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Most sixes in an individual Test innings
Mohammad Ramis Shah - 21 March 2002
Updated
On 23 March 2002, during the last day of the first Test match (no. 1592) between New Zealand and England at Auckland, Nathan Astle smashed eleven sixes during his amazing innings of 222. He set a new record of most sixes in an innings for New Zealand, beating the previous record of nine sixes by Chris Cairns (120) - against Zimbabwe at the same ground in 1995-96. However, the all-time record is still held by Pakistan's Wasim Akram who cracked 12 sixes during his unbeaten 257-run knock against Zimbabwe at Sheikhupura in 1996.
Rather interestingly, Astle's second hundred (from 101 to 200) came off only 39 balls in 69 minutes, which is believed to be a world record. According to newspaper reports, Wally Hammond during his triple hundred against New Zealand at Auckland in 1933 needed just 47 balls to go from 200 to 300. So that means, Astle's second 100 in 39 balls is the fastest ever because the current actual fastest (from 0 to 100) was by West Indian Viv Richards, who took 56 balls against England at St John's in 1985-86.
In the almost 125 years of Test cricket, since it took its birth way back in 1877, there have been references of almost 5260 sixes or hits over-the-boundary ropes. Prior to 1912, many scoring strokes that obviously landed over the boundary but according to scoring regulations at that time were awarded only 4 or 5 runs. The following list has however been compiled treating them as if they were a present-day six. The two innings below listed for Joe Darling are examples of this.
6s
|
Batsman
|
Score
|
For
|
Vs
|
Venue
|
Season
|
12
|
Wasim Akram
|
257*
|
Pak
|
Zim
|
Sheikupura
|
1996-97
|
11
|
NJ Astle
|
222
|
NZ
|
Eng
|
Auckland
|
2001-02
|
10
|
WR Hammond
|
336*
|
Eng
|
NZ
|
Auckland
|
1932-33
|
9
|
CL Cairns
|
