While the Blackcaps slumped to defeat in their Twenty20 International series opener against England, Martin Guptill gave a reminder of his class with an unbeaten century in the Caribbean Premier League.
Playing for Trinbago Knight Riders against Barbados Royals, Guptill was man of the match in his side's 133 run victory, scoring 100 not out off only 58 deliveries, with nine sixes in his knock.
Opening the batting, Guptill took 40 balls to score his first 50 runs, with one four and three sixes to raise the bat.
From there though, the former Blackcaps opener took just 18 deliveries to score his next 50 runs, hitting an additional six sixes on his way to three figures.
Guptill brought up his century in the 20th over, finishing not out with exactly 100 of his side's 194/5 from 20 overs.
In response, Barbados were bowled out for just 61, seeing Trinbago go third on the Caribbean Premier League table, with two wins from their first four games.
"I'll take that any day of the week," Guptill said post-match. "We know we've got a very dangerous batting line-up.
"Last year, the team didn't quite get it right at the top of the order in the powerplay. It's been a little bit hit-and-miss in this tournament so far.
"Today we got the right blueprint. We've got some dangerous players to finish off the innings."
The knock ended a string of low scores for Guptill, who hadn't passed 20 in a T20 since March this year, when he made 37 for Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League.
Guptill has now scored six centuries in T20 cricket, with two of those coming for the Blackcaps at international level.
The 36-year-old hasn't played for the Blackcaps since October 2022, after he was released from his New Zealand Cricket central contract in order to pursue opportunities as a freelancer in T20 leagues around the world.
In that time, Guptill has turned out in Australia's Big Bash League, the Pakistan Super League, American Major League Cricket before his return to the Caribbean.
