Remember when people wanted Marty Guptill dropped? Because he scored too slowly or whatever? Because he was ‘horribly out of form’? Turns out the Blackcaps knew what they were doing after all.

Martin Guptill’s innings against the West Indies in the World Cup quarter final wasn’t just great, it was one of the greatest. One of the greatest ever by a New Zealander, one of the greatest ever in a World Cup, one of the greatest in the history of limited overs cricket. He carried his bat through one of the most important games he will ever play, anchoring the innings until it was time to unleash, and when he unleashed there wasn’t a ground in the world big enough to hold him.

And as he did so, records tumbled almost as quickly as he scored his runs.

237 Not Out

The highest score by a New Zealander in ODI cricket, beating his own record of 189* against England in Southampton on June 2, 2013.

Logically, that also makes it the highest score at a World Cup by a kiwi, the previous record being Glenn Turner’s 171 against East Africa way back in 1975 (it’s worth noting they were 60 over games back then).

It was the highest score, not only in knockout games, but in any World Cup game ever, and just the second double-ton at a World Cup. The first and previous record being opponent Chris Gayle’s 215 against Zimbabwe in Canberra 25 days earlier. Gayle didn’t quite match Guptill’s efforts on the night when he got his chance to retaliate in the second innings, but he did become the first man to hit 7 sixes in an ODI before reaching 50.

Guptill’s knock was also the second highest score of all time in ODIs. Only Rohit Sharma’s incredible 264 for India against Sri Lanka in Kolkata last year can top it.

It was the sixth double century in a One-Day International, and Guptill the fifth man to achieve one. Sachin Tendulkar was the first back in 2010 with exactly 200*, and since then Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma (twice) and Chris Gayle have also reached the milestone.

Guptill’s first 117 runs came off 120 balls. His next 120 off only 43 balls. He hit 24 fours and 11 sixes, adding up to 162 runs in boundaries.

The only time a player has hit more than the 35 boundaries that Guptill managed was Rohit Sharma’s 42 (33 fours & 9 sixes) in his 264. Obviously no other New Zealander has matched this.

He scored 60.5% of the team’s total runs, just the tenth time a player has done that in a completed innings. Kiwis Andrew Jones and Scott Styris can also claim this feat.

Guptill is the only New Zealander to carry his bat through the full 50 overs on three international occasions and the only New Zealander to score back to back World Cup centuries (after his 105 vs Bangladesh).

393/6

The highest ever total in a World Cup knockout match.

New Zealand’s third highest total ever, after their 402/2 against Ireland in 2008 (B.McCullum 166, J.Marshall 161) and 397/5 against Zimbabwe in 2005 (L.Vincent 172, S.Fleming 93).

The Blackcaps’ 153 runs scored off the final 10 overs in an NZ record, the most at this World Cup and the second most ever going back to 2001. South Africa scored 163 in the final 10 against the West Indies. That was A.B. DeVilliers’ 31-ball century game.

The Game

The 31 sixes hit in this game are the most ever in a World Cup game, and second-most in any ODI.

The West Indies batted at a run rate of 8.2 an over, the highest for any team to be bowled out in an ODI. They became just the third team to lose despite scoring 250 or more runs at 8 or more an over. Australia and Sri Lanka the others to suffer such a fate.

The Windies are also the only test playing nation never to have successfully chased down a score of 300+ before. This was the second double century they have conceded (after Sehwag’s), the only nation to have allowed more than one.

Trent Boult needs two more wickets to beat Geoff Allott’s NZ record of 20 in a World Cup (in 1999). Boult has 19.

The 143 run victory was the biggest ever in a World Cup knockout match.

The combined run rate of 7.98 makes this the fastest scoring Word Cup game ever.

Chris Gayle broke the record for the most sixes in a single tournament with his 26th and final maximum of the 2015 edition. But A.B. DeVilliers may still catch him, he has 20 to date. Guptill now has 14 which is good for third in this tournament. Brendon McCullum and Glen Maxwell are tied for fourth with 13.

The Two-Fingered Salute

This gesture, after Guptill hit that 110m six into the Wellington Regional Stadium (no sponsored grounds during the World Cup, folks), confused a few people. Was it a reference to his two toes? Did he just want a new pair of gloves, maybe? No, what it was, he was calling out batting coach Craig McMillan, the only other man to have cleared the stadium with a six at that ground. The second six hit onto that roof, hence the number two. It’s an exclusive club.