Australia into last eight, New Zealand ease past Afghanistan

Glenn Maxwell hit the second-fastest World Cup century as Australia beat Sri Lanka by 64 runs to reach the quarter-finals, while New Zealand wrapped up top spot in Pool A with a six-wicket victory over Afghanistan.
Maxwell, dubbed 'The Big Show' by the Australian media, hit his maiden one-day international century off 51 balls, just one more than Ireland's Kevin O'Brien's tournament record against England at the 2011 World Cup in Bangalore.
Maxwell, 26, who was eventually out for 102 off 53 balls with 10 fours and four sixes, shared a 160-run partnership with the recalled Shane Watson off just 13.4 overs.
Watson clubbed 67 off 41 balls, Steve Smith hit 72 off 88 and skipper Michael Clarke chipped in with a run-a-ball 68 as Australia followed their 417 for six against Afghanistan in Perth in midweek -- a record World Cup team total -- with another imposing score.
No side batting second have made more to win a World Cup match than Ireland's 329 for seven against England in Bangalore four years ago.
But Kumar Sangakkara tried to make history as he went to a third consecutive ton at the tournament -- the first player to achieve the feat -- off 100 balls, his 24th century in his 402nd ODI.
But the Australians breathed easier when he holed out to James Faulkner for 104 after the veteran 37-year-old had also passed 14,000 ODI career runs.
Tillakaratne Dilshan (62) and Sangakkara put on 130 for the second wicket with Dilshan defiantly smacking Mitchell Johnson for six fours off one over.
Sri Lanka kept fighting, with Dinesh Chandimal cracking 52 off 24 balls before retiring hurt with hamstring trouble, but the target proved too much for the 1996 champions.
Despite defeat, Sri Lanka will almost certainly make the quarter-finals and, like Australia, they will conclude their pool campaign this week against rock-bottom Scotland.
- Vettori in 300 club -
That will leave the fourth and final quarter-final spot in Pool A between Bangladesh and England, who meet in Adelaide on Monday in their penultimate group game.
"It was nice to get the monkey off the back," said Maxwell, who had failed to make a one-day international century in his previous 44 appearances.
"I have scored a few 90s so to finally hit the hundred was a relief. The top order set it up beautifully for me and Shane to go berserk at the end."
At McLean Park in Napier, Martin Guptill hit 57 and skipper Brendon McCullum a 19-ball 42 as pool leaders New Zealand, who had already made sure of their last-eight place, eased past Afghanistan, reaching their target of 187 in the 37th over for a fifth win in five.
Tournament debutants Afghanistan slipped to a fourth defeat in five matches after they were bowled out for 186.
Black Caps' veteran spinner Daniel Vettori took four for 18 to become the first New Zealander to claim 300 ODI wickets.
The 36-year-old, who started the day on 298 wickets, bowled opener Usman Ghani for a duck with his first delivery and then went to 300 when he bowled Nawroz Mangal for 27.
Najibullah Zadran top scored for Afghanistan with 56 while Samiullah Shenwari made 54 to help rescue their team from the dire position of 59 for six.
"Both teams wanted to bat first, but we got off to a good start," said man-of-the-match Vettori.
"The pitch was a a bit worn, it is usually pristine here. The World Cup is a lot of fun, being at home is an experience we will never forget. So far so good."
With Afghanistan set to bow out of the tournament after their last match against England in Sydney next Friday, skipper Mohammad Nabi felt they would leave without showing their true potential, having defeated Scotland but losing to Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Australia -- by 275 runs -- and then New Zealand.
"We expected a lot at the tournament to play good cricket and to show it to the world. We showed in the bowling, we have good fast bowlers and we have good fielders as well. But we didn't show our talent on the batting side," said Nabi.
Source: AFP