New Zealand batsman Brendon McCullum hit an unbeaten 158 from 64 balls as Derbyshire Falcons lost by 60 runs against Birmingham Bears in the NatWest T20 Blast at Edgbaston.
McCullum hit 13 fours and 11 sixes in the highest ever individual T20 score in England, and also the joint second-highest of all time as Birmingham amassed 242-2 in their 20 overs.
Wes Durston (43) and Hamish Rutherford (39) impressed again for the Falcons but they lost wickets at vital times whilst trying to keep up with a rising run rate, and they were bowled out for 182 with two balls to go.
After being put into bat, the reigning NatWest T20 Blast champions got off to the perfect start as the opening pair of Captain Varun Chopra and McCullum scored 74 runs in the six Powerplay overs.
McCullum passed fifty in 23 balls as Birmingham raced to 117 without loss at the halfway stage, before he brought up his century just 19 deliveries later to power the hosts to 158-0 from 12.4 overs.
Wayne White broke an opening stand of 160 in the 14th over as Chopra was caught by Alex Hughes at backward-point for 51.
McCullum hit his 11th maximum to move the score on to 205-1 with three overs to go before Laurie Evans was bowled by Shiv Thakor for 16 the next ball.
But the New Zealand Captain continued to find the boundaries as he struck the highest individual score in English T20 cricket and the joint second-highest of all time in world cricket, finishing unbeaten on 158 from just 64 balls.
Derbyshire begun brightly with Durston and Rutherford putting 61 runs on for the first wicket after five and a half overs, before the latter was bowled by Ateeq Javid after scoring 39 from 21 balls.
Durston was stumped off the bowling of Poysden for 43 off 24 balls, but his wicket was sandwiched between cheap dismissals for Chesney Hughes and Wayne Madsen to leave the Falcons on 99-4 after ten overs.
Tom Poynton and Scott Elstone provided useful cameos before both men were caught on the boundary off the bowling of Poysden, who finished with 4-51 from his four overs.
Thakor and Tom Knight fell in successive overs to all but seal victory for the hosts with the score on 154-8 after 15 overs. Alex Hughes was run out by Recordo Gordon in the penultimate over, with Rimmington the last man to go as he was caught behind off Hannon-Dalby for 7 as Birmingham wrapped up a 60-run victory.
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Derbyshire Falcons are back in home action as they take on Northamptonshire Steelbacks in the NatWest T20 Blast on Sunday 5 July at Queen’s Park, Chesterfield.
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