Twenty20 World Cup: Black Caps batsman Glenn Phillips says century against Sri Lanka was his best

Glenn Phillips was in supreme form with the bat against Sri Lanka. Photo / photosport.nz

From the best catch of his life to the top innings of his career, Glenn Phillips has enjoyed quite a week in Sydney.

Phillips’ match-winning century against Sri Lanka on Saturday night was a knock brimming with power and innovation, produced when the Black Caps most needed to put them on the verge of the T20 World Cup semifinals.

It’s no wonder, then, that Phillips rated so highly the innings of 104 runs from 64 balls. It was his second century in international cricket and one that would take some dislodging from its lofty ranking.

“I think it’s probably going to be at the top,” he said. “I do have one other 100, and that was pretty special as well, but to be able to do it on a World Cup stage just adds a little bit more juice to it.

“To be able to have a World Cup win from a sticky situation is actually the most satisfying part.”

The Black Caps were indeed threatening to become unstuck at 14-3 in the fourth over. Coming after a point was lost in the rainout against Afghanistan, all the good work of the opening win over Australia looked like it could be wasted.

But Phillips, whose diving catch in that opening game capped a near-perfect team performance, offered a reminder that T20 cricket could be decided by one individual, carrying his side to a total of 167-7.

The 25-year-old tried to defer praise, and the bowling attack certainly played its part in a 65-run victory, yet it’s easy to imagine the game progressing very differently if Phillips had followed the top order in falling cheaply.

Which he almost did, put down on 12 after offering Pathum Nissanka a straightforward catch at long on, adding an element of fortune that Phillips readily acknowledged.

“Luck definitely does play a lot in this game, and I was on the right end of the luck,” he said. “I still feel like it was the right choice and the right option, but with how [Wanindu] Hasaranga bowls, the lowness of his bounce, it’s a pretty tough option to be able to get it as wide as I wanted.”

While that was one instance when Phillips’ combination of strength and variety in shot selection let him down, those qualities were abundantly clear as he cracked 10 fours and four sixes.

On a tricky surface that saw only two other New Zealanders reach double figures – a number matched in the Sri Lankan lineup – it was Phillips who proved too deceptive for his opponents to counter.

Asked whether he placed a greater emphasis on power or innovation, the Auckland batsman opted for the former but knew how much he needed the latter at the SCG.

“I’m always trying to come up with different ways to make a bowler think, whether it’s stepping across to the wide line or giving myself a ridiculous amount of room,” he said. “It’s also a lot of mind games involved and understanding that, once the ball is released, the power is the side that I do possess.

“Some guys are definitely going to stay a lot more innovative and better at it than I am, so I try to mix the two together.”

A cramping Phillips was largely kept from the field as Trent Boult’s 4-13 prevented Sri Lanka from nearing their target, but by today he had recovered and was already relishing Tuesday’s showdown with a wounded England.

“Their team is a massively formidable force,” he said. “They’ve been hurt by Ireland and they’re going to come out firing plenty of shots – so we’re going to have to fire shots of our own.”