Head, Warner steer Australia to 388

Travis Head marked his World Cup bow with a blistering century as he and fellow opener David Warner blitzed New Zealand on Saturday to help steer Australia to 388 all out.

Five-time champions Australia, put into bat at the picturesque Himalayan ground in Dharamsala, saw Head top-score with 109 and Warner hit 81.

Head, playing his first match of the tournament after being sidelined with a broken hand, reached his fourth one-day international hundred off 59 balls with 10 fours and six sixes.

The 29-year-old had reached 50 off 28 balls and then made the most of being dropped on 70 and 75.

He was eventually clean-bowled by off-spinner Glenn Phillips with Australia reaching 206-2 at the halfway stage.

With Warner, Head had put on 175 in the first 20 overs before his veteran partner was dismissed.

Warner, who turned 37 on Friday, had been looking for a third successive century but eventually fell for 81 when he chipped a catch back to Phillips.

Phillips then accounted for Steve Smith (18) as he claimed career-best figures of 3-37 before fellow spinner Mitchell Santner got in on the act.

Santner beat the defences of Mitchell Marsh (36) and the left-armer then dismissed Marnus Labuschagne (18) after the batsman had been dropped on one.

That left Australia on 274-5 in the 39th over

Jimmy Neesham, playing his first match of the World Cup, had middle-order dangerman Glenn Maxwell caught at long-off by Trent Boult for a 24-ball 41.

Maxwell had come into the match fresh from a World Cup record 40-ball hundred against the Netherlands.

Josh Inglis raced to a 28-ball 38, putting on 62 for the seventh wicket with skipper Pat Cummins (37).

New Zealand came into the game with four wins from five games, while Australia had three wins and two losses.

Source: AFP