Brendon McCullum and Martin Guptill came within 13 runs of setting a new world record sixth-wicket stand, on the second day of the one-off cricket test against Bangladesh in Hamilton today.
The partnership, which ended on 339 with McCullum's dismissal for 185, threatened to overtake the world record of 351 set by Mahela and Prasanna Jayawardene against India last November.
The pair came together with the Black Caps teetering at 158 for five yesterday afternoon, sharing in an unbeaten 100 run partnership before stumps last night.
This morning the pair moved quickly into stride with Guptill reaching his maiden hundred (in his ninth test) in the opening hour's play, followed soon after by McCullum, who raised his fourth test century.
The pair added 173 runs in the opening session with McCullum passing his previous test best of 143 (also against Bangladesh) as both players reached the 150 mark before lunch.
The pair's effort easily eclipsed the previous New Zealand sixth wicket record of 274, dating back to Jeff Crowe and Richard Hadlee in Sri Lanka in 1987.
The partnership is the third highest in New Zealand test history, behind Martin Crowe and Andrew Jones' then world record 467 against Sri Lanka in Wellington in 1991, and Glenn Turner and Terry Jarvis' 387 against the West Indies in Georgetown in 1972.
The highest partnership for any wicket is 624 by Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene for Sri Lanka against South Africa in Colombo, Sri Lanka in 2006.
- NZ HERALD STAFF
Cricket: Guptill, McCullum fall just shy of new world record
Martin Guptill was the best of the NZ batsmen on the opening day of the first test. Photo / NZPA
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