New Zealand started the tournament in style with a 98-run win over the 1996 winners Sri Lanka in Christchurch, thanks largely to Corey Anderson's brutal 75 off just 46 balls.

Captain Brendan McCullum also got in on the act as he smashed 65 to help guide his side to an imposing total of 331-6 from their 50 overs.

That proved too much for the Sri Lankans to handle as they were bowled out for 233, which ensured they started their Group A campaign with a defeat.

Four-time winners Australia appeared keen to follow on from their co-hosts' success as they romped to a crushing 111-run victory over fierce rivals England in front of a packed home crowd at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG).

After England's Chris Woakes had dropped an easy catch presented to him via the bat of opening batsman Aaron Finch, the Aussies never relented and hammered home their clear dominance over their out of sorts opponents.

Australia in fact nearly broke the MCG one-day international record score as they posted an imperious 342-9, in which Finch made England pay for their earlier mistake with 135, and Glenn Maxwell added a quick-fire 66.

Even though fast bowler Steven Finn took a hat-trick in the last three balls of the Australian innings - the first time an England bowler had achieved the feat on the World Cup stage and only the eighth time it has happened in the tournament's history - Australia never looked like suffering defeat, and Eoin Morgan's England collapsed to 231 all out.

Mitchell Marsh contributed to England's downful as he took 5-53 in their dominant victory over their fierce rivals in their opening World Cup match in Melbourne ©Getty Images



Mitchell Marsh was the hosts' star with the ball, taking 5-53 as Australia lived up to their pre-tournament favourites tag with a comfortable win.

The tournament format sees 14 teams split into two groups of seven, with the top four from each pool qualifying for the quarter-finals in a simplified World Cup format.

Group A features all four teams involved in today's action as well as Scotland, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

Group B meanwhile, which is due to begin tomorrow, includes defending champions India, who beat Sri Lanka in the 2011 final, West Indies, South Africa, Ireland, Pakistan, the United Arab Emriates and Zimbabwe.

South Africa face Zimbabwe in the Group B opener in Hamilton, before India play Pakistan in Adelaide.

The competition concludes with the final in Melbourne on March 29.

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