Creating history in the ongoing Srilankan tour of West Indies, West Indies all-rounder Kieron Pollard has become just the second batsmen in the world to hit 6 consecutive sixes in an over in international T20. This amazing feat came in the sixth over of the match. Akila Dananjaya who led the bowling attack claiming a hat-trick himself the previous spell was soon brought back down to earth as Pollard pummeled him out of the ground for a masterstroke of an innings.
The first player to manage this feat was sixer king Yuvraj Singh in the T20 World Cup. Fresh off a sledding contest between him and Andrew Flintoff, It was Stuart Broad who bore the brunt of the pain as Yuvraj Singh vented out his frustrations by smashing every ball of the over for a six. The other instance was in the One day International World Cup, where Hershell Gibbs slammed leg spinner, Daan van Bunge, all over the park and became the only batsmen to do so in ODIs.
While clearing the ropes for a six is an accomplishment mostly associated with power, Finding the boundary line for four runs is an act of gap searching well combined with exemplary timing. And doing that consecutively six times in an over is an undertaking in itself. Today we are going to take a look at the batting geniuses who managed this rare achievement.
Sanath Jaysuriya (Sri Lanka)
The Sri Lankan batsmen known for his explosiveness never missed a step in translating his attacking game to Test cricket. In the England tour of Srilanka in 2007, The hosts were on the back seat conceding a 93 run lead. In step, Sanath Jayasuriya guided King of swing James Anderson to the boundary line six times in a row.
Tillakaratne Dilshan (Sri Lanka)
Following the retirement of Sanath Jayasuriya, Tillakaratne Dilshan followed in his footsteps constantly providing fast starts for Sri Lanka. During the 2015 World Cup match against Australia, chasing a mammoth total of 377. The Sri Lankan batsmen did just that by constantly finding room among a sea of fielders for six consecutive fours of Mitchell Johnson’s over, all though his efforts were in vain as they lost the match.
Ramnaresh Sarwan (West Indies)
The West Indies' middle order was often a position of strength with the presence of Ramnaresh Sarwan. Due to exquisite footwork, his batting often spelled confidence and precision. And this batting accuracy was on display against India in a red ball match, where Munaf Patel was on the receiving end, as his six balls of an over were guided past the ropes with sheer excellence. Interestingly the sixth ball hit for a boundary was a no-ball, But Munaf Patel got away with the extra delivery which went straight to the fielder with the over costing 25 runs.
Chris Gayle (West Indies)
The West Indian batsman whose innings is often described as the GayleStorm often repeated his trick in all formats of the game. In the third innings of the fourth Test against England in 2004, having already lost the series Chris Gayle bought the storm, going after the new ball English bowler Matthew Hoggard, dispatching all his deliveries in an over to the boundary line.
Sandip Patil (India)
The Indian Batsman was an integral part of the middle order for close to a half-decade. Known for his aggressive batting and good looks, he was popular with the masses. In 1982 at Old Trafford, India stood 136-5 in reply to England's 425, Sandip Patil went on to play a remarkable inning of 129, hitting eighteen fours and two sixes. It was in Bob Willis' over, an incredible six of those eighteen 4’s were hit.
Away from the world of international cricket, a few players managed the feat in the domestic scene. With Ajinkya Rahane the only batsmen who have accomplished the coup in Sreenath Arvind’s over against Royal Challengers Bangalore with his graceful batting in the Indian Premier League and another player being the English all-rounder Moeen Ali during a warm-up game against the Sri Lanka A.
What do you appreciate the most, the ability to clear the ropes six times in an over or guiding the ball through the fielders to the boundary line consecutively? With each being a feat of its own, let us know which batsmen surprised you the most in this mean achievement and who can enter the record books.
Cover Credits: Sports360
