Cricket World Cup: Martin Guptill's innings one of the best - McCullum

Guptill has now scored the top two ODI scores for New Zealand (237 not out and 189 not out)

Martin Guptill's record-breaking 237 not out in New Zealand's World Cup quarter-final win over West Indies is one of the best ever seen in one-day cricket, says captain Brendon McCullum.

Guptill batted from start to finish as the co-hosts posted 393 for six before bowling the West Indies out for 250.

The 28-year-old hit 11 sixes and 24 fours during his 163-ball innings.

"Sublime, just sublime," said Black Caps skipper McCullum. "I will never forget it."

The 33-year-old, who opened the batting with Guptill but was dismissed for 12 by Jerome Taylor, continued: "The innings we witnessed is probably one of the best we have seen in this format."

Guptill dominated the New Zealand innings, scoring 60% of his team's runs, supported well by Kane Williamson (33), Ross Taylor (42), and Grant Elliott (27).

West Indies kept up with the run-rate throughout their response, thanks mainly to Chris Gayle's 61 in 33 balls and some big-hitting later in the order from the likes of Jonathan Carter (32) and Jason Holder (42).

But the New Zealand attack ensured that wickets fell regularly, with Trent Boult the pick of the co-host's bowlers with 4-44 in his 10 overs.

"We wanted to make a real statement on the back of Gup's innings and that's what we did with the ball and in the field," said McCullum.

What records did Guptill beat?

Guptill's score was the highest by a New Zealand batsman in ODI cricket, passing the opener's own record of 189 not out against England in Southampton in June 2013, and is the best in World Cup cricket, beating Chris Gayle's 215 against Zimbabwe earlier in this tournament.

It is the second highest in ODIs behind the 264 scored by India's Rohit Sharma in a match against Sri Lanka in Kolkata in November last year.

Seventh time lucky for NZ?

New Zealand next face a semi-final match with South Africa, who finally claimed a first World Cup knockout win by beating Sri Lanka by nine wickets in Sydney.

The last-four encounter will take place next Tuesday in Auckland - the ground on which New Zealand beat Australia and South Africa lost to Pakistan earlier in the tournament.

New Zealand will be aiming for their first World Cup final appearance having now reached the semi-finals seven times.

"We will celebrate Gup's success, the team's success and then turn our attention to the semi-final," said McCullum.

"It's pretty hard to compare eras but certainly among the teams I have played in, this is the best.

"No disrespect to the legends of the past but I am pretty happy with the current team."

Guptill smashed sixes on both sides of the wicket in his incredible innings