New Zealand's captain, Stephen Fleming, plays a shot to the boundary for six during the match against Pakistan in the ICC Champions Trophy tournament in Mohali yesterday. New Zealand won by 51 runs. - Reuters

MOHALI, India (AP):

STEPHEN FLEMING celebrated his captaincy world record yesterday by leading New Zealand to a 51-run victory over Pakistan that clinched them a place in the semi-finals in the limited-overs Champions Trophy.

Fleming's sparkling 80 spurred New Zealand to a challenging 274 for seven from 50 overs, leaving Pakistan all out for 223 in 46.3 overs after being rattled by pace spearhead Shane Bond (3-45).

New Zealand headed into the contest in a must-win situation and became the first team to advance to the semi-finals from Group B by winning two of their three matches.

Second semi-finalist

The second semi-finalist from the group will be the winner of tomorrow's match between Pakistan and South Africa, both of whom have one victory from two outings. Sri Lanka fell out of the race with just one victory in three games.

Fleming became the most capped skipper in limited-overs internationals by leading New Zealand out for the 194th time. He celebrated the milestone through an innings-building knock that helped the side recover from a top-order slump.

After watching three batsmen depart cheaply, Fleming shared a prosperous fourth-wicket partnership of 108 from 139 balls with Scott Styris, who top scored with 86 and kept up the momentum after the captain's departure.

Hampered by the recurrence of a back strain that forced him to miss New Zealand's first match, Styris continued with the assistance of a runner after posting his 15th half-century in 118 one-dayers.

Styris struck 10 fours from 113 deliveries before falling in the next-to-last over, snapped up by Rao Iftikhar at long off from Umar Gul's bowling.

After the departure of Fleming and Styris, Jacob Oram (31) and Brendon McCullum (27) indulged in some big hitting as New Zealand amassed 99 runs from the last 10 overs.

Fleming overtook Sri Lankan Arjuna Ranatunga's mark of 193 one-day internationals as captain.

He struck one six and eight boundaries from 105 balls in posting his 45th half-century from 256 matches. He has hit six ODI centuries.

When Fleming reached 76, he also surpassed Ranatunga's record aggregate of 5,606 runs compiled as captain.

Fleming miscued a drive and gave a return catch to off-spinner Shoaib Malik. By then, he had boosted his tally to 5,611 runs as New Zealand's skipper.

Put in to bat first after Pakistan skipper Younis Khan won the toss, New Zealand lost opener Lou Vincent (three), bowled by Gul on the eighth delivery.

Nathan Astle (15) edged Rana Naved-ul-Hasan to Khan in the slips and Peter Fulton (seven) fell lbw to Iftikhar as New Zealand tottered before Styris joined Fleming.

Styris survived a run out chance on 16 when a confusion left him stranded in the middle, but wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal's throw missed the stumps. Akmal could have easily walked to the stumps and broken them.

Fleming opened up by swinging Naved-ul-Hasan for a six over fine-leg that landed on the head of a spectator, who had to be taken away for medical assistance.

Pakistan's chances revolved around half-centurions Mohammad Yousuf (71) and Shoaib Malik (52), who put on a 94-run partnership for the fifth wicket.

Yousuf and Malik kept Pakistan in the chase despite a top-order crash in which Imran Farhat (six, skipper Khan (two) and Shahid Afridi (four) fell cheaply. Only opener Mohammad Hafeez (43) made a useful contribution.

Yousuf scored his 51st half-century from 225 one-dayers, but triggered another collapse when his lofted cover drive off Bond was snapped by Fleming. Yousuf's 92-ball knock contained nine hits to the fence.

Abdul Razzaq (six) and Malik then fell in the space of seven balls as Pakistan's innings lost its momentum.