AMONG THE MOST COMPELLING of the just arrived Christmas cricket  books is Brendon McCullum’s autobiography, ‘Declared’. It includes much Australian interest especially in February the fastest Test century on record against Steve Smith’s Australians in Christchurch.
Coming in at 3-32, to a guard of honour from the Australians, McCullum says: ‘I’ll have a look at the first ball I think. The bloody things careers past my nose, That confirms it to me. If I get out defending in my last ever Test match when I’ve already told myself that I don’t have the game to defend on a (green, bouncy) wicket like this, I won’t be able to live with myself.
‘I normally bat on middle but I actually want them to bowl at the stumps because then I know where they’re going to bowl every ball. So I change my guard to outside leg stump so they can see all three stumps. The stumps don’t matter to me because I’m simply going to whack it. I want enough room to be able to cut and I want to be able to swing my arms through the ball. I have a slog at the next ball, get a thick edge over slip and into the fence for four. Lift-off.’
McCullum’s first 50 comes in 34 balls and his next in 20 — the fastest century ever.
We do recommend this book