With Craig McMillan showing his best form of the summer while unbeaten on 69 off 78 balls, and Scott Styris batting with him on six not out, New Zealand were 129 for two at the end of the 25th over.

McMillan had hit two sixes since reaching his half-century and New Zealand were well within the asking rate of getting to the 199 they needed to win by the 35th over.

Habibul Bashar, who was dismissed for a first ball duck in Bangladesh's innings, had an equally horrific start to the New Zealand innings when he dropped Stephen Fleming at mid-wicket in the fourth over. It was a well-struck blow by the New Zealand captain but it should have been held when they were only 10 runs on the board.

By comparison, Craig McMillan was looking much more authoritative while going for his shots, cutting powerfully, and even lobbing to the mid-wicket region with confidence.

However, by the time Tapash Baisya bowled his fourth over Fleming was in the mood for runs. He charged the first ball for a straight shot which threatened the safety of umpire David Shepherd who had to leap out of the way of a rocket-like shot.

Fleming then pulled a four and a six off the next two balls, before putting the fourth ball over cover. He then took a single off the fifth and McMillan played out the over which conceded 19 runs to the New Zealand cause.

The acceleration in the run rate saw the 50 up off 59 balls. Baisya ended his spell after six overs having conceded 36 runs.

Khaled Mahmud replaced Manjural Islam and started tidily but the last two balls of the over were both hit to the boundary by McMillan.

There was better news for Mahmud in his second over, however, as he gained the wicket of Fleming, caught and bowled after he went down on a knee in an attempt to sweep the ball and the ball flew high in the air for Mahmud to catch it. There was considerable doubt that he had hit the ball.

But Darrell Hair gave him out and New Zealand were 71 for one wicket with Fleming having scored 32 off 40 balls.

McMillan, who opened again with Fleming, had cause for celebration when scoring his 12th run, as he became the ninth New Zealander to score 3000 ODI runs.

With Fleming's dismissal, Andre Adams was sent in as a pinch hitter and he took the opportunity to take to leg spinner Alok Kapali. In the 18th over, Adams hit a six to long, he cut four behind backward point and then lofted four to mid-wicket off three successive balls.

But it was Mahmud who again gained the wicket as Adams powered a cross-batted shot in the direction of mid-on where Mohammad Ashraful was fielding. He reacted well to take the catch comfortably to send Adams on his way for 18 off 22 balls as New Zealand were 99 for two wickets.

Just after the 100 was scored, McMillan scored his half-century off 65 balls and including eight fours. It was his first 50 since the fifth ODI against the West Indies in Kingstown midway through last year when he scored 83.

Mahmud's medium pace had proved the most effective of the Bangladesh bowling and he had two for 31 from his seven overs.

An unbroken Bangladesh eighth wicket record stand of 70 between Khaled Mashud, who ended on 35 not out, and Mohammad Rafique, who scored 41 off 42 balls, pulled the side out of a big hole and they went to the lunch break having achieved their highest score in the World Cup to date.

To get a positive net run rate, New Zealand need to score their runs by the 47th over.

New Zealand will need to be much sharper in their batting than they were in their fielding and bowling effort. The side looked rusty in comparison to the team that beat South Africa in their previous match.

Chris Cairns, who was involved in a nightclub incident that saw him king hit by a punch had a horror day in the field, dropping an easy catch and struggling to field the ball cleanly.

Once Mohammad Ashraful departed for 56 when caught and bowled by fast bowler Shane Bond, the substance fell out of the Bangladesh innings.

Only two runs earlier at 105 Akram Khan edged a full ball from Bond to Fleming at first slip where he took the catch low down.

But Ashraful, who had been getting away with pull shots throughout his innings, found the greater pace offered by Bond was too quick for him and his attempted shot flew high in the air towards square leg where Bond was able to run through and take the caught and bowled chance.

By the standards of how Bangladesh have played in this tournament, Ashraful's innings was a notable effort, apart from being the first half-century scored by a Bangladesh player in this World Cup.

However, the pace of the Bangladesh innings slowed significantly after his dismissal. Between the 25th and 30th overs, only 11 runs were scored. Between 30 and 35, 14 runs, and between 35 and 40 another 11 runs were posted.

That was largely attributable to some fine containing bowling from Daniel Vettori who conceded only 19 runs from his 10 overs. Jacob Oram bowled out his spell to end with three for 32 from 10, while Bond ended with three for 33 from 10 overs.

