It may be of some consolation to Brendon McCullum that he has become the first man to be out twice in the nineties at Lord’s without making a hundred. But not much.
He deserved the landmark which would have put his name on the dressing room honours board. How he deserved it. On a pitch that made nonsense of the general supposition that the game is geared too much towards batsmen, he combined with perfect precision the arts of defence with those of attack.
McCullum was not of a mind to be pinned down but he was never reckless in making 97 from 97 balls. Not, that is, until his final shot when, desperate for a hundred, he swished, hoicked, swung – call it what you will – and was bowled by Monty Panesar.
On the Kiwis’ last tour of England in 2004, McCullum made 96 at Lord’s, so this was an improvement. But what he would have given for three runs more.
His remarkable innings allowed his side to launch something of a recovery after being put in following a rain-delayewd start and in the last session, curtailed by bad light, they lost only one wicket. That was of McCullum and at 208 for six New Zealand were still hardly in profit.
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