Brendon McCullum has hit the highest score in Twenty20 international history to lead the Black Caps to a crushing 59-run win over Bangladesh at the Twenty20 World Cup at Pallekele tonight.
Records tumbled as the world's number one ranked batsman in this format smashed 123 (off 58 balls), including 11 fours and seven sixes, to lift New Zealand to 191/3 off their 20 overs.
In reply, Bangladesh never threatened as New Zealand restricted the cricketing minnows to 132/8 with only Nasir Hossain, who scored 50 off 39 balls, showing any fight of note.
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The Black Caps are now in the box seat to progress to the Super Eights and probably only have to avoid a heavy defeat to Pakistan on Sunday to prolong their stay.
And they can thank one man for that. McCullum became the first player to ever hit two T20 international centuries and the first player to raise his 1500th run in this format, but it wasn't always conventional.
His fourth sixth, off the bowling of Mashrafe Mortaza, was an ugly cross between a tennis forehand and an axe's swipe that somehow went straight over the bowlers head for the maximum.
If anything it illustrated the absurdly short boundaries on offer at this boutique ground but at least it offered Bangladesh hope that they could chase down the huge total with some clean hitting of their own.
McCullum had the perfect foil at the other end in the form of makeshift opener James Franklin (35 off 36 balls) who shared a second wicket partnership with him worth 94 runs.
McCullum was inexplicably dropped by Mashrafe Bin Mortaza off the bowling of Elias Sunny when the wicketkeeper blasted it straight to the cover fielder when he was on 92.
But that was the only chance he offered up in an innings that rekindled memories of his 158* in the very first IPL match in 2008, which to this day remains the highest Twenty20 score in first class cricket.
There were just nine dot balls in his innings and a pulsating 78-run partnership with his captain Ross Taylor (14 off 12 balls) lifted New Zealand to their hugely satisfying total.
"Very pleased to make a contribution, we've got a very good score," McCullum said at the conclusion of his innings.
"The partnership with James Franklin set us up. On some days it comes off and on some it does not.
"They have very good bowlers, played very well against us in Dhaka, our boys have worked hard to play left-arm spin in anticipation for this, and it was nice to put such a total on the board."
McCullum hit two sixes in Abdur Razzak's last over of the innings to go clear of South African Richard Levi's previous highest score of 117 made against New Zealand in Hamilton earlier this year.
Cruelly McCullum was dismissed off the final ball of the innings, when he mishit a wide Razzak delivery to Tamim Iqbal at point.
Iqubal though was dismissed on just the third ball of the Bangladesh innings, off the bowling of Kyle Mills, and a steady progression of wickets fell as their innings stuttered to a predictable end.
Tim Southee was best of the New Zealand bowlers, with 3-16 off his four overs while Mills also ended with three wickets, including the crucial dismissal of Shakib Al Hasan for 11.