Pat Cummins has celebrated his NSW captaincy debut with a 59-run victory over Victoria at North Sydney Oval, where Steve Smith’s superb one-day form continued.

Smith’s knock of 127 lifted the Blues to a total of 9-318 on Monday, when they looked to be in major strife after crashing to 4-73 in 20 overs.

Cummins smacked a quick-fire 49, producing his highest score of the summer after being given a chance to lead NSW’s one-day side.

The express paceman, Australia’s vice-captain in all three formats, then showed few signs of unease while calling the shots in the field for the first time since under-16s.

Cummins, regarded by Cricket Australia as a leading candidate to replace Tim Paine as Test skipper, took the new ball and removed Sam Harper and Nic Maddinson in his fourth over.

The 27-year-old snared 3-38 from nine overs, successfully keeping the pressure up both directly and indirectly to roll the visitors for 259 in 46.1 overs.

Matt Short scored a run-a-ball 67, James Pattinson (54) clattered a couple of sixes off Nathan Lyon, and Marcus Harris (47) started promisingly but the target proved too much.

Smith smashed six sixes, the most he has hit in a one-day innings at any level, in his third limited-overs ton for NSW.

Smith’s final white-ball knock before the Indian Premier League auction was also the superstar’s first 50-over game since Australia’s ODI series against India, during which he posted a pair of 62-ball tons.

Cummins lost the toss and would not have enjoyed the early dismissals of Matthew Gilkes, Daniel Hughes, Moises Henriques and Kurtis Patterson.

Ollie Davies’ entertaining 57 on debut, which included consecutive leg-side sixes off Xavier Crone, helped shift momentum after the Blues’ shaky start.

Smith, as he has done on countless occasions and for numerous teams, steadied after being summoned to the middle in the second over.

The classy-right hander started cautiously then launched a flurry of late boundaries, including a booming six off Pattinson that sailed over the hill and out of the ground.

Smith brought up his hundred by steering a delivery from Crone through the vacant slips cordon, celebrating in low-key fashion by shaking Cummins’ hand.

Pattinson removed Smith in the 49th over, but the damage was done.

Smith, who dropped a regulation catch, was asked to bowl for the first time this summer.

The part-time legspinner logged figures of 0-16 from his two overs.