying to speed up the run rate off Harvir Baidwan.Ross Taylor, who destroyed the Pakistan attack in the Kiwis’ last match, then carried on in a similarly spectacular vein, firing past his half-century by scoring 28 runs off one hugely destructive over from Baidwan including four sixes and a four. entually out for 74, having shared an explosive half-century fourth-wicket partnership with Nathan McCullum reached in just 21 balls. In all, Taylor hit six fours and five sixes.

Scott Styris (35) and Kane Williamson (34 not out) added late salt to Canada’s wounds with another half-wicket partnership for the sixth wicket.Victory will put New Zealand, who have won three of their four matches so far, into the last eight.This was the revamped Mumbai venue’s first World Cup fixture, a gentle dress rehearsal for the guaranteed full house for the April 2 final, with the 33,000 seating capacity only about a quarter full and populated mainly by intrigued locals.The pitch used offered little encouragement to any of the Canadian bowlers including the spinners, playing slow but true.

New Zealand started as expected without their skipper Daniel Vettori who is struggling with a knee injury. Taylor stepped in as captain with 20-year-old batsman Williamson taking Vettori’s place in the team for his World Cup debut.