Martin Guptill: The Man Who Scored 237 Not Out

Who Is Martin Guptill?

Martin James Guptill (born 1986) is New Zealand's most prolific ODI run-scorer — 7346 runs in 198 matches at an average of 40.14 — and one of the great limited-overs openers of the 2010s decade. A right-handed opener who combined a solid technique with the ability to accelerate massively from the moment of arrival at the crease, Guptill was New Zealand's primary attacking option in ODIs and T20Is for over a decade. His Test career (47 Tests, average 31.97) was more modest and he was not always a first-choice Test player; his legacy rests almost entirely on his extraordinary limited-overs record.

237 Not Out: The World Cup Quarterfinal

On 21 March 2015, Martin Guptill played arguably the greatest ODI innings in the history of the Cricket World Cup. New Zealand were chasing 393 against West Indies in the quarter-final at Wellington. Guptill scored 237 not out off 163 balls — the highest individual score in World Cup history, the highest score by a New Zealander in any ODI, and at the time the second-highest ODI score ever (behind only Rohit Sharma's 264). New Zealand won by 143 runs, and Guptill's innings is remembered for its combination of conventional boundary-hitting and audacious sixes in the final 10 overs. He was unbeaten, having found the boundary 24 times and clearing it 11 times.

The Art of Batting With Initiative

Guptill's batting style was built on taking the initiative immediately. As an opener in limited-overs cricket, he was not a cautious accumulator who waited for loose deliveries — he identified scoring opportunities quickly and took them with minimal hesitation. His off-side game was particularly strong: he drove through extra cover and point with clean, assured timing. His square cutting was excellent. Where he was more vulnerable was against quality inswing bowling at pace, particularly when the ball was late and angled into the stumps — this was the primary weakness opposing bowling plans exploited against him in Test cricket. In limited-overs formats, where bowlers bowl to fields rather than attacking plans, this vulnerability mattered less.

T20 International Record

Guptill's T20I record is among the best of any opener in the format's history: 3531 runs in 122 matches at a strike rate of 136.24 — the second-highest T20I total by a New Zealand batter. His T20I career includes multiple high scores: 101 not out against South Africa in 2012, and numerous match-winning innings in T20 World Cups and bilateral series. He was a key member of New Zealand's T20I squad for the 2021 T20 World Cup (which they reached the final) and remained in T20I contention until his mid-30s, when his declining reflexes affected his performance against genuine pace in the shortest format.

2015 World Cup: New Zealand's Best Tournament

Guptill's 237 came in a New Zealand tournament campaign that was by far the most successful in their ODI World Cup history. New Zealand reached the final — where they lost to Australia — having previously never progressed beyond the semi-finals. Guptill was the leading run-scorer in New Zealand's entire campaign, with his consistent performances alongside McCullum's aggressive opening providing the platform that Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor consolidated. The 2015 World Cup was the defining tournament of a generation of New Zealand cricketers, and Guptill's quarter-final innings is the single most memorable moment of that team's career.

Legacy

Guptill's career is ultimately defined by the 237 — an innings that secured his place in cricket history regardless of what came before or after. He finished his ODI career as New Zealand's all-time leading run-scorer, a record that reflects his exceptional longevity and consistency in the format. His T20I performances across multiple ICC events cemented his reputation as one of the most dangerous limited-overs openers of the 2010s. In New Zealand cricket consciousness, he is the man who almost single-handedly won a World Cup quarter-final — an innings that, even in a career of high-quality performances, stands alone as something unforgettable.