World Twenty20 2014: New Zealand ease past Netherlands

Captain Brendon McCullum steered New Zealand to a routine six-wicket victory over the Netherlands that keeps their World Twenty20 semi-final hopes alive.

McCullum became the first man to reach 2,000 T20 international runs with 65 off 45 balls as the Kiwis chased down the 152 target with six balls in hand.

The Dutch, who managed a creditable 151-4, are out of the competition.

New Zealand face Sri Lanka on Monday in a shootout for a semi-final spot after South Africa knocked out England.

Put in to bat, the Netherlands made a stodgy start on a two-paced pitch, but gathered impetus in a 60 partnership between captain Peter Borren and Tom Cooper.

Borren mixed good fortune and aggressive strokeplay, while Cooper showed plenty of power in hitting two sixes and four fours.

But the innings stalled after the dismissal of Borren for 49 at the end of the 18th over. Jimmy Neesham delivered five successive dot balls to new batsman Ben Cooper, with the Dutch adding only 10 runs in the last two overs.

New Zealand lost the out-of-form Martin Guptill to an ugly swipe in the fourth over, but soon set about chalking off the required runs with minimal fuss.

McCullum led the way with his 12th Twenty20 international half-century, while Kane Williamson (29) and Ross Taylor also chipped in.

Taylor smashed a huge six into the top tier of the stands, only to get out for 18 to the following ball from Timm van der Gugten when Wesley Baressi ran from behind the stumps to claim an impressive catch.

McCullum fell in the 17th over to a slower ball from Van der Gugten, but the big-hitting Corey Anderson rounded off the win with an unbeaten 20 off 14 balls.

"Netherlands put up a really good fight," said McCullum. "The surface was different than what we saw earlier, but the way we bowled in the last two overs pulled their total back."

Netherlands captain Borren said his opposite number was the difference between the two sides.

"It was a reasonably comfortable chase for New Zealand - Brendon batted very, very well," Borren said.

"He got them through. If we could have got him at some stage, it would have been a very different story."