Cricket World Cup 2015: Day 4 Results, Points Tables and Upcoming Schedule

Day 4 of the 2015 Cricket World Cup saw co-hosts New Zealand return to the crease against a lowly Scotland side.

This was the perfect opportunity for the Kiwis to establish a second consecutive win in the tournament, putting pressure on Australia to do the same in Pool A.

As proven with Ireland's win against the West Indies on Monday, however, there's no time for the favourites to take it easy. New Zealand face a tricky tie against England after taking on the Scots, so they knew two points are crucial to their progress through the competition.

Points Tables

Martin Hunter/Getty Images

Pool A

Team	Played	Won	Lost	Tied	No Result	Run Rate	Points
New Zealand	2	2	0	0	0	2.62	4
Australia	1	1	0	0	0	2.22	2
Afghanistan	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Bangladesh	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Sri Lanka	1	0	1	0	0	-1.96	0
England	1	0	1	0	0	-2.22	0
Scotland	1	0	1	0	0	-3.04	0

Pool B

Team	Played	Won	Lost	Tied	No Result	Run Rate	Points
India	1	1	0	0	0	1.52	2.0
South Africa	1	1	0	0	0	1.24	2.0
Ireland	1	1	0	0	0	0.618	2.0
UAE	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
West Indies	1	0	1	0	0	-0.618	0
Zimbabwe	1	0	1	0	0	-1.24	0
Pakistan	1	0	1	0	0	-1.52	0

Upcoming Schedule

Martin Hunter/Getty Images

ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 Fixtures

Feb. 18 Pool A: Bangladesh v Afghanistan, Canberra (d/n) (3:30 a.m. GMT)

Feb. 19 Pool B: Zimbabwe v UAE, Nelson (10 p.m. GMT, Feb. 18)

Feb. 20 Pool A: England v New Zealand, Wellington (Westpac Stadium) (d/n) (1 a.m. GMT)

Feb. 21 Pool B: Pakistan v West Indies, Christchurch (10 p.m. GMT, Feb. 20)

Feb. 21 Pool A: Australia v Bangladesh, Brisbane (d/n) (3:30 a.m. GMT)

Feb. 22 Pool A: Sri Lanka v Afghanistan, Dunedin (10 p.m. GMT, Feb. 21)

Feb. 22 Pool B: South Africa v India, Melbourne (d/n) (3:30 a.m. GMT)

Feb. 23 Pool A: England v Scotland, Christchurch (10 p.m. GMT, Feb. 22)

Feb. 24 Pool B: West Indies v Zimbabwe, Canberra (d/n) (3:30 a.m. GMT)

Feb. 25 Pool B: Ireland v UAE, Brisbane (d/n) (3:30 a.m. GMT)

Feb. 26 Pool A: Afghanistan v Scotland, Dunedin (10 p.m. GMT, Feb. 25)

Feb. 26 Pool A: Sri Lanka v Bangladesh, Melbourne (d/n) (3:30 a.m. GMT)

Feb. 27 Pool B: South Africa v West Indies, Sydney (d/n) (3:30 a.m. GMT)

Feb. 28 Pool B: India v UAE, Perth (d/n) (1 a.m. GMT)

Feb. 28 Pool A: Australia v New Zealand, Auckland (d/n) (6:30 a.m. GMT)

Mar. 1 Pool A: England v Sri Lanka, Wellington (Westpac Stadium) (10 p.m. GMT, Feb. 28)

Mar. 1 Pool B: Pakistan v Zimbabwe, Brisbane (d/n) (3:30 a.m. GMT)

Mar. 3 Pool B: South Africa v Ireland, Canberra (d/n) (3:30 a.m. GMT)

Mar. 4 Pool B: Pakistan v UAE, Napier (d/n) (1 a.m. GMT)

Mar. 4 Pool A: Australia v Afghanistan, Perth (d/n) (6:30 a.m. GMT)

Mar. 5 Pool A: Bangladesh v Scotland, Nelson (10 p.m. GMT, Mar. 4)

Mar. 6 Pool B: India v West Indies, Perth (d/n) (6:30 a.m. GMT)

Mar. 7 Pool B: South Africa v Pakistan, Auckland (d/n) (1 a.m. GMT)

Mar. 7 Pool B: Zimbabwe v Ireland, Hobart (d/n) (3:30 a.m. GMT)

Mar. 8 Pool A: New Zealand v Afghanistan, Napier (10 p.m. GMT, Mar. 7)

Mar. 8 Pool A: Australia v Sri Lanka, Sydney (d/n) (3:30 a.m. GMT)

Mar. 9 Pool A: England v Bangladesh, Adelaide (d/n) (3:30 a.m. GMT)

Mar. 10 Pool B: India v Ireland, Hamilton (d/n) (1 a.m. GMT)

Mar. 11 Pool A: Sri Lanka v Scotland, Hobart (d/n) (3:30 a.m. GMT)

Mar. 12 Pool B: South Africa v UAE, Wellington (Westpac Stadium) (d/n) (1 a.m. GMT)

