NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Sport / Cricket / Black Caps

Cricket: Guptill second-best ever in first ODI

Dylan Cleaver
By Dylan Cleaver
Sports Editor at Large·Herald on Sunday·
10 Jan, 2009 03:00 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Only one ODI debutant has scored more than Martin Guptill. Photo / Getty Images

Only one ODI debutant has scored more than Martin Guptill. Photo / Getty Images

KEY POINTS:

No sooner had Martin Guptill become just the 152nd man to play one-day international cricket for New Zealand than he set sail for more exclusive clubs.

The 22-year-old Aucklander delighted his hometown crowd with an unbeaten 122 in New Zealand's total of 275-4. In the process he became:

- The first New Zealander to score a century on ODI debut.

- The fifth player to score a century on ODI debut, joining West Indian great Desmond Haynes, England's Dennis Amiss, Zimbabwe's Andy Flower and Pakistan's Saleem Elahi.

- The second-highest scorer on debut, behind only Haynes' 148 against Australia in 1978.

- And the first seven-toed player to score an ODI century (OK, that's just a guess but it's a calculated one).

Not the most effusive of self-promoters, Guptill admitted his achievement had yet to register fully.

"I'm really glad with the way I batted and I was really happy with the result," he said. No kidding.

"There were some nerves there, so getting that first run was a bit of a weight off my shoulders. I was very pleased to get off the mark."

Captain Daniel Vettori at least festooned the post-match press conference with a little more aww: "Martin's innings was one of the best I've seen in a long time," he said. "His composure was exceptional."

The whole innings had an air of serendipity about it. Originally pencilled in at No 3, Guptill was moved to the more familiar opener's role when Jesse Ryder was withdrawn because of, ahem, inadequate preparation.

It was not the most comfortable of starts, with his first 11 runs squeezed to third man whether by accident or design. At 15, he offered a fairly simple chance to wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin - a chance that was shelled.

"Cricket does funny things and who knows, I could have gotten out at any stage there."

Right there, you have the paper-thin line between an ordinary debut and a sensational success story.

Mathew Sinclair will feel he's come down on the wrong side of those fine lines far too often. He got a good one from Lionel Baker but Ramdin held this catch and with just two next to his name, he must wonder if that is his international curtain call. If it is, then that will leave a bitter but not unfamiliar taste in Sinclair's mouth.

Enter Ross Taylor and the beginnings of a 144-run partnership. It was great stuff and, as Taylor's swipes to cow corner increased, you began to wonder if he might pass Guptill on the way to 100. One cross-bat slog too many saw that idea disappear on 75.
Almost lost in the hubbub around Guptill was a dynamic contribution at No 6 from fellow debutant Neil Broom. He won't see his name in too many headlines today but his 24 not out in a 50-run partnership with Guptill should not be overlooked.

It was a heady knock (17 balls, two sixes) from a player who has waited a long time for such an opportunity. If he was a foot longer and could bowl 10 tight overs, you might be tempted to say, "Jake who?"

No chance Guptill will be forgotten in a hurry, though. Not by any who witnessed him, on 97, dance down the track to wily old Chris Gayle and bop in into the top tier of the West Stand.

"It [the six] was a spur of the moment thing," he said. "At first I thought I might have got under it too much but then it kept going."

So did the 22-year-old, all the way to the last ball of the 50th over.

For a man with only two toes on his left foot after a forklift incident, he was remarkably nimble on his feet. Remember, too, that just last October, he dislocated his right knee while trying to sweep during a practice game at Whangarei.

He wasn't expected to return to any cricket until the New Year, so to call yesterday a rapid recovery would be an understatement.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Black Caps

Black Caps

Vettori among star-studded group in ICC Hall of Fame

09 Jun 11:10 PM
Premium
Sport|cricket

New Black Caps coach's home is Hawke's Bay

08 Jun 02:55 AM
Black Caps

‘Biggest challenge in the game’: New Black Caps coach on rise of T20 leagues

06 Jun 04:00 AM

Why Cambridge is the new home of future-focused design

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Black Caps

Vettori among star-studded group in ICC Hall of Fame

Vettori among star-studded group in ICC Hall of Fame

09 Jun 11:10 PM

Daniel Vettori is the fourth Kiwi to be inducted.

Premium
New Black Caps coach's home is Hawke's Bay

New Black Caps coach's home is Hawke's Bay

08 Jun 02:55 AM
‘Biggest challenge in the game’: New Black Caps coach on rise of T20 leagues

‘Biggest challenge in the game’: New Black Caps coach on rise of T20 leagues

06 Jun 04:00 AM
New Black Caps coach: Ex-South Africa boss is appointed

New Black Caps coach: Ex-South Africa boss is appointed

05 Jun 10:31 PM
Clean water fuelling Pacific futures
sponsored

Clean water fuelling Pacific futures

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • What the Actual
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven CarGuide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP