Rusty Australia swamp fighting Canada

Australia 212 for 3 (Watson 94, Haddin 88) beat Canada 211 (Patel 54, Lee 4-46) by seven wickets

	Shane Watson hit the longest six of the World Cup, a 104 metre monster over long-on © Getty Images

By the time Shane Watson and Brad Haddin were launching the ball with frightening regularity into sparsely populated stands at the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Australia had taken control of a game that extended their unbeaten run in World Cups to 34 matches, and vaulted them from fourth to first in Group A. Though the margin of victory - seven wickets with 91 balls to spare - was huge, they did not have it easy throughout. Canada ambushed them with the bat, and then created some chances with the new ball. Australia's pace and power eventually swamped them but Ashish Bagai's team exceeded expectations in their final World Cup appearance.

When Bagai chose to bat, the probability of an early finish in Bangalore increased significantly, but Australia's inevitable supremacy was delayed by an extraordinary attack from 19-year-old Hiral Patel, who batted fearlessly to score a rapid half-century off the world's fastest bowlers. After the labour against Kenya, Ponting had said he wanted to win this convincingly but it wasn't until the 29th over, by which time Canada had reached 150 for 2, that Australia began to dominate.

Their surge was led by the wayward Shaun Tait, who had Bagai edging to Haddin. The ball was now scruffy and had begun to reverse. In his next over, Tait wasted a review on an unsuccessful lbw appeal for the second time, not spotting an inside edge from Zubin Surkari. He floored Surkari, though, with his next two balls, a toe-crushing yorker followed by a full toss that struck the batsman painfully on the thigh. Rattled, Surkari attempted a flamboyant drive after getting back on his feet, and inside-edged on to middle stump.

Between those wickets, Jason Krejza dismissed Jimmy Hansra, whose attempted hit down the ground landed in long-on's hands. Brett Lee, who bore the brunt of the early onslaught, returned to uproot Rizwan Cheema's middle stump with a slower ball. Canada lost four wickets in four overs, and five for 19, and were soon dismissed for 211. Having struggled in the field with his injured pinky, Ponting was unhappy, and his frustration showed when he collided with Steve Smith moments before catching Harvir Baidwan. Ponting flung the ball into the ground after taking the catch.

Smart Stats Brett Lee's 4 for 46 is his second-best figures in World Cups behind his 5 for 42 against New Zealand in 2003. He has 30 wickets in 15 matches at an average of 18.53. Canada's 54 runs in the first five overs is the highest for any team in the first five overs of an innings in the 2011 World Cup. They brought up their fifty in just 4.4 overs. From a healthy score of 150 for 2, Canada collapsed to 211 losing their last eight wickets for just 61 runs. The 77 runs scored by Canada in the mandatory Powerplay is the fourth highest by any team in the World Cup. The highest is 87 by India against South Africa in Nagpur. The 183-run stand between Shane Watson and Brad Haddin is the highest opening-wicket partnership for Australia in World Cups. Haddin and Watson became the 32nd Australian pair to aggregate 1000 runs in ODIs. They have now aggregated 1131 runs at an average of 49.17 with three century stands. Watson was dismissed for the second time in the nineties in ODIs. Adam Gilchrist has been dismissed six times in the nineties which is the record for an Australia batsman. Australia won with 91 balls to spare in the innings. In matches in the 2011 World Cup, it is second to their win over New Zealand in Nagpur in terms of balls remaining. Their record remains the win over Ireland in 2007 when they had 226 balls remaining. Ricky Ponting, who has scored 1620 runs in World Cups at an average of 45 has been poor in this tournament. He has scored just 83 runs in four innings at an average under 21.

The build-up to the game was quiet: the Wednesday crowd was thin, the atmosphere sedentary. And then Patel woke everybody up. Using Lee's width and pace, he played two cuts. By the time you blinked, the ball had reached the boundary. He took a third four off Lee's first over with a drive through extra cover. Against Tait, who had focused on bowling full and fast without success, Patel moved back and slammed a length delivery over the cover boundary. After three overs, Canada were 33 for 0.

There was no memorable swansong for 40-year-old John Davison, who was playing his final game. After three attacking boundaries, he gloved a slower bouncer from Lee to Haddin, ending the opening stand on 41, Canada's best of the World Cup.

Davison's dismissal did not deter Patel. He brought up Canada's 50 off 4.4 overs by edging an attempted loft off Mitchell Johnson so hard that it cleared third man. Realising Patel was at ease with balls in his half, Lee unleashed several short balls and even wanted a chat, but Patel did not bite. And when Lee bowled one short ball too many, Patel hooked, and cleared deep-backward square leg. He reached his half-century off 37 deliveries, and after the mandatory Powerplay, Canada were 77 for 1. Patel's innings ended when, in the 12th over, he went hard at Watson and Johnson held the catch on the edge of the third-man boundary.

Australia slowly brought the run-rate under control. It finally dipped below six in the 19th over. Surkari and Bagai, however, batted steadily during their 68-run association. They steered Canada towards a commendable position before Australia's fast bowlers came back strongly - Lee finished with 4 for 46 - and set the stage for their batsmen.

Haddin and Watson both survived uncertain moments against the new ball before settling in to score at a steady pace. They were tested by Henry Osinde, a well built Uganda-born fast bowler who got the ball to bounce at pace and beat both Haddin and Watson with short balls. Harvir Baidwan could have dismissed Watson on 2 but Rizwan Cheema dropped the lofted mis-hit at mid-on. Haddin could have been dismissed on 23 but Ashish Bagai decided not to review an unsuccessful lbw appeal from Baidwan. Replays showed it was likely to have been overturned.

Thereafter opportunities for Canada were few. Haddin and Watson dominated the bowling during the batting Powerplay - 41 runs between overs 21 and 25 - and were soon finding the boundary at will. Both batsmen missed their centuries, though, holing out to catches in the deep, leaving the finish to their mates in the middle order. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Davison to retire after Australia match

Veteran Canada batsman John Davison will bow out of international cricket after his side's last World Cup match against Australia at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium here today.


In pic: John Davison practices ahead of his final game for Canada © AFP

Davison shot to prominence with a 67-ball century against the West Indies in the 2003 World Cup, the then fastest ton in the quadrennial event. The 41-year-old was born in Canada but lived almost all his life in Australia, the country he always wanted to represent. "I suppose its pretty fitting. I've lived all my life there. I was never quite good enough to get a game for them. It will be a great experience to play against them. "There'r some guys in the team who I've had a fair bit to do with, playing against or coaching. So it would be nice to have a good showing against them," Davison said of his farewell match.

Davison has either played with or coached quite a few of the Aussies, including spinners Jason Kreja, Steve Smith, at Australia's Centre of Excellence in Brisbane, and has had a hand in the development of the sport in Canada. "He has been a great ambassador for the sport. I have learned a lot from him and the players appreciate his presence in the dressing room. He has got professionalism and work ethic in the side," Canada skipper Ashish Bagai said of Davison.

Australia skipper Ricky Ponting's association with Davison also goes back a long way. "Know a lot about John as a cricketer. 20 years back or so, played with or against him at various state competitions, and also did quite a few overseas tours with him as part of the cricket academy," Ponting said. "He has had great memories of the world cup, playing for Canada. He will be able to look back at the World Cup and look at the good moments," he added.

Davison took a walk down memory lane, when a reporter reminded him of the innings against West Indies eight years ago. "I hope there is one more innings like that left in me," he said. "I was hitting it a lot better than I am now. I was just able to hit through the line. It was one of those days when everything I tried came off," he added. Davison has played 31 one-day internationals for Canada, scoring 785 runs at an average of a shade under 30, besides picking up 35 wickets. —PTI

New Zealand ease to 97-run victory

New Zealand 358 for 6 (McCullum 101, Taylor 74, Baidwan 3-84, Rao 2-62) beat Canada 261 for 9 (Bagai 84, Hansra 70*, Mills 2-2, Oram 3-47) by 97 runs

	A century stand between Ashish Bagai and Jimmy Hansra was the highlight for Canada but they suffered another heavy defeat © Getty Images

New Zealand walked to an easy 97-run win over Canada in Mumbai and sealed their place in the quarter-finals. They romped unchallenged to 358 for 6 and then held Canada to 261 for 9 in reply. Brendon McCullum's century, and a brutal late assault fromRoss Taylor and the lower middle order, put the score well out of Canada's reach. Ashish Bagai's 84 and an unbeaten 70 from Jimmy Hansra ensured Canada at least reached their highest total of the tournament, but there was never even a hint that they would mount a challenge against New Zealand's effort.

