Cricket: Stakes rise for Vettori's men

It's almost been too easy for New Zealand at the Twenty20 cricket world championship but captain Daniel Vettori says that's about to change as they up sticks from Guyana to Barbados for the Super Eight stage.

New Zealand outclassed Zimbabwe by seven runs this morning (NZT) courtesy of the Duckworth-Lewis method in a rain-affected match at Providence Stadium - a venue they farewell with a four-from-four record.

They beat Ireland and the West Indies in warmup games there last week before opening the tournament with two-wicket defeat of Sri Lanka.

"If you couple (today) with the Sri Lankan performance, to go through to the next round with two wins is what we aimed for and we're pleased with that," Vettori said.

"We walk away pretty comfortable and looking forward to Super Eights."

The New Zealanders caught the first available flight to Barbados to prepare for the first of three Super Eight fixtures, against either South Africa or India at Kensington Oval on Friday morning (5.30am NZT). Their opponents after that are confirmed, against Pakistan in Barbados on Sunday, followed by England in St Lucia on Tuesday next week.

One player sad to be leaving Guyana is offspinner Nathan McCullum, who received a second straight man-of-the-match honour today after snaring three for 16, with all his victims falling in the match-defining ninth over.

McCullum also bowled well against Sri Lanka, as well as smashing a matchwinning six off the penultimate ball.

"It's disappointing we're not going to carry this pitch around but I'm looking forward to going up to Barbados and having a crack on pitches up there," the Otago livewire said.

"It probably won't turn as much but it's about trying to do the same thing."

Medium-paced "spinner" Scott Styris followed McCullum's burst with three for five while Vettori claimed two for 10 as Zimbabwe surrendered their last nine wickets for 26 runs, capitulating for 84 in the 16th over.

New Zealand cruised to 36 for one before the rain arrived, with opener Brendon McCullum unbeaten on 22 to become the first man to score 1000 runs in Twenty20 internationals. Jesse Ryder fell for two and Martin Guptill was unbeaten on six.

"There's always aspects you want to improve on but the fightback in the field and the way Nathan and Scott bowled to give us a huge momentum change made a real difference," said Vettori, noting that seam bowlers Shane Bond and Tim Southee lacked the same early impact.

"We always knew it would be difficult against the slower bowlers, there was a bit of turn in it and it was gripping.

"It was almost a case of getting into what we probably do best and that's the middle-to-late stages and we proved that again today. "We did well in the first six (overs) but I think we can do better."

Vettori suspected batting conditions would be better in Barbados, where the final will be played on May 17 (NZT).

"That's the area we really have to improve. We've got a really good balanced lineup and some destructive guys there as well."

Vettori was quizzed on New Zealand's recent record of advancing into the latter stages of International Cricket Council tournaments but failing to snare the major prize. The latest example was last year's Champions Trophy in South Africa which ended with defeat by Australia at the last hurdle.

"We took some confidence from the Champions Trophy and making the final there. A lot of the team that was there is involved in this squad," the veteran skipper said.

"The top eight teams' aim here is to win the World Cup and each captain could sit here and say that quite comfortably.

"We're no different but we know there's a long way to go and there's some very impressive teams we have to beat to get to that stage.

"The Super Eights is our focus and we'll worry about the semifinals if we get there."

Zimbabwe came into the tournament as one of the form teams after shocking Pakistan and Australia in the warmups but they struggled in the tournament proper, not helped by weather intrusions against both Sri Lanka and New Zealand.

They joined Ireland in being the first teams eliminated today after the Irish saw out a no result against England.

- NZPA