Mar. 13 Pool A: Bangladesh v New Zealand, Hamilton (d/n) (1 a.m. GMT)

Mar. 13 Pool A: England v Afghanistan, Sydney (d/n) (3:30 a.m. GMT)

Mar. 14 Pool B: India v Zimbabwe, Auckland (d/n) (1 a.m. GMT)

Mar. 14 Pool A: Australia v Scotland, Hobart (d/n) (3:30 a.m. GMT)

Mar. 15 Pool B: West Indies v UAE, Napier (10 p.m. GMT, Mar. 14)

Mar. 15 Pool B: Pakistan v Ireland, Adelaide (d/n) (3:30 a.m. GMT)

Quarter-Finals

Mar. 18 Quarter-final 1: A1 v B4, Sydney (3:30 a.m. GMT)

Mar. 19 Quarter-final 2: A2 v B3, Melbourne (3:30 a.m. GMT)

Mar. 20 Quarter-final 3: A3 v B2, Adelaide (3:30 a.m. GMT)

Mar. 21 Quarter-final 4: A4 v B1, Wellington (1 a.m. GMT)

Semi-Finals

Mar. 24 Semi-final 1: Winner QF1 v Winner QF3, Auckland (1:00 a.m. GMT)

Mar. 26 Semi-final 2: Winner QF2 v Winner QF4, Sydney (3:30 a.m. GMT) 

Final

Mar. 29 Final, Melbourne (5:30 a.m. BST)

Schedule courtesy of BBC Sport

New Zealand Secure Second Victory in Odd Showing Against Scotland

New Zealand (146/7) bt. Scotland (142) by three wickets

New Zealand captured their second victory of the 2015 World Cup on Tuesday, albeit in a strange, low-scoring contest with Scotland.

The Scots headed into this year's tournament without a win at this level, a record which rarely threatened to be extinguished in the Dunedin sun. New Zealand won the toss and elected to bowl, a decision which immediately began to pay off.

Calum MacLeod was the first of four men to be dismissed via a golden duck. Trent Boult took the wicket of the 26-year-old within five minutes, a pre-cursor of what was to come. Boult utilised the conditions well and opted to swing the ball violently back into the right-handers, using pace and a harsh bounce to have his way with the top order.

Hamish Gardiner was the next to fall by Boult's hand, with just one run on the clock for the Scots. Kyle Coetzer was the only man inside the batting side's top three to dent the scoreboard, but after 20 minutes and 10 balls, he succumbed to Tim Southee. When Southee dismissed captain Preston Mommsen for a duck, it almost seemed as if the Kiwis would be home before lunch.

Sky Sports provided a shot of the dazed Scottish side at this point:

"

Tough start for Scotland in the #CWC15 vs New Zealand. They are 12-4. Live coverage on Sky Sports World Cup. pic.twitter.com/bH4nMzLtHS

— Sky Sports News HQ (@SkySportsNewsHQ) February 16, 2015"

Matt Machan and Richie Berrington provided a partnership of 97 for the Scots, offering some sort of respite after a torrid opening. Corey Anderson shot into life to end the pair's stand, however, with Machan notching 56—including seven fours and one six—to put the Scottish score at 109/5.

Berrington didn't last much longer. He was coaxed into swinging for an Anderson bouncer, finding the hands of Adam Milne on the boundary. Anderson then pushed Matthew Cross into edging behind, providing Luke Ronchi with a simple catch.

It was the Daniel Vettori show from here. The veteran bowler methodically worked through the Scottish lower order, sending Robert Taylor and Majid Haq back to the sheds before Iain Wardlaw's golden duck ended the session.

A target of 142 hardly intimidates, but New Zealand took their eye off the ball once their batting pads were on. Wardlaw racked up a couple of quick dismissals with Martin Guptill and Brendon McCullum dropping for a combined total of 48/2. Haq followed this by ending Taylor's hopes of a large score—he posted just nine—with the third New Zealand wicket falling on 66.

Kane Williamson put up the best Kiwi numbers of the day with 38, lasting an hour and 45 balls before Josh Davey grabbed the first of his three wickets. Williamson provided a controlled innings in a team who, almost inexplicably, nearly fell short after being set such a simple total.

Indeed, once he fell on 106/4, New Zealand's lower order had little to do to confirm the victory. There was still time for Anderson and Ronchi to be dismissed, but Scotland's mishap with the bat ensured three wickets remained when their measly total was surpassed, per Sky Sports:

"

RESULT: @BLACKCAPS beat @CricketScotland by three wickets in Dunedin. http://t.co/q8UtjKEjPt #fireitup #CWC15 pic.twitter.com/ooJXoCfLzm

— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) February 17, 2015"

"Scotland bowled pretty well on a wicket that started to slow up," said Anderson after the match, reported by BBC Sport. "I guess it doesn't matter if you win ugly it still counts as a win."

Such an attitude is fine at this point, but New Zealand will want to improve with the bat when they face England next time out.