Brendon McCullum become the only batsman to score two hundreds in T20 international cricket
A record-breaking Brendon McCullum century inspired New Zealand to a comprehensive 59-run victory over Bangladesh in their opening match of ICC World Twenty20 at Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Friday.
The 30-year-old swashbuckling right-hander, breaking the record of 117 not out from South Africa’s Richard Levi, hit blistering 123 off 58 balls as New Zealand posted a formidable total of 191-5.
The target remained beyond Bangladesh’ approach as they desponded to 132-8. Pace duo Tim Southee and Kyle Mills claimed three wickets apiece with the figures of 3-16 and 3-33 respectively.
Barring Nasir Hossain (50 off 33) and Mohammad Ashraful (21) the rest of other Bangladeshi batsmen failed to offer resistance.
Slumping to 4-37 after a horrible collapse in top-order, Bangladesh were heading towards a massive loss but Hossain, shouldering the obligation single-handedly, played an enterprising knock to reduce the margin of deficit.
Earlier, sent to bat, New Zealand lost Martin Guptill (11) early in the innings before Brendon McCullum and James Franklin (35 off 36) shared 94 runs for the second wicket off 69 balls.
“Very pleased to make a contribution, we’ve got a very good score,” McCullum said at the conclusion of his innings. “The partnership with James Franklin set us up. On some days it comes off and on some it does not.
Franklin departed in the 15th over but Brendon McCullum continued to macerate the miserable Bangladeshi bowling attack in the company of skipper Ross Taylor (14 off 12).
Brendon McCullum century came off 51 balls when he hit two successive boundaries off spinner Elias Sunny.
Brendon McCullum century saw him become the only batsman to score two hundreds in T20 international cricket. His earlier T20 International hundred, 116 not out, came in February 2010 in Christchurch against Australia.
Hitting 11 boundaries and seven sixes on his way, Brendon McCullum eventually fell pray to Tamim Iqbal off spinner Abdur Razzak off the last ball of innings.
