Twenty/20 is a brutal game.
Lucky, then, that Brendon McCullum is such a brute.
The master blaster smashed 100 off just 49 balls to guide Otago to a comprehensive nine-wicket win against Northern Districts in an HRV Cup game in Hamilton yesterday.
It was his fourth twenty/20 hundred (second for Otago) and featured eight sixes and seven fours.
But his was not a lone hand.
He combined with Neil Broom in a fabulous undefeated partnership of 188, as the Volts made light work of Northern's total of 187 for five.
Broom has struggled with the tempo of twenty/20 but showed what he his capable once he gets set, thrashing 79 from 50 deliveries. The right-hander had been under pressure leading into the match. His form had been marginal at best and he was involved in the disappointing run out of Hamish Rutherford in the first over of Otago's reply. So it was a good response from a talented batsman.
On a day when the batsmen dominated proceedings, 17-year-old Southland Boys' High School pupil Jacob Duffy made bowling look easy with a sensational debut.
The right-armer took three quick wickets, including a double-wicket maiden, to help Otago seize the early momentum. Ian Butler also made a good return with none for 28 from his four overs.
Hamish Marshall led Northern's recovery with his wonderful undefeated innings of 86 from 45, and experienced campaigner Scott Styris treated the bowling with contempt, savaging 45 runs from 24 deliveries.
The pair combined in a 93-run stand for the fifth-wicket and Peter McGlashan chipped in with a hard-hit 22 from just nine deliveries.
Styris, who was wearing a microphone, actually announced the moment he planned to tee off. But while he was the bully one minute, muscling the ball over midwicket, he was every bit the batsman the next, drawing on a wide array of proper cricket shots to whack four sixes and two fours.
Marshall was even more impressive. He moved effortlessly into the 40s but was over-shadowed by Styris for hitting power until the 17th over, when he dispatched Nathan McCullum for 27 - three consecutive sixes, followed by a couple of boundaries and, mercifully, a single from the last delivery.
Marshall, though, should have been dismissed for 23. Nick Beard dropped a simple caught and bowled opportunity.
But the day belonged to Brendon McCullum. His undefeated 103 from 54 was another reminder of why many consider him to be the best twenty/20 batsman in world cricket.
Watching him swivel into a pull shot is one of the greatest joys in life unless you happen to be the unfortunate bowler. Hopefully, he can take that form into the test against Zimbabwe in Napier next week.