Oram's last wicket was Khaled Mahmud who found a ball rearing at him and it caught his gloves before flying through to McCullum for him to complete his third catch of the innings as Bangladesh crumbled to 128 for seven wickets.

Khaled Mahshud prospered off the 48th over which was bowled by Andre Adams as 14 runs, including three successive boundaries, not all of them hit where Mahshud intended.

Mohammad Rafique suffered a bad blow to his foot and required a runner, but soon after he arrived to help him out he blasted a six over extra cover, a shot he repeated in the last over to help set a Bangladesh eighth wicket record for all One-Day Internationals with 70 scored.

Bangladesh chose to bat first on a pitch that looked full of runs, although providing some early life for the faster bowlers.

New Zealand were looking for an efficient performance after a long break since their last game on Sunday of last week caused by the decision of the board of New Zealand Cricket not to travel to Kenya for security reasons.

By the 25 over mark, Bangladesh were 96 for four wickets with Mohammad Ashraful 54 not out and Akram Khan seven not out.

Ashraful provided a lesson for his team-mates in using applied concentration and quick summation of how to make good use of rare poor balls to get his innings underway.

It was just as well because he saw three partners disappear before the 11th over was completed.

Hannan Sarkar helped add 19 for the first wicket before he edged a ball from fast man Shane Bond which was easily taken by wicket-keeper Brendon McCullum. He had scored nine.

Bond bowled like a player coming back from an extended break, as the New Zealanders were after forfeiting their game with Kenya. There were some outstanding deliveries coming back at the right-handed batsmen, but there were also balls down the leg-side which were punished, as when Ashraful pulled a ball for six runs backward of square leg.

Earlier in the same over, he had played a lovely cover drive to the boundary from a fuller pitched ball. He saw off Bond whose first five overs resulted in him taking one for 17.

It was the man who relieved him, Jacob Oram, who provided the biggest difference. He bowled Sanwar Hossain with his first delivery of the game and then off the next ball Habibul Bashar attempted to hook a short ball heading wide of leg stump, but the ball hit the bat high up and was caught by a tumbling McCullum behind the wickets to leave Oram on a hat-trick.

Alok Kapali came in and held out the hat-trick ball then proceeded to rebuild the innings with Ashraful.

They saw the 50 up off 87 balls and just after that Ashraful was dropped off an easy chance to Chris Cairns at backward square leg where he had been placed by captain Stephen Fleming in a trap. Ashraful was on 24 at the time.

The trap did work with more effect at the start of the 20th over when Kopali, on nine, attempted a hook shot from Andre Adams. But Shane Bond at backward square leg held the catch to leave Bangladesh on 71 for four wickets. Their 34-run stand was a Bangladesh World Cup fourth wicket record.

Ashraful welcomed Chris Cairns to the bowling crease, for his second over of the World Cup tournament by crashing a boundary through the covers to bring up his half-century, off 71 balls, hitting five fours and one six. It was the first half-century by a Bangladesh batsman in this World Cup.

New Zealand will be keen for the Bangladesh side to fail to do that as New Zealand have to attend to net run rate matters if they are to give themselves a chance of being competitive in the chase for Super Six positions.

New Zealand have left out Nathan Astle to allow him time for rest for his troublesome knee, while also allowing Mathew Sinclair a chance for some match play.

Kyle Mills has also been named, with selection chairman Sir Richard Hadlee saying New Zealand wanted to attack Bangladesh with speed bowling.

Bangladesh are not favoured to win the game, they haven't won a match against a major league side since gaining One-Day International status four years ago and earlier in the tournament were beaten by Canada.

Bangladesh won the toss and decided to bat first on an outstanding looking pitch at the De Beers Oval.

The last thing New Zealand need is a rain-affected match as it would deny them vital points. The forecast is for a sunny day with cloudy periods later.

The teams are:

Bangladesh: Khaled Mashud (captain), Hannan Sarkar, Habibul Bashar, Sanwar Hossain, Alok Kapali, Mohammad Rafique, Tapash Baisya, Mohammad Ashraful, Khaled Mahmud, Akram Khan

New Zealand: Stephen Fleming (captain), Andre Adams, Shane Bond, Chris Cairns, Brendon McCullum, Craig McMillan, Kyle Mills, Jacob Oram, Mathew Sinclair, Scott Styris, Daniel Vettori. (12th man - Chris Harris).

The umpires are: Darrell Hair and David Shepherd.