New Zealand followed up their 3-1 one-day series win over England with a record-breaking defeat of Ireland on Tuesday in the opening match of a triangular tournament also involving Scotland.
The Black Caps thrashed a makeshift Irish side by 290 runs in what was the biggest margin of victory in the history of one-day international cricket, surpassing India’s 257-run defeat of Bermuda at last year’s World Cup.
New Zealand’s total of 402 for two was also their highest one-day international total and an opening stand of 274 runs between Brendon McCullum and James Marshall was the fifth highest for any wicket.
In reply, Ireland were scuttled out for 112.
McCullum claimed his first one-day international century with a knock of 166 from 141 deliveries that featured 11 boundaries and ten sixes.
Marshall took 120 balls to post his hundred but then added a further 61 from only 21 more deliveries.
McCullum finally fell in the 43rd over, holing out to Ryan Haire on the cover boundary off the bowling of Phil Eaglestone.
McCullum’s departure brought little respite as Ross Taylor set about a ragged Irish attack with an onslaught which saw him race to an unbeaten 59 from only 24 balls, with one of his four sixes comfortably clearing the pavilion on its way out of the ground.
The second wicket fell when Marshall skied a catch to wicketkeeper Gary Wilson off Reinhardt Strydom in the final over.
Ireland’s response started positively enough as openers Strydom and Wilson moved smoothly to 27 without loss off four overs.
Strydom was bowled by Tim Southee in the next over, however, and things fell apart quickly.
Southee and Michael Mason claimed three wickets apiece while only some lusty hitting from tail-ender Peter Connell, who top-scored with 22 not out, ensured Ireland hoisted their tally above the 100 mark.
■PROTEAS vs SOMERSET
AFP, TAUNTON, ENGLAND
South Africa opener Neil McKenzie rediscovered his batting touch and Paul Harris claimed his first-half century for his country as the Proteas’ three-day match against Somerset ended in a draw on Tuesday.
McKenzie had gone for a golden duck at the hands of Somerset’s former England bowler Andy Caddick in the opening innings.
But he bounced back with 63 from 109 balls including seven fours in his second attempt while Harris struck an unbeaten 50 off just 48 balls to surpass his previous best score of 46 against Pakistan in the Lahore Test in October last year.
South Africa’s stand-in skipper Ashwell Prince declared shortly after Harris reached his half-century on 215 for six to leave Somerset a nominal target of 482 in a minimum of 46 overs. By the time play was halted at 4pm GMT, they had reached 115 for three off 34 overs with Morne Morkel, Andre Nel and Harris collecting a wicket apiece.
It was a satisfactory start for the tourists with only wicketkeeper Mark Boucher of the top-line batsmen failing to get among the runs.
On the bowling front Morkel gave glimpses of his pace, Andre Nel bowled consistently throughout and Makhaya Ntini and Harris improved in the truncated Somerset second innings.
Coach Micky Arthur expects injured captain Graeme Smith to have recovered from a hamstring problem in time to face Middlesex at Uxbridge in a three-day game starting tomorrow.
Boucher fell for just seven in the third over the day when he played across a Steffan Jones delivery that cut back into him and took his off stump.
His replacement, AB De Villiers, produced some fine drives, but also rode his luck in making 48, slicing an attempted pull over the head of wicketkeeper Craig Kieswetter on 20 before being dropped by Caddick off the bowling of spinner Michael Munday on 37.
De Villiers’ luck ran out when he clipped Arul Suppiah straight to Mark Turner at short cover. McKenzie’s innings ended in the following over when he directed a full-toss from Munday into the hands of De Bruyn at deep backward square.
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