Wellington: New Zealand beat a World XI by four wickets in their third and deciding fund-raising one-day match at Hamilton on Wednesday.

Chris Cairns captured six wickets for just 12 runs and former rugby international Jeff Wilson bagged three for six as the World XI collapsed to be all out for just 81 in the 21st over after English opener Nick Knight had made 43.

New Zealand, who won the first match of the series last weekend but lost the second, lost six wickets in their reply with Australian allrounder Ian Harvey collecting four for 17, but still romped to victory in the 16th over.

Because the match finished so quickly on a sub-standard pitch, officials arranged a 10-overs-a-side game to appease the crowd.

BRIEF SCORES: World XI 81 in 20.5 ovs (N. Knight 43; Cairns 6/12, Wilson 3/6). New Zealand 83/6 in 15.2 ovs (N. Astle 23; Harvey 4/17). New Zealand won by four wickets, win series 2-1.

Kimberley: England assistant coach Matthew Maynard on Wednesday defended the large number of players in the squad for the seven ODIs against South Africa.

?There?s the odd niggle (injury) and it was a very tough Test series, so we wanted as many players as possible,? Maynard said of the 17-man squad.

Gelsenkirchen: Germany and a Bundesliga international select XI played out an entertaining 2-2 draw on Wednesday in a benefit match for the victims of the tsunami disaster. Bernd Schneider put Germany ahead inside six minutes, but two minutes later Roy Makaay scored. Gerald Asamoah restored Germany?s lead on the half hour mark. The second half saw two different teams line-up, and just six minutes later Slovakian Marek Mintal stroked home the equaliser.

Cotonou: Police in Benin held six men on charges relating to the murder of national under-20 goalkeeper Samiou Yessoufou, popularly known as Campos, and are hunting a seventh suspect, judicial officials in the West African nation said on Wednesday.