ICC World Cup: Veteran Daniel Vettori sets up crushing New Zealand win

NapierDaniel Vettori became the first New Zealand bowler to take 300 oneday international wickets as the Black Caps made short work of Afghanistan to remain unbeaten after five World Cup matches on SundayLeftarm spinner Vettori scythed through the Afghanistan top order using his guile on a pitch producing no turn to finish with the remarkable figures of four for 18 in 10 overs as Afghanistan were dismissed for 186New Zealand bowler Daniel Vettori celebrates bowling Afghanistans Nawroz Mangal bringing up his 300th ODI career wicket during the Pool A 2015 Cricket World Cup cricket match between New Zealand and Afghanistan at McLean Park in Napier AFP PHOTOAlong the way he became the 12th player and only the fifth spinner to take 300 ODI wicketsOn a runladen McLean Park pitch in Napier New Zealand needed only 361 overs to overhaul Afghanistans total New Zealand who had already qualified for the quarterfinals have yet to be taken the distance in the field and the 474 overs bowled to Afghanistan is the most they have sent down in any match in the tournamentBut the result was never in doubt when Brendon McCullum with his trademark aggressive approach blazed away at the top of the New Zealand innings slamming 42 off 19 deliveries to get the chase off to a rollicking startWhen he was bowled by Mohammad Nabi trying to belt his opposing captain out of the ground New Zealand were already a quarter of the way to their target after fewer than six oversThe pace slowed from nine to 519 runs an over after McCullums dismissal as New Zealand coasted to victory with their middletolower order not getting the lengthy time at the crease they wanted before the knockout phaseKane Williamson in his understated manner contributed 33 Martin Guptill reached 57 his highest score of the campaign and Grant Elliott made 19 Guptill and Elliott were both needlessly run out when time and runs were not an issue leaving Ross Taylor 24 not out and Corey Anderson seven not out to see New Zealand homeIt was never going to be easy for Afghanistan who were already jetlagged having crossed the Tasman Sea twice in the week to meet their gruelling World Cup schedule ahead of this gameThey won the toss elected to bat and then had few answers to the menacing attack that greeted themTrent Boult dismissed Javed Ahmadi in the second over Vettori removed Usman Ghani at the start of the third and by the time the 20th over was completed they were 59 for sixNawroz Mangal was bowled for 27 to become Vettoris milestone dismissal and four overs later Mohammad Nabi and Afsar Zazai went in successive balls to give the spinner have four wickets for five runsNajibullah Zadran avoided the hattrick as he joined Samiullah Shenwari to rescue the innings with an Afghanistan record seventhwicket partnership of 86The 22yearold Najibullah reached 56 the secondhighest score of his fledgling 15match career before he was caught on the boundary by manofthemoment Vettori at third manAfghanistans leading batsmen at the World Cup Shenwari added 54 and was on track to get his side past 200 until he played a rash shot and was caught by Taylor off AndersonFor New Zealand Trent Boult joined Vettori in the impressive bowling stakes with three for 34 off his 10 oversAlthough competition debutants Afghanistan were heavily outclassed they can take credit in knowing they pushed the tournament cohosts closest to the 50over limit Their innings lasted nine balls longer than Sri Lanka and more than 70 deliveries