NZ v Can ICC Cricket World Cup 2011: McCullum Century Gives NZ Strong Win

New Zealand put up yet another strong performance to suggest that the hope in them was not entirely misplaced as they to the top of the Group A table after their win over Canada in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011.

brendon mccullum ross taylor

Barring their disappointing loss to Australia, New Zealand are using the opportunities well to ride themselves in form. If Ross Taylor masterminded New Zealand's win over Pakistan, today he took a back seat at Brendon McCullum signalled that the ferocity of his bat was not past its time.

A near century partnership with no.3 Jesse Ryder ensured that New Zealand were off to a flying start against the minnows with the opening batsmen showing the sweet timing of his bat in a finely timed century off at a run a ball with two sixes and twelve shots to the boundary.

By the time the majestic innings of McCullum was brought to a close by the triple wicket taking Harvir Baidwan, New Zealand were poised for more at 185 in the thirty-seventh over at which point the stand-in captain, Taylor took over. Taylor followed up on his brilliant century against Pakistan with seventy-four off only forty-four balls studded by five sixes and six boundaries in an innings that elevated New Zealand to 358.

Chasing a near impossible target in the first match for the newly renovated Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, Canada's hope to come out with some semblance of respectability rested on the Canadian captain, Ashish Bagai, and Jimmy Hansra once more.

Although Kyle Mills picked up both openers to leave Canada frail at two down for four, he pulled up with injury. When it appeared that Canada had caved into the pressure of the inevitable, Bagai and Hansra forged a 125 run partnership for the fourth wicket that kept New Zealand in the field while adding brownie points for Canada's fighting efforts.

Bagai stamped himself once more as a man of promise with eighty-four runs while Hansra was once again his partner in pushing Canada beyond the tag of associate nations with seventy runs himself. However, the magic eventually ended and the pressure had already mounted for a Taylor like innings when Bagai was dismissed with the score of 175 in the thirty-seven over ( much like McCullum). Hansra returned injured and Canada fell away thereafter as Jacob Oram began to apply pressure with three wickets.

In the end, Canada lost the match by ninety-seven runs as New Zealand romped home in style to resurrect life into their campaign for sterner tests ahead.