Mount Maunganui, New Zealand (BBN) – Corey Anderson ushered in 2014 with the then fastest ODI century off just 36 balls.
In the second week of 2017, he threatened to shellack the fastest T20I century, reports espncricinfo.
He didn’t quite have the time for that and so had to settle for the record for the most sixes by a New Zealander in the format – as many as 10 in an unbeaten 41-ball 94 that set up a 3-0 clean sweep of Bangladesh in Mount Maunganui.
Anderson was involved in another New Zealand record along with his captain Kane Williamson as they added 124 runs for the fourth wicket – one run better than Colin Munro and Tom Bruce’s work on Friday.
Williamson completed his second half-century in three innings and helped offset an early wobble – New Zealand were 41 for 3 in 6.1 overs – and Anderson provided the muscle at the end taking the total to 194 for 4.
In reply, Bangladesh started brightly with a 44-run opening stand, but they couldn’t sustain it.
There was just too many runs to chase.
A run fest seemed highly likely when Williamson slapped Shakib with the vertical and horizontal bat for back-to-back boundaries in fourth over.
It looked less likely when Rubel Hossain got rid of James Neesham – Williamson’s third opening partner in three matches – and Munro in the space of five balls.
When offspinner Mosaddek Hossain struck with his first delivery to dismiss Bruce for 5, and along with Shakib Al Hasan, conceded only 14 runs between the seventh and 10th overs, it looked like Bangladesh had regained control.
With the spinners firing them in on middle stump, Williamson resorted to shuffling across or coming down the track for his runs.
He did not always look pretty, and even fell on the floor while attempting a wild slog, but launched a six onto the roof of the ground.
He then pushed the team past 100 in the 14th over with a whip to the square leg boundary.
Anderson then took charge of the innings from there on, clubbing Mashrafe Mortaza for 17 runs in four balls and smacking part-time seamer Soumya Sarkar for a hat-trick of sixes over midwicket.
The second of those blows raised his fifty off 27 balls, but the third – a violent swipe against a full ball – was the pick of the lot.
It sailed over the grass banks and landed on a Thai curry stall.
When Anderson hoisted Taskin Ahmed in the last over of the innings for his ninth six, he snatched the record for most sixes by a New Zealand batsman in a T20I.
Brendon McCullum had hit eight against Australia in Christchurch in 2010.
Anderson put the seal on the innings with another clean six over long-on and walked back to a rousing reception.
About 100 minutes later, he soaked in the applause from the crowd again, this time after claiming a catch to send Shakib back in the last over of the match, by which time New Zealand were certain to win their sixth straight limited-overs match of the series.
Bangladesh, despite having to worry over possible injuries, fought hard in the chase.
Imrul Kayes left the field after he tripped over the ad boards located beyond the boundary while trying to attempt a catch.
Mashrafe joined him in the dressing room not long after when he hurt his right hand while trying to stop a straight drive. Neither man came out to bat.
Getting to 69 for 1 in six overs, therefore, was a pretty good start for the visitors.
But they couldn’t keep up the tempo when pace was taken off the ball. Sarkar spooned a return catch to Ish Sodhi, and Williamson bowled Sabbir, but the ball of the day was Sodhi’s ripping googly to Mahmudullah.
It pitched outside off and hit the top of leg stump, making a mess of the batsman’s attempt to sneak some runs on the leg side.
Shakib and Nurul Hasan connected with late boundaries, but the game was up by then.
Bangladesh’s only silver lining in this match was Rubel, who picked up three wickets and staked his claim to lead the inexperienced Test bowling attack.
BBN/MS/SK