WELLINGTON : New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum today smashed his way into the record books after posting the World Cup’s fastest half century, off a mere 18 balls, in a Pool A match of the ongoing mega-event against England here.
McCullum’s whirlwind half-century featured seven fours and four sixes and overall, he found the fence eight times besides hitting seven sixes, as New Zealand chased down England’s paltry target of 123 in just 12.2 overs at the Westpac Stadium.
The New Zealand opener, McCullum, beat his own World Cup record when he hit fast bowler Steven Finn for six, having made a fifty off 20 balls against Canada in the 2007 edition in the West Indies.
His innings was also the equal third-fastest fifty in all one-day internationals, behind South Africa’s AB de Villiers (16 balls) and Sri Lanka’s Sanath Jayasuriya (17 balls).
However, the Man-of-the-Match award went to fast bowler Tim Southee, who produced the third best spell in World Cup history, returning figures of 7/33 to lay the foundation for a big win. (AGENCIES)
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