New Zealand crushed Kenya Sunday in an embarrassingly one-sided World Cup mismatch and joint hosts Sri Lanka destroyed Canada on a sobering day for the minnows of the game. Kenya were beaten by 10 wickets after being dismissed for just 69 - their lowest ever World Cup total and the fifth worst in tournament history as the 2003 semi-finalists looked out of their depth in Chennai.
Kenya's pallid showing came at the worst possible time for the smaller nations, who are fighting for their future at the event, with international cricket chiefs planning to cut participants from 14 to 10 in 2015.
Skipper Jimmy Kamande was devastated by the mauling.
Fast bowler Hamish Bennett finished with 4-16, his best figures in nine one-day internationals, while Tim Southee and Jacob Oram took three wickets each to bowl out the minnows for just 69 off just 23.5 overs. It was Kenya's lowest World Cup total and the fifth worst in tournament history.
Their capitulation came at the worst possible time for the sport's second-tier nations with the International Cricket Council determined to have a 10-nation World Cup, instead of the current 14 teams, in four years' time.
New Zealand openers Martin Guptill (39) and Brendon McCullum (26) raced to the target in only eight overs to bring an early end to the game played before near-empty stands in 30-degree heat at the 50,000-capacity Chidambaram Stadium.
Guptill hit two sixes and five fours in his 32-ball knock. McCullum, batting in his favourite position, hit fours, three of them in what turned out to be the final over by Kenya captain Jimmy Kamande.
Bennett, named man-of-the match, said it was good to bounce back in tough conditions after the 117-run defeat to India in a warm-up game last week.
The decision to bat first backfired for Kenya as half of the side was cooling its heels in the pavilion by the 16th over.
New-ball bowler Southee started the rot by dismissing opener Alex Obanda in the seventh over before first-change Bennett got into the act by removing promising youngster Seren Waters (16) in his second over.
Bennett, a replacement for the more experienced but injured Kyle Mills, had Kenya in deep trouble when he sent back veteran Steve Tikolo (two) and Collins Obuya (14) off the second and fifth deliveries in his next over.
Former captain Maurice Ouma became the fourth victim of the 23-year-old Bennett, trapped leg before for one.
Kenya, semi-finalists of the 2003 edition, next take on Pakistan in Hambantota on on February 23 and New Zealand play Australia in Nagpur two days later.
Sri Lanka plundered 332-7 off the Canadian attack in Hambantota with Mahela Jayawardene leading the way with a blistering 100 off just 80 balls - the fourth fastest in World Cup history.
Canada never looked remotely likely to reach their target, slipping to 122 all out to lose by 210 runs.
Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara, who scored 92 and put on 179 with Jayawardene for the third wicket, said his team-mate deserved his man-of-the-match award for giving momentum to the innings.
New-ball bowlers Nuwan Kulasekara (3-16) and Thisara Prerea (3-24) combined to bundle Canada out for 122 in 36.5 overs.
The lop-sided contest would have given weight to the International Cricket Council's decision to restrict the next World Cup - to be co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand in 2015 - to the top 10 teams, minus minor nations.
Earlier in the day New Zealand had mauled Kenya by 10 wickets in Chennai, after bowling out Kenya for just 69.
Canada, who promised much by putting up a valiant fight against England during their 16-run defeat in a warm-up last week, found the co-hosts too tough to handle in the Group A clash.
Canada captain Asish Bagai admitted chasing such a huge target was always going to be a tough proposition.
Sangakkara mixed up his bowling options as Canada lost wickets at regular intervals once their most experienced batsman John Davison had been bowled off Perera's first delivery of the second over.
Hard-hitting Rizwan Cheema top-scored with 37, including two sixes off world record wicket taker Muttiah Muralitharan, while skipper Ashish Bagai, with 22, showed some resistance.
Jayawardene had laid the foundation for Sri Lanka's total with an invaluable third wicket partnership of 179 with Sangakkara, who made 92.
Jayawardene and Sangakkara built on the platform set by opener Tillakaratne Dilshan (50) after Sri Lanka won the toss at this new ground which became the 177th one-day venue.
Jayawardene completed his hundred with a single off spinner Davison after facing just 80 deliveries - the fastest by a Sri Lankan in the World Cup, beating Sanath Jayasuriya's 85-ball ton against Bangladesh at Port of Spain four years ago. Sri Lanka now face Pakistan in their second match on February 26. Pakistan play Kenya here on Wednesday.
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