Captain Cool makes it look easy

Brian Lara8217;s team looks almost certain to miss out on the semi-finals, which are still more than three weeks away. The West Indies still have three games to play, which now look like becoming meaningless. That meant the World Cup needed an upset on Monday to liven things up. It never looked like happening and Fleming8217;s team now look a strong bet to challenge defending champions Australia for the title. The neighbours are tied with six points at the top of the Super 8s standings, with Sri Lanka third with four.

Bangladesh initially looked capable of compiling a respectable total with Aftab Ahmed and Saqibul Hasan taking the score to 105-2 by the 29th over. But Scott Styris sparked a collapse in which five wickets fell for 14 runs, and only a last-wicket stand of 34, with Mohammad Rafique finishing on 30 not out, lifted the Bangladesh score. Styris took 4-43, Jacob Oram 3-30 and Shane Bond 2-15.

Although Peter Fulton went for 15 at 44-1, it was never really a contest. Fleming made his eighth one-day century but only really opened up with the winning line in sight against a Bangladesh bowling attack that had no depth.

Windfall awaits Black Caps

Georgetown: Calculations have already begun how much New Zealnders would make if they win the cricket World Cup. New Zealand Cricket is pressing full speed forward with its incentive ploy by announcing that every single penny earned from the World Cup by way of prize money would end up in cricketers8217; pockets. Their players8217; association only stipulates that the money be evenly split between the players. So somebody like Mark Gillespie who has yet to play a match for New Zealand at the tournament will receive as much as a Stephen Fleming would. Injured players like Lou Vincent and Daryl Tuffey will probably split their winnings on a pro rata basis with their replacements Hamish Marshall and Chris Martin. The winning team will receive 2.24m after the final in Barbados on April 28.