Cricket: McCullum is simply too good

Brendon McCullum (right) celebrates his century last night with brother Nathan. Photo / Getty Images

New Zealand have thumbed their noses at those anticipating a green and gold march over the coming weeks.

On a rollicking night, they beat Australia in a one-over decider after their second Twenty20 international was tied.

It was set up by Brendon McCullum in one of the great Twenty20 innings. In a thrilling contest, he helped to banish lingering negative vibes that New Zealand would be a pushover.

McCullum's stunning 116 off just 56 balls pushed New Zealand to their highest Twenty20 total, 214 for six - the equal sixth highest ever.

However, Cameron White's blazing 64 not out off 26 balls, with captain Michael Clarke's 67 off 45 balls, got Australia up for a tie.

Clarke was run out going back for the winning run off the final ball, beaten by Nathan McCullum's fine stop-and-throw from long on back to bowler Tim Southee.

So to the tie-break. Southee, displaying a remarkably cool head, conceded just six runs before Martin Guptill's slashed boundary off speedster Shaun Tait got New Zealand the win with three balls up their sleeve.

The result spices up the ODIs, which start in Napier on Wednesday, and also stopped Australia's undefeated run this summer at 20 games.

"Everybody can now look forward to the one-dayers," Clarke said.

"The players know they've got to be at their best against New Zealand in their own conditions. You don't get much better international cricket than what people saw tonight.

"Brendon played a wonderful innings. We didn't know how to stop him."

McCullum took the team perspective, rather than the personal.

"It's nice to make a contribution that leads to your team winning the game," he said of his bravura innings.

"Even today, 214, most teams would have rolled over, but Australia keep coming at you. You've got to play at your absolute best to come out on top, and fortunately we were able to do that."

Two years ago, McCullum hit the highest score in the Indian Premier League on opening night, 158 not out off just 73 balls. Last night, by comparison, the old slow-coach took his time.

It was only the second Twenty20 international hundred, after West Indian Chris Gayle's 117, which took 57 balls, against South Africa at Johannesburg three years ago.

McCullum got to 100 in 50 balls, equalling Gayle to three figures, and the 26,148 crowd - labelled by captain Dan Vettori as the best he had played in front of in New Zealand - rose and roared as one.

McCullum has a flair for the spectacular, and after a duck in Wellington on Friday night, he was off and running from the start. The first of his eight sixes, to go with 12 fours, came in the second over.

The most remarkable aspect of McCullum's derring-do was his repeated use of the ramp shot - lifting the ball over the wicketkeeper - which carries a large degree of personal danger.

He used it to dazzling effect. It is a shot which requires a high degree of expertise and nerve, not to mention a seriously large pair of cojones.

Time and again, McCullum twisted his body in gymnastic contortions to execute a shot you won't find in any coaching manual.

At 77 for four, things looked grim, but McCullum found excellent support from little wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins.

They rattled on 68 in five overs, with a mix of orthodox and most unorthodox. Hopkins gave the perfect riposte to his doubters with a spanking 36 off 17 balls.

There was a nice touch for McCullum, who had Nathan for company when he reached his hundred.

McCullum whooped in delight and hugged his brother but missed overtaking Gayle by two runs. Nathan McCullum could not get his younger brother on strike for the last four balls of the innings, which might have meant a written apology last night.

Australia's pursuit of the target was controlled, they kept wickets in hand and were on a par with the asking rate most of the time.

However, they still required 49 off the last four overs, at which point White exploded, the ball disappearing into various sections of the crowd.

There were 30 needed from two overs, 12 off the last, bowled by Southee, who held his nerve superbly in the final stages.

Highest individual innings in Twenty20 internationals

117 - Chris Gayle, West Indies v South Africa, Johannesburg, 2007-08
116* - Brendon McCullum v Australia, Christchurch, 2009-10
98* - Ricky Ponting, Australia v New Zealand, Auckland, 2004-05
96* - Tillakaratne Dilshan, Sri Lanka v West Indies, The Oval, 2009
96 - Damien Martyn, Australia v Sri Lanka, Brisbane, 2005-06
94 - Loots Bosman, South Africa v England, Centurion, 2009-10
90* - Herschelle Gibbs, South Africa v West Indies, Johannesburg, 2007-08

(* - denotes not out)

Highest NZ totals in Twenty20 internationals

214-6 v Australia, Christchurch, 2009-10
198-5 v Ireland, Nottingham, 2009
191-9 v West Indies, Hamilton, 2008-09
190 v India, Johannesburg, 2007-08