The Kiwis continued their dominant run to thrash South Africa
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New Zealand hammered South Africa and Sri Lanka were shocked by minnows Zimbabwe in their respective Cricket World Cup warm-up matches. (Full World Cup Coverage )
World Cup co-hosts New Zealand continued their dominant run by by beating a strong South Africa by 134 runs. (Clarke Hits Quickfire Fifty in Warm-Up Game vs UAE )
Skipper Brendon McCullum made 59 and Kane Williamson scored 66 as the Black Caps scored 331 for 8 in 50 overs before bowling out South Africa for 197 for a morale-boosting win.
(Also See: Pakistan vs England Blog )
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka were handed a massive upset when Zimbabwe overhauled their total of 281 for 3 in only 45.2 overs, led by Hamilton Masakadza'sunbeaten 117 from 119 balls.
Sri Lanka, who were crushed 4-2 in a recent ODI series in New Zealand, would be utterly gutted. Runners-up at the last World Cup, the Lankans have so been a pale shadow of themselves four years later.go on and make a big score.
Zimbabwe made surprisingly easy work of running down that total on the same pitch on which they reduced New Zealand to 157 for 7 in a rained-out match on Monday.
After slipping to 35 for 2, Brendan Taylor (63) put on 127 for the the third wicket with Masakadza, who then saw Zimbabwe comfortably home in an unbroken 119-run partnership with Sean Williams (51). Williams produced an outstanding all-round performance, taking 3 for 35 from 10 overs of left-arm spin during Sri Lanka's innings.
New Zealand was equally emphatic in its win over the Proteas. The innings of McCullum and Williamson, with support from Ross Taylor (41), Martin Guptill (26) and Grant Elliott (24) set a strong platform for the Black Caps and late contributions of 27 by Daniel Vettori and 33 not out by Nathan McCullum took it well past 300.
South Africa were in desperate trouble at 62 for 6 with captain AB de Villiers - returning after a slight hip injury - out for 24. Jean-Paul Duminy made 80 from 98 balls and Vernon Philander 57 from 84 balls but their slow partnership left South Africa with little chance of running down New Zealand's total.
South Africa were all out in the 45th over and will now reappraise the challenge they face in their opening match, against Zimbabwe in Hamilton on Sunday.
Brief scores:
At Christchurch
New Zealand 331-8 in 50 overs (Kane Williamson 66, Brendon McCullum 59) v South Africa 197 all out in 44.2 overs (JP Duminy 80; Trent Boult 5-51)
New Zealand won by 134 runs
At Lincoln
Sri Lanka 279-8 in 50 overs Dimuth Karunaratne 58, Jeevan Mendis 51) v Zimbabwe 281-3 in 45.2 overs (Hamilton Masakadza 117 not out, Brendan Taylor 63, Sean Williams 51 not out)
Zimbabwe won by 7 wickets
(With inputs from agencies)
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