Smashing show from McCullum

Brendon McCullum banished the memories of his broken arm suffered at the same ground a year ago to blast Trinbago Knight Riders to a Caribbean Premier League victory in Barbados.

The former Black Caps skipper had his tournament ended last year at Kensington Oval by a short rising delivery from the Tridents’ Wayne Parnell which cracked his forearm.

This time the hard-charging batsman gave the Barbados Tridents bowlers little chance on the tricky surface as he blazed 66 off 42 balls in their four-wicket win which launched the Knight Riders to the top of the table.

Chasing just 129 to win, McCullum hit eight fours and three sixes to lift the visitors after they slumped to 37-3, with dangermen Chris Lynn (8) and Black Cap Colin Munro (14) both missing out.

McCullum skied a return catch to suspended Australian captain Steve Smith to end his innings, but at that stage they required just three to win as the Knight Riders got home midway through the 17th over.

It was McCullum’s third half-century from six CPL innings this year, as his run tally moved to 211 at a strike rate of 155. New Zealanders feature highly on the charts behind the leader Kieron Pollard (330 runs, strike rate 160), with Jamaica Tallawah Glenn Phillips second with 281 at a strike rate of 143 and Munro third with 270, strike rate 144.