Canada won the toss and Bagai chose to bowl, hoping to take advantage of any early-morning moisture on a pitch that had a typically reddish tinge to it. But after a reasonably disciplined start the bowlers' lines started to waver and Brendon McCullum, in particular, took a heavy toll. He repeatedly rifled cuts and drives through or over the off side, and had entered the 30s at better than a-run-a-ball when New Zealand's fifty came up in the ninth over.

Canada struck through some dogged medium pace from Harvir Baidwan and a stellar piece of wicketkeeping from Bagai, who has greatly enhanced his reputation behind the stumps in the course of this tournament. He held onto a thick edge, standing up, to get rid of Martin Guptill.

McCullum passed fifty and soon tired of accumulation when the field was set back, reverse-sweeping John Davison for the first boundary in six overs and then jumping down the track to swat legspinner Balaji Rao high over long-off. Jesse Ryder, who had tempered his usual aggression to reach 38 from 55 balls, looked to follow suit against Davison soon after but sliced across a flighted offspinner to present Henry Osinde with an easy catch at long-on.

Taylor flicked Osinde twice to the leg-side boundary to kick-start his innings and partnered Brendon McCullum to his third ODI hundred in the 36th over. With New Zealand's two most devastating batsmen at the crease, the batting Powerplay was called for immediately afterwards, but Brendon McCullum was its first victim when he slapped Baidwan straight to Ruvindu Gunasekara at extra cover.

Though Rao picked up two wickets in the remaining overs, including that of Taylor for a 44-ball 74 that included four mighty sixes in the space of a single over, Canada completely unravelled in the field as the score went stratospheric. A whopping 74 runs came from the batting Powerplay, and 122 from the last 10 overs, including 31 from the final over of the innings during which Rizwan Cheema was removed from the attack for his second beamer of the innings.

The signs were ominous for Canada when Ruvindu Gunasekara slashed at the first ball of Kyle Mills' second over and Taylor timed his leap to perfection at first slip to pluck the ball out of the air one handed. The boundary had still not been reached when, two overs later, Zubin Surkari hung his bat out limply at another Mills outswinger to offer Taylor his second catch.

Canada were 4 for 2 and sinking fast, but Bagai and Hiral Patel wasted no time in launching a spirited fightback. Their effort was no doubt helped by a premature end to Mills' spell when he pulled up lame one ball after he had dismissed Surkari, clutching at his left knee in some pain and leaving the field straightaway.

Smart Stats New Zealand's total of 358 is their second highest inWorld Cups behind the 363 they made against Canada in 2007. They have six scores above 300 in World Cups. Brendon McCullum's century is his first in World Cups and his third overall in ODIs. His previous highest in World Cups was 76 against Zimbabwe in Ahmedabad. New Zealand scored 74 runs in the batting Powerplay, the most by any team in this World Cup. Pakistan are second, with 70 runs against Kenya. Ross Taylor's strike rate is the third highest for a New Zealand batsman for a fifty-plus score in World Cups. The 12 sixes hit in New Zealand's innings is the second highest for them in an innings in World Cups. The overall record is 18, jointly held by India and South Africa. Rizwan Cheema's economy rate of 13.24 is the fourth highest among all bowlers who have bowled at least four overs in an innings in a World Cup match. The 125-run stand between Ashish Bagai and Jimmy Hansra is the third highest for Canada for the third wicketin ODIs and the second highest in World Cups. Bagai's 84 is his 16th fifty in ODIs and his highest score in a World Cup match. He has scored two hundreds and 16 fifties at an average of 38.44 in ODIs. Canada's 261 is their highest total in World Cups, going past the 249 they made against New Zealand in 2007.

