Martin Guptill blows Sri Lanka away in 8.2 overs

Martin Guptill’s 93 off 30 balls smashed Sri Lanka into submission as New Zealand took just 8.2 overs to claim the second one-day international by 10 wickets in Christchurch on Monday.

Guptill went within a whisker of breaking the world record for the fastest ODI 50 and was close to scoring one of the fastest centuries when New Zealand wrapped up the game.

New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum said Guptill was “superb” while Sri Lanka skipper Angelo Mathews described his side’s performance as “embarrassing” and “pathetic”.

After being dropped off the first ball he faced, Guptill went on the warpath with a brutal assault that included nine fours and eight sixes.

For Sri Lanka, it was a humiliating performance after they expressed a desire to gain some pride from being thrashed in the first ODI by seven wickets when New Zealand knocked off the 189-run target with 29 overs to spare.

Instead of getting better they went backwards, being dismissed for 117 in 27.4 overs. Guptill set about demolishing the Sri Lanka attack.

He took 14 off one over by Nuwan Kulasekera and 26 off the next over from Dushmantha Chameera as he raced to 46 from 12 deliveries.

His momentum was briefly arrested by some well-placed Kulasekera yorkers and it took another five balls for Guptill to reach his 50, one behind the world record of 16 held by South African AB de Villiers. Guptill did, however, break the New Zealand record for the fastest 50, going one better than McCullum’s best.