If anyone needed confirmation that New Zealand's calibre with the white ball bears little relation to that with the red, there was evidence yesterday as they smashed 358, a record score against Worcestershire in 50-overs cricket and the second-highest at New Road, and then strangled the home team's reply by the 24th over, when Graeme Hick was out.

Brendon McCullum has yet to score a hundred in 128 one-day internationals, but he looks ready to change that over the next fortnight against England after a masterful 83-ball hundred. It was McCullum's first century since his unbeaten 158 for Kolkata Knight Riders to open the Indian Premier League (IPL) almost two months ago.

Scott Styris, who struggled in the IPL, showed his worth to the New Zealand team, following an innings of 36 in 27 balls with the first three wickets with his medium pace.

Worryingly for New Zealand, their bowling was thin, although perhaps that was more the rustiness of Michael Mason and Mark Gillespie. One will make way for Kyle Mills for the Twenty20 match against England at Old Trafford tomorrow. John Bracewell, the New Zealand coach, said that Tim Southee would miss the match after he sprained an ankle during training at Trent Bridge.

Scoreboard

New Zealanders

J M How c Solanki b Whelan 48
†B B McCullum c Andrew b Whelan 123
P G Fulton c Batty b Whelan 2
L R P L Taylor b Mitchell 75
S B Styris b Andrew 36
D R Flynn c M M Ali b Whelan 13
J D P Oram c Solanki b Andrew 24
*D L Vettori b K Ali 10
J S Patel not out 4
M J Mason not out 1
Extras (b 6, lb 9, w 6, nb 1) 22

Total (8 wkts, 50 overs) 358

M R Gillespie did not bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-101, 2-109, 3-251, 4-282, 5-307, 6-326, 7-347, 8-350.

Bowling: K Ali 10-0-75-1; Magoffin 8-1-60-0; Whelan 10-0-78-4; Andrew 10-0-53-2; Batty 7-0-41-0; Mitchell 5-0-36-1.

Worcestershire

*V S Solanki c Gillespie b Vettori 80
† S M Davies run out 48
M M Ali lbw b Patel 0
S C Moore lbw b Styris 0
G A Hick c McCullum b Styris 7
D K H Mitchell c McCullum b Styris 1
G J Batty c sub b Gillespie 34
K Ali st McCullum b Vettori 43
G M Andrew c Flynn b Mason 10
S J Magoffin not out 22
C D Whelan b Gillespie 4
Extras (b 1, lb 3, w 8, nb 2) 14

Total (48 overs) 263

Fall of wickets: 1-98, 2-103, 3-104, 4-122, 5-127, 6-177, 7-203, 8-225, 9-258.

Bowling: Mason 10-0-47-1; Gillespie 10-0-63-2; Styris 8-0-25-3; Patel 10-0-72-1; Vettori 10-0-52-2.

Umpires: B Dudleston and N A Mallender.