Cricket: Brendon McCullum's declaration proves profitable

Brendon McCullum shares a laugh with his teammate. Photo / Getty

Brendon McCullum wrestled with a time and target equation on the penultimate day of the first test against Sri Lanka, and in the end he needn't have fretted.

New Zealand had 53 overs left to bowl when they wrapped up Sri Lanka's chase for 405 at 282 soon after lunch today. But he knew New Zealand needed plenty of time to complete the task on a pitch not overly favouring the bowlers.

''It looks quite a reasonably aggressive declaration," he said. ''But for us it was really the only way we were going to allow ourselves enough time to not just win, but also relieve the pressure of having to win the game.

''I think sometimes if you don't leave yourself enough time then you start chasing wickets.

''If Sri Lanka were good enough to chase 400 and run us down then fair play to them. Then we can handle losing. In the end I was happy with the way we went about it."

It was a test in which McCullum equalled the world record of 100 test sixes, held by Australian Adam Gilchrist. Having belted two sixes in six balls in the second innings, when asked why he didn't stick around another over to have a crack at No 101, McCullum was a touch sheepish.

''I said 400 (was the target) to the boys so it would have looked pretty selfish if I'd stayed out there for one more crack at it.

''But look, we play on smaller grounds than the Australians."

McCullum quipped it's ''the only record I actually care about. It's the only record Kane (Williamson) or Ross (Taylor) aren't going to break, so I should be able to hold onto that one."

And yes, he was keenly aware he had 98 sixes before the second innings began - ''as you can probably tell by the way I've batted all through my career".

The win was McCullum's 10th as captain, leaving him one behind Geoff Howarth but still 17 behind the leader, Stephen Fleming.

Both teams have plenty to ponder before the second test.

New Zealand may drop a seamer, either Doug Bracewell or Neil Wagner, to add offspinner Mark Craig to the mix; Sri Lanka have late arrival Kaushal Silva bolster the batting; and uncapped legspinner Jeffrey Vandersay might be in the plans depending on the reading of the Seddon Park pitch.

- By David Leggat in Dunedin