New Zealand maintain 100% start
Skipper Stephen Fleming hit 60 in the Black Caps' win
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Tuesday, 20, Mar 2007 11:49
England's group C rivals New Zealand booked their place in the Super Eight stage of the cricket World Cup with an assured win over Kenya.
The Black Caps posted an imposing total of 331-5, which gave the Kiwi bowlers more than enough room to work the Kenyan batsmen as they were skittled out for 186 and a 148-run victory.
Kenya prised some early movement out of the pitch and vindicated captain Steve Tikolo's decision to field as Thomas Odoyo found Lou Vincent's outside edge for a first-over dismissal.
But Ross Taylor (85) and Stephen Fleming (60) prevented the Kenyan attack building any more momentum as they amassed a partnership of 105 for the second wicket.
There was no respite for Tikolo and the rest of the bowlers once that pair were separated however, as their successors at the crease, Scott Styris and Craig McMillan, scored 63 and 71 respectively.
The Kenyan batting line-up contained no such foundations on which to base an assault on their target as the top order quickly crumbled.
David Obuya departed in the third over and Maurice Ouma, Steve Tikolo and Tanmay Mishra were all soon on their trail back into the pavilion.
Ravindu Shah and Thomas Odoyo propped up what remained of the innings with scores of 71 and 42 and refused to allow seamer Michael Mason to dominate as he had earlier.
However once they were finally picked off, there was no-one left to arrest the slide to defeat.