Black Caps ease into Super Eight
New Zealand eased into the Super Eight phase of the World Cup with a 148-run defeat of Kenya at Beausejour.
Knowing victory in the Group C encounter would guarantee passage with a game to spare, Stephen Fleming's side responded in clinical fashion to avert any chance of a further shock in the Caribbean.
Kenya, semi-finalists in the 2003 World Cup, began with high hopes of pressurising their higher-ranked opponents but Fleming (60), Ross Taylor (85), Scott Styris (63) and Craig McMillan (71) all struck half-centuries in an imposing total of 331 for seven, comfortably the highest one-day international score in St Lucia.
In reply, the Kenyans lost four early wickets and struggled for any kind of fluency between the afternoon showers.
Only veteran Ravi Shah, of the top order, prospered as the wet outfield made hitting boundaries increasingly difficult.
Shah, dropped on 43 by Fleming at slip off left-armer James Franklin, had contributed 71 of his side's 122 for six when, immediately after hitting spinner Daniel Vettori for six, he drove a return catch.
There was still 20 overs remaining at that point but all-rounder Thomas Odoyo mixed defence with occasional aggression to strike a defiant 42 and ensure all but four deliveries were used up.
