ICC World Cup 2015: New Zealand seal narrow victory over Scotland to take top spot in Group A

New Zealand managed to seal a narrow victory over Scotland in a Group A clash of the 2015 ICC World Cup at University Oval, Dunedin on Tuesday.

The Kiwis reached the target as they scored 146 runs after losing seven wickets in the process. This is the co-host nation's second victory. They defeated Sri Lanka in the opening game of the tournament.

New Zealand won the toss and Brendon McCullum chose to bowl first. Their decision paid off as Scotland lost two quick wickets in the second over as Calum MacLeod and Hamish Gardiner were sent back to the pavilion even before they could open their account.

The visitors' misery continued as Kyle Coetzer and Preston Mommsen walked by to the pavilion in the fifth over as the duo became Tim Southee's first and second victims of the match. Matt Machan and Richie Berrington's half centuries helped Scotland avoid a collapse as they managed a total of 142 runs before being bowled out.

In reply, New Zealand made sure their run rate was above six runs per over as they were looking to finish the match very early. In the process, the Kiwis lost wickets at regular intervals, which gave Scotland a hope of sealing an upset.

However, Scotland were short of runs and should they had managed to score 50 more runs, things could have been different. New Zealand completed their second win of the World Cup and the latest victory has helped them move to the top of Group A table with four points from two matches.