McCullum breaks record en route to destroying Bangladesh
September 21, 2012 09:48 pm
Brendon McCullum
notched the highest individual score in Twenty20 international history to help
New Zealand humble Bangladesh by 59 runs in their World T20 clash on Friday
night.
The 30-year-old
right-hander smashed seven sixes and 11 fours during his 58-ball 123 to give
New Zealand, who reached 3-191 in their 20 overs, a rampaging start to the
Group D match.
McCullum’s clean
hitting made it gloomy for Bangladesh, who were restricted to 8-132 in their 20
overs, with Tim Southee (3-16) and Kyle Mills (3-33) sharing the spoils.
Nasir Hossain
played a lone fighting hand with an impressive 39-ball 50, studded with six
boundaries and a six, while opener Mohammad Ashraful made 21. Shakib Al Hasan
fell for 11.
It was all
McCullum when New Zealand batted after being sent in by Bangladesh.
He hit two sixes
in Abdur Razzak’s last over of the innings to go clear of South African Richard
Levi’s previous highest score of 117 made against New Zealand in Hamilton
earlier this year.
He was caught off
the last delivery to end Bangladesh’s miseries but not before helping New
Zealand to 63 runs off the last four overs.
New Zealand lost
Martin Guptill in the fourth over but McCullum ensured a big total with his
ruthless slogging, hitting Hasan for two sixes in his successive overs.
He added 94 for
the second wicket with James Franklin who made 35, and 78 for the third wicket
Ross Taylor (14).
McCullum reached
his tenth half-century off just 29 balls with the first of two successive
boundaries off Ziaur Rahman and continued with the same aggression.
He was dropped on
92 before hitting two boundaries off Elias Sunny to complete his ton off 51
balls.
The knock was
McCullum’s second T20 century. His first came against Australia at Christchurch
in 2010.
New Zealand play
Pakistan in a probable Group D decider on Sunday. (AFP)
