Martin Guptill: World Cricket's Batsman of the Month, March 2015
New Zealand may not have been successful in winning the Cricket World Cup, but Martin Guptill had a tremendous March and is our batsman of the month.
The Black Caps opener played five games and scored a colossal 448 runs at an average of 112, with a best of 237 not out coming against the West Indies.
He may have felt a little overshadowed by the explosive Brendon McCullum at times, but Guptill was consistently superb for New Zealand at the top of the order.
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He began well with 57 against Afghanistan in their Pool B game on March 8 and then followed that up with 105 against Bangladesh in the final group match.
His 237 came next in the quarter-finals, and while he did not quite capitalise on good starts in the semi-final or the final, he can now reflect on a strong month.
Guptill has been in and out of the team in recent years, so perhaps this tournament can be the catalyst for him to become a regular member of the Black Caps lineup.
| 57 | Afghanistan | ODI | Napier | March 8 |
| 105 | Bangladesh | ODI | Hamilton | March 13 |
| 237* | West Indies | ODI | Wellington | March 21 |
| 34 | South Africa | ODI | Auckland | March 24 |
| 15 | Australia | ODI | Melbourne | March 29 |
Standout Performance
Guptill's standout performance from March is also one of the best innings in the history of the Cricket World Cup—and not only because it is the all-time record score in the tournament.
He was dropped by Marlon Samuels having made just four and went on to punish the West Indies in the best way possible.
Guptill reached 100 in the 35th over and then accelerated at an alarming rate to take New Zealand's total—and his own—even higher.
In just 23 balls after reaching his century, Guptill celebrated 150 and then blitzed his way to 200 in another 18 balls.
In a World Cup quarter-final, with the eyes of the cricketing world upon him, Guptill delivered in the best way possible at the best possible time.
The Coming Months
New Zealand have a well-earned break from international cricket for the month of April, although it is likely many of their squad will play the domestic Plunket Shield.
The following month, the Black Caps are well and truly back in the swing of international competition as they travel to England.
On tour in England, New Zealand will play two Tests, five one-day internationals and one Twenty20 International before departing in mid-June.
After a brief break to recharge their batteries, it promises to be an interesting May and June for the Black Caps, who then travel to South Africa in August.
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