NZ vs SL: Brendon McCullum falls 5 short of smashing fastest Test double ton

New Zealands bighitting skipper Brendon McCullum came close to surpassing countryman and former batsman Nathan Astles 153 balls record for the fastest Test double century However it wasnt to be and he departed for 195 off 134 balls His belligerent innings meant New Zealand were 4297 at stumps on the first day of the first Test against Sri Lanka in Christchurch on Friday ndash the most scored by the Black Caps in a days playMcCullum has had a great year and had earlier smashed a double ton off 186 balls now the fifth fastest of all time against Pakistan in Sharjah in NovemberHis whirlwind 195 runs off 134 deliveries included 11 sixes and 18 fours and came after he lost the toss and New Zealand were made to bat on a green wicket that bore all the hallmarks of a bowlers paradiseNew Zealand captain Brendon McCullum celebrates after reaching 150 during the first Test match vs Sri Lanka at the Hagley Park Oval in Christchurch on Friday PicAFPMcCullum now also holds the most sixes in Tests in a calendar year Former Australia wicketkeeperbatsman Adam Gilchrist had hit 22 sixes in 15 Tests in 2005 while MCullum has 33 after nine matches this yearThe 8000 people who packed Christchurchs Hagley Oval were looking for an outstanding performance to mark the return of Test cricket to the earthquakebattered city and the signs were against them until McCullum strode to the crease with New Zealand at 883As McCullum bludgeoned the bowling he cracked the fastest century in New Zealand Test history off 74 deliveries and became the first New Zealander to score 1000 runs in a calendar year He equalled the New Zealand record of 26 off one over when he smashed three sixes and two fours off one over by Sri Lanka strike bowler Suranga Lakmal and finished with 11 sixes one short of the world record of 12 sixes in an innings held by Pakistans Wasim AkramMcCullum bettered his own record of the fastest century by a Kiwi cricketer by four deliveries as the 33yearold helped New Zealand reached 429 for seven James Neesham 85 and Kane Williamson 54 also punished the hapless Lankan bowlersMcCullum feasted on the bowling attack as the visitors continuously bowled to his strengths getting carried away by the ample carry They bowled way too short and the righthander belted them away square of the wicket even when there were two men lurking in the deepHe had a scare on 153 when Kumar Sangakkara missed a straightforward opportunity at long on before he was eventually undone when he launched into offspinner Tharindu Kaushal He hit a six two and four off consecutive balls off the Test debutant before getting too far under the fourth delivery and was caught by a diving Dimuth Karunaratne at longoffWith this 195run knock in just 134 deliveries the skipper has so far ensured that all his 50plus scores in 2014 were converted into massive centuries 224302 202 195In February McCullum became the first Kiwi to score 300 in a Test innings in the 2nd Test against India and has averaged nearly 67 from 16 innings in the yearSri Lankan debutant spinner Tharindu Kaushal also failed to contain McCullum who also crossed the 1000run mark in a calendar yearHe is the 136th cricketer to join the 1000 runslist which is headed by Pakistans Mohammad Yousuf who notched a phenomenal 1788 at 9933 in 2006New Zealand finished the dayrsquos play on 429 for seven in the 80th over having maintained a runrate of 663 in the final session despite McCullums exit