Pak NZ ODI 2 Half Time: McCullum Century Props Up New Zealand To 303

Brendon McCullum suffered the indignity of being demoted from the vice captain role before the series. It had to do with the captain perhaps wanting a greater say and also, the fact that McCullum has had a less than exciting year personally. But all of it was banished to the background as he stood up for New Zealand in a difficult time and scored a valiant century.
McCullum’s partnership with Martin Guptill was the very thing New Zealand needed after their poor showing with the bat in the first match. Given the opportunity to bat first by the New Zealand captain, Daniel Vettori, New Zealand could play without the pressure of the chase but at the same time, with the knowledge that setting a target against a belligerent Pakistan would be imperative to stay alive.
In that mission, they found an able man who has struggled to impact all of 2009. However, his coming good signalled the easing of nerves in the dressing room. McCullum was steady without being flamboyant, showing streaks of his boisterous batting measured by some rather smart batting for singles and twos.
Guptill gave McCullum the opportunity to swing his arms which the number three making sixty-two runs himself in the 126 run partnership for the second wicket. The wicket of Guptill though caused a minor wobble with New Zealand losing three quick wickets for just thirteen runs. But it was Vettori again who stood up to protect his team’s early foundation.
McCullum’s partnership with Vettori proved the second most important alliance. The fifty-four partnership for the fifth wicket went relatively incident free but steady. And it set up nicely for the next partnership between McCullum and Jacob Oram that raised fifty runs off just forty-four balls.
McCullum’s century is only the second in his ODI career and his first as wicket keeper. And his 131 off 129 balls was the nucleus of the innings that allowed New Zealand to paint themselves in a better light, pushing the envelope as far as Pakistan were concerned.
When McCullum finally departed bowled by Umar Gul, Oram took up the senior role, making thirty-three runs at a run a ball to take New Zealand to a strong 303 for eight. Now it is upto the New Zealand bowlers, Shane Bond and the returning Kyle Mills, to strike early if they are to stop Pakistan from making a meal of the match.