KANDY, Sri Lanka - Extraordinary hitting with a cracked bat by New Zealand birthday boy Ross Taylor helped his team pile on an amazing 85 runs in 3,4 overs to set up a 110-run World Cup win over Pakistan yesterday.

Taylor was given two 27th birthday gifts, missed on zero and dropped on eight off Shoaib Akhtar, before unleashing some of the most incredible slugging ever inflicted on an attack in an ODI match. He thumped eight fours and seven sixes in an unbeaten 131 scored off 124 balls in the Group A match, as New Zealand reached 302-7 from their 50 overs.

After his unbeaten spree, Taylor revealed his bat was split.

"I cracked it in the nets a couple of days ago but it seemed to go okay today ... hopefully the new one will be just as good," he said. "I've only had it for a couple of weeks.

"One of our strengths is the power we have down at the bottom and it showed the way Nathan McCullum and Jake (Oram) batted."

In response, Pakistan struggled from the off and at one stage were 125-8. But Abdul Razzaq, in at No 8, scored a defiant 62 in a ninth-wicket partnership of 66 with Umur Gul (34 not out). Pakistan were eventually all out for 192. Their first loss of the tournament sees the Kiwis overtake them at the top of the group.

Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi said: "We didn't bowl well, we didn't field well and we missed opportunities ... we definitely won't repeat this performance."

New Zealand's triumph was blighted by a knee injury suffered by skipper Daniel Vettori.