KEY POINTS:
Brendon McCullum took hyperactivity to new levels as his belligerent, record breaking century ensured Otago won the State Shield one-day cricket final in a canter over Auckland today.
McCullum refused to stand still, hitting a magnificent 170 as Otago cruised past Auckland's 310 for seven at Eden Park
Outer Oval in Auckland.
What should have been a difficult assignment was made to look to a look a doddle as Otago strolled to their first domestic one-day title in 20 years with 48 balls and seven wickets to spare after the pugnacious opener produced a compelling exhibition of controlled aggression.
He proved an irresistible force, hurrying to his century off just 52 balls in the 20th over, to easily set a new mark for the fastest century posted at domestic one-day level.
The previous quickest from 65 balls was scored by Sri Lankan import Aravinda de Silva for Auckland against Canterbury in 1996-97.
And the records kept tumbling as McCullum went on to rub Auckland's noses in it with the highest domestic one-day score, erasing from the books the 161 scored by Blair Hartland for Canterbury in 1993-94.
McCullum was at his calculating best today, one week after hitting an unbeaten 108 when Otago chased down 263 to beat Canterbury in the semifinal.
He bludgeoned the Auckland attack - containing two of his New Zealand teammates in Chris Martin and Kyle Mills - to all corners, along the ground or over the top but inevitably always through a gap.
Auckland must have been happy with their work with the bat but McCullum put their effort into context as he sped to 50 off just 28 balls and Otago raced to 100 for one in 13.2 overs.
He and Greg Todd put on 100 for the second wicket off 71 balls before Todd departed for 38 but McCullum pressed on as Otago reached 118 for two after 15 overs, 192 for two after 25 and 219 for two after 30.
At that stage McCullum and captain Craig Cumming had the luxury of calmly picking their target and pacing themselves.
Their stand finally realised 194 runs before McCullum holed out in the deep with the finish line in sight after smashing 19 fours and seven sixes from just 108 deliveries.
Cumming made a quality 86 not out off 93 balls, but was naturally overshadowed by his teammate.
Auckland's total was based around a thoughtful century from Martin Guptill and forceful half-centuries to captain Richard Jones and Scott Styris.
The early loss of opening partner Paul Hitchcock did not distract Guptill from his task as he batted into the last over in compiling an intelligent 110 from 137 balls.
It was his second one-day century of the summer and featured two substantial partnerships with Jones and Styris, both of whom adopted the aggressor's role.
Jones made 76 off 72 deliveries in adding 124 for the second wicket with Guptill before Styris slapped 68 off 53, with four sixes and five fours, as he helped put on 113 for the third wicket.
Auckland took 27 runs off the 40th over, bowled by seamer James McMillan, with Styris himself hitting three sixes and two fours as the home side began the last 10 overs at 239 for two.
They did not quite take full toll from that point, with Styris departing in the very next over when he hit across the line and lifted a ball from Warren McSkimming directly to Aaron Redmond at deep mid wicket.
While Jones and Styris forced the issue, Guptill calmly rotated the strike, showing good placement as he regularly looked for ones and twos on the small ground.
Guptill's innings featured just six fours but he looked after his partners well and ensured Otago paid a heavy price for dropping difficult chances when the right-hander was on nought and three.
Fast bowler McSkimming and left-armer Bradley Scott were the pick of the Otago bowlers with two for 49 and two for 43 respectively.
But McMillan and Alex Gidman were both heavily punished, leaving Cumming to utilise his occasional offspinners for seven overs.
It was a heavier workload than Cumming planned, but he chipped out Guptill and Jones at a cost of 46 runs to more than do his part.
- NZPA
