Australia tried their best to block New Zealand's entry into the Super Six by batting at a snail's pace on Sunday. It would have suited them fine if the West Indies had benefited.

I wouldn't blame the Kiwis if they felt agitated for being given anxious moments. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if it reminded them of that infamous under-arm Trevor Chappell delivery, resorted to in a desperate attempt to prevent them from scoring a last-ball match-winning six, though the present tactic by the Aussies was nowhere near as scandalous as that. Surely, it will make the Kiwis doubly determined to put up a better show in the remainder of the tournament.

Scotland probably occupy the bottom of the ladder where performance in this World Cup is concerned. Their batting, especially thetop order, displayed some poor technique and failed to come good, match after match. The lone exception was Gavin Hamilton, an all-rounder of promise who performed in almost every match to provide some saving grace. While he, surely, was the pick of the Scots, the rest merely made up the numbers.

Their bowling and fielding, however, was not as mediocre as their batting, and they did have the Pakistanis in a spot of bother. That they did not boast of resources to finish the job and eventually ended up on the losing side is another matter altogether. What they need to do is to play more often against international teams. It will help them gain in experience and improve the general standard of their game.

The New Zealanders didn't lose much sweat in running through the Scotland line-up, the seaming conditions making their task that much easier. Eventually, they were required to score 121 in 21 overs to make the grade -- it was no tall order, and they did it in style.