After a nerveless, shotless start to his innings Patel took Tim Southee on in stirring fashion, targeting the off side in a series of imperious thumps. He reached a fluent 31 but was then undone by a well-directed bouncer from Jacob Oram that cramped him for room, a thin edge nestling safely in Brendon McCullum's gloves.

Their partnership had stretched to 46 at a good rate before it was broken, and Bagai's contribution had been steady, composed accumulation. He went into the 30s with a classy loft over cover off Nathan McCullum and continued in much the same gear in Hansra's company.

The pair added 125 for the fourth wicket, a partnership dominated by ones and twos but punctuated by a couple of strong shots whenever a bad ball was bowled. Though there was no chance it could result in a win, there was still the achievement that it was Canada's second-highest against a Test-playing nation, beaten only by Geoff Barnett and Ian Billcliff's 177-run stand against Bangladesh at the 2007 World Cup.

Bagai went to fifty by spanking a full toss from Kane Williamson to the cover boundary, but the searing heat of the Mumbai afternoon after he'd also kept wicket for the first half of the game began to take its toll. As cramps set in Bagai began to hit out in search of a century, but perished when a flashing drive resulted only in a thin edge behind.

It was cramp that did for Hansra too, and he retired on 53 - his second half-century in successive games - soon after the batting Powerplay was taken in the 41st over. The match had long ceased to be a contest by that stage, the situation typified by Davison's amateurish run-out, but Canada's lower order did at least throw the bat around and Hansra returned to the crease after rehydrating to ensure they batted out the full 50 overs.

They can at least take some comfort in the way they have improved as a team in the course of this tournament. For their part, the win means New Zealand now top the Group A points table. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Canada coast to win in basement battle

Canada 199 for 5 (Hansra 70, Bagai 64*) beat Kenya 198 (Mishra 51, Odoyo 51, Osinde 4-26) by five wickets

	Jimmy Hansra slammed two sixes and seven fours in his 70© Getty Images

Canada won only their second World Cup match in four tournaments, beating Kenya in a low-profile, low-scoring scrap, and walked away from the Feroz Shah Kotlawith with bragging rights. Jimmy Hansra and Ashish Bagai put on 132 - Canada's fifth highest one-day partnership - to steer the chase on a slow subcontinent surface, in the fourth successive match in which a tough track was served up in a World Cup widely expected to be a runfest.

Quick bowler Henry Osinde was Canada's hero in the afternoon, as he ripped through the top order to leave Kenya gasping at 57 for 5 after 15 overs. Kenya, though, just about achieved their captain Jimmy Kamande's goal of playing out 50 overs; gutsy half-centuries from Tanmay Mishra and Thomas Odoyo acting as the bedrock of what was their best batting performance of the tournament.

Osinde was getting the ball to swerve a touch at the start, and that provided him with a wicket off the second delivery of the match, when Maurice Ouma was drawn towards the ball and edged it to slip as he belatedly tried to leave. Seren Waters, the promising opener, was next to go, playing down the wrong line to be bowled for 2. David Obuya became Osinde's third victim, nicking to the keeper as Kenya slid to 21 for 3.

There was more trouble for Kenya when a horrible swipe ended Collins Obuya's promising innings, and their most experienced player Steve Tikolo was adjudged lbw though replays suggested there was an inside-edge. Mishra and Kamande then put on the first of two reviving half-century stands. Just as the partnership started to gather momentum, legspinner Balaji Rao struck, getting Kamande caught behind for 22.

Mishra continued to grind it out, holding the innings together with a carefully constructed knock - 33 of his 51 runs were singles. His second significant stand was with Thomas Odoyo, who was far more aggressive, launching the ball through the off side or down the ground when it was pitched up.

