For the second day in succession, the World Cup took a break from upsets and assorted dramatics, and let the big boys shock and awe.

It is almost as if the teams at the top table in international cricket are competing in setting records — at St Lucia, New Zealand looked good for a few, but eventually had to settle for just one: the 331/7 it rattled up, after being inserted by Kenya skipper Steve Tikolo, is its highest score in World Cups, overtaking a previous high of 309 set all the way back in 1975, against East Africa.

For a while — a very brief while — the game could have gone either way. Lou Vincent’s poor run in the Cup continued, Odoyo getting him in the first over with a full length delivery that seamed late to find the outer edge through to Tikolo at second slip.

Stephen Fleming seemed a touch rusty at the start; at the other end, Tanmay Mishra shelled a stiff chance off Ross Taylor at midwicket � the first of four chances the Kenyans grassed on a day of woeful fielding.

Once the nerves settled, the Kiwis opened out in a display of unbridled power hitting. Fleming, Taylor, Craig McMillan and Scott Styris rattled up fifties, with McMillan being particularly brutal in a knock of 71 off 48 balls that contributed five of the 12 towering sixes the Kiwis added to the galloping World Cup tally.

England beat Canada by 51 runs in their World Cup Group C clash on Sunday, but the game was overshadowed by the death of Pakistan coach Bob Woolmer and Andrew Flintoff being dropped.

Ed Joyce hit 66 and Paul Collingwood an unbeaten 62 to help England to 279 for six and put their World Cup campaign back on track.

Canada, who lost their first match to Kenya on Wednesday, could only manage 228 for seven in reply but it was their highest ever World Cup score and they never looked like being bowled out against a limp England attack.

England all-rounder Flintoff was omitted and stripped of the World Cup vice-captaincy after a late night drinking binge following Friday’s defeat by New Zealand.

The well-known drinker was one of six players to be fined for the breach of team discipline but James Anderson, Ian Bell, Paul Nixon and Liam Plunkett remained in the side.

Joyce, who formerly played for Ireland and watched their victory over Pakistan on St. Patrick’s Day on Saturday, was dropped twice but came back into form after struggling so far in the West Indies.