Smart Stats Canada improved their record against Kenya to five wins from 16 matches. In their first nine meetings, they won just one game and lost eight. Since then, they have won four matches and lost none. Canada's win is only their second in World Cups after their 60-run win over Bangladesh in 2003. They have now won two and lost 14 of the 16 matches they've played. Kenya were dismissed for the 16th time for a score under 200 in World Cups. In 27 innings, they have scored over 200 on just 10 occasions. This is the first occasion that Kenya have passed 150 in the 2011 World Cup. Thomas Odoyo scored his first half-century in World Cups. He has scored 414 runs at an average of 24.35 in World Cup matches. He is Kenya's second-highest run getter in ODIs behind Steve Tikolo. Henry Osinde's 4 for 26 is his career-best performance in ODIs and the second-best bowling display by a Canada bowler in World Cups behind Austin Codrington's 5 for 27 in the 2003 World Cup. The 19 runs scored by Kenya in the last five overs is the lowest by any team in the batting Powerplay in the World Cup (min 20 balls faced). The 132-run partnership between Ashish Bagai and Jimmy Hansra is the highest fourth-wicket stand for Canada in World Cups and the second highest fourth-wicket stand for Canada in ODIs.

The pair added 57 before Mishra perished in the 43rd over; Kenya missing a trick by not choosing the batting Powerplay when the two were together. That meant there was no big flourish at the death, and Kenya were bowled out on the final delivery by an inch-perfect yorker from Harvir Baidwan.

The chase began with the promoted Rizwan Cheema giving another short exhibition of his everything-must-go batting philosophy. He survived a first-ball lbw decision, and then whacked two fours and a six before he was bowled attempting yet another agricultural swipe. Kenya kept it tight after that on a pitch where the ball was keeping low, before the game sparked to life.

First, Zubin Surkari was run out by a direct hit from Kamande in the 10th over, then Ruvindu Gunasekara crunched a couple of driven boundaries, before he was reprieved by Nehemiah Odhiambo, who shelled a hard caught-and-bowled chance. Gunasekara didn't build on that, though, as two balls later he was bizarrely stumped, after beginning to take a run when the ball was in the keeper's gloves. The new batsman Hansra popped a dolly to mid-on off the second ball he faced, but that too was dropped, by Waters. In a match that was littered with poor fielding, this was the poorest miss, and it proved to be a pivotal one. Hansra celebrated the let-off with two boundaries in the over.

Things became sedate again after that phase, with Hansra and Bagai mainly taking the singles on a surface which was helping the spinners. Hansra brought out the big hit occasionally but Bagai was very subdued, striking only one boundary in his first 64 deliveries. Kenya started to flag as the partnership blossomed, and though there were some half-chances, Canada picked off the many freebies offered to stay firmly on course for victory.

Bagai started to open up as the target neared and though Hansra was dismissed with the win 19 away, Canada got their with plenty to spare to maintain their recent dominance of Kenya. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Afridi's five seals Pakistan victory

Pakistan 184 (Umar 48, Misbah 37, Baidwan 3-35) beat Canada 138 (Hansra 43, Afridi 5-23) by 46 runs

Shahid Afridi now has 14 wickets after leading his team to victory with 5 for 23 © AFP

Where Ireland went, Canada could not follow as their dreams of a World Cup fairytale were blown away by Shahid Afridi. For three-quarters of the game Canada had hustled Pakistan into a corner, only for Afridi to lash out with five wickets to seal Pakistan's qualification to the quarter finals.

While Afridi's speculative batting may long since have gone bust, his bowling has grown into a model of menacing consistency which has placed him well in front as the tournament's leading wicket-taker with 14 scalps from three games.

Chasing a modest 184 after a lethargic Pakistan batting effort, Canada had scrapped hard to reach 104 for 3 with 17 overs remaining. Even in conditions that had been refreshingly inviting for bowlers, it was an equation within Canada's reach, but Pakistan's jack-in-the-box captain sprung to life to wipe out the lower and middle order.

It was Saeed Ajmal, back in the side in place of Abdur Rehman, who started the collapse when he dismissed the obdurate Zubin Surkari lbw. The appeal was initially denied by umpire Daryl Harper, but the much-maligned DRS proved the bowler right. It was one of a number of decisions that Harper had to reverse as, in a single innings, the merits of umpire technology were given a perfect advertisement.

Surkari's dismissal brought the destructive Rizwan Cheema to the crease and with the target still in sight it seemed scripted that Cheema would bash his adopted country to glory against the land of his birth, but after starting with a bang over midwicket he ended with a whimper - missing an Afridi googly to lose his off bail.

Smart stats Shahid Afridi has become the first bowler to take three four-wicket hauls in a single World Cup. He is also thefourth bowler to take two five-fors in one World Cup. The two best bowling performances by a Pakistan player in World Cups belong to Afridi, and they've come within ten days of each other. Afridi is the leading wicket-taker in this World Cup with 14, and needs only four more to equal the record for most wickets by a Pakistan bowler in a World Cup: Wasim Akram took 18 in 1992. It is only the ninth instance of a bowler taking at least four wickets in three consecutive ODI innings. Waqar Younis achieved this feat on three separate occasions. Canada's 15-over scores in their three matches have been the three lowest among all teams in this tournament - they scored 35 for 3 against Zimbabwe, 36 for 3 against Sri Lanka, and 40 for 2 today against Pakistan.

Afridi's next over all but sealed the match with a slider rushing through Jimmy Hansra's defences. Hansra had played with the sort of calculated daring that underpinned Ireland's success in Bangalore but could not last long enough. Afridi was aloft in celebration a ball later when he bowled Harvir Baidwan to set up a hat-trick delivery. Though he didn't get it, he sealed his five-wicket haul when Wahab Riaz held a Tyson Gordon skier.

As if to emphasise his hold on the occasion Afridi even managed to conjure another scalp after finishing his bowling stint, hitting direct from mid-on to catch the wheezing Balaji Rao short. It meant Pakistan finished a game with all the zest that was missing from a forgettable batting display.

Were it not for a stodgy 73-run stand between Misbah-ul-Haq and Umar Akmal, Pakistan may well have joined England on the receiving end of a World Cup shock. Before they came together Pakistan were rocking at 67 for 4 and lost five wickets for 44 after their stand was broken. Misbah was as calm as ever and nursed his more volatile partner through an organised, pragmatic and thoroughly un-Pakistani partnership.

Either side of that pair it was a overconfident display as the batsmen lacked the intensity to buckle down and keep the scoreboard moving in the face of an energetic Canada effort. Using the heavy atmosphere and sporting pitch, all the Canadian bowlers caused trouble but it was the contrasting aggression of seamer Baidwan and rotund legspinner Rao who starred, constantly prodding and probing the Pakistan batsmen who were unable to raise their games.

It left Canada dreaming at the half-way stage, but Afridi intervened when his team needed him most. © ESPN EMEA Ltd.

Spinners dominate in 175-run win

Zimbabwe 298 for 9 (Taibu 98, Ervine 85, Rao 4-57) beat Canada 123 (Surkari 26, Price 3-16, Cremer 3-31) by 175 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

	Man of the Match Tatenda Taibu top-scored with 98 and then completed two stumpings as Zimbabwe romped to a 175-run win © Getty Images

Zimbabwe's spinners made sure a record third-wicket partnership between Tatenda Taibu and Craig Ervine didn't go to waste, maintaining an asphyxiating grip on Canada's batsmen to secure a 175-run win in Nagpur. Taibu and Ervine's stand, which is Zimbabwe's highest for the third wicket in ODIs and their fifth largest overall, helped their team recover from a decidedly shaky start to reach 298 for 8 on a good batting wicket. While the ascendancy had swung between the two teams in the first innings Zimbabwe's slow bowlers assumed full control in the afternoon, sharing 37.1 overs and all ten wickets as Canada were bowled out in the 43rd over.

Despite needing practically a-run-a-ball from the start Canada would still have begun their batting effort with the belief that an upset was not impossible. What was needed was a positive start by their opening pair, theunlikely couple of veteran batsman John Davison and the comparatively foetal Nitish Kumar who, at 40 and 16 respectively, are the oldest and youngest players at this tournament.

Davison looked to attack Ray Price - who shared the new ball once again - almost immediately but ran straight past a flighted delivery that straightened just enough to clip the top of off stump. Things got worse for Canada four overs later when, in consecutive deliveries, Price stuck out his left hand and held onto a chipped drive to get rid of Kumar and Ashish Bagai swept straight to short backward square. Jimmy Hansra safely negotiated the hat-trick ball but the damage had been done with Canada staring into the precipice at 7 for 3.

Hansra and 19-year-old Ruvindu Gunasekara clung gamely to the crease for a while, but the required rate rose steadily as the slow bowlers strengthened their stranglehold. As the frustration rose Hansra again used his feet to Utseya but this time an arm ball rushed past the outside edge and he was easily stumped for a 41-ball 20.

Gunasekara followed in the very next over, bottom-edging an attempted late cut onto his own stumps, and when the big-hitting Rizwan Cheema mis-hit a full toss straight to short fine leg Canada were 66 for 6 and the match was over as a contest. With the pitch exhibiting increasingly extravagant turn legspinner Graeme Cremer was unleashed on the lower order, and both Tyson Gordon and Khurram Chohan were flummoxed by his subtle variations in flight and spin.

Zubin Surkari briefly held Zimbabwe at bay, gritting out a brave 26 before he fell to a leg-side stumping. Cremer wrapped up the innings an over later, ripping one through Balaji Rao's defences to claim his third wicket.

Smart Stats Brendan Taylor became the seventh batsman to be dismissed off the first ball in a World Cup game. Three of the dismissals have come against Zimbabwe. Tatenda Taibu's 98 is the first instance of a Zimbabwe batsman being dismissed in the nineties in a World Cup game and the 32nd instance overall of a batsman beingdismissed in the nineties in a World Cup match. Taibu's 98 was his third-highest score in ODIs and his 17th fifty overall. In 14 matches since June 2010, he has scored 564 runs with five half-centuries. The 181-run partnership between Taibu and Craig Irvine is the highest partnership for Zimbabwe in World Cups, surpassing the 166-run stand between Grant Flower and Craig Wishart against Namibia in 2003. It is also the fifth-highest stand for Zimbabwe in ODIs overall. Zimbabwe's 298 is their fourth-highest total in a World Cup game. They have 18 scores over 300 in ODIs. Zimbabwe's 175-run win is their largest in World Cups and their fourth largest in ODIs overall. The margin of defeat is also the second largest for Canada in World Cups.

Canada had been able to put up much more of a challenge with the ball, legspinner Rao picking up career-best figures of 4 for 57 as Zimbabwe were kept under pressure on either side of Taibu and Ervine's partnership. There was a real buzz in the field when Brendan Taylor and Charles Coventry were removed within the first four overs - Taylor pinned in front of his stumps by a Khurram Chohan inswinger on the very first ball of the day - but as the shine faded and the sun baked all life from the wicket the batsmen settled in and a large total loomed.

After seeing off the new ball Taibu took two boundaries from offspinner Jimmy Hansra's first over, another brace from his second, to calm Zimbabwe's nerves. He barely dipped below a-run-a-ball thereafter, bringing up a 46-ball fifty in the 15th over and playing with increasing fluency. Ervine, who made a cautious start to his innings with 17 from his first 35 balls, eventually began to pick up the tempo too and used a variety of sweep shots against the spinners to good effect as the partnership passed 100.

It appeared Zimbabwe had assumed full control once more, but as the ball softened it began to grip the surface and Rao got the breakthrough with one that bounced a little more than Ervine was expecting, ricocheting off the shoulder of the bat and the pad and looping up for wicketkeeper Bagai to complete a good catch. Ervine had reached 85, his highest score in ODIs, but his dismissal sparked another collapse and when Taibu top-edged a sweep to be out for 98 Zimbabwe were 201 for 5.

Rao had luck on his side in nipping Greg Lamb and Sean Williams out, Lamb chopping a long-hop onto his own stumps and Williams gloving a sweep to give Bagai the chance to take a third smart catch, diving forward. Zimbabwe were precariously placed at 240 for 7 at that point and were thankful for an enterprising 41-run stand between Prosper Utseya and Graeme Cremer, which gave the score took a sheen of respectability after a stuttering start and a middle-order wobble. As it turned out, their score was more than enough against a Canadian line-up that showed precious little competency in combating an unrelenting hydra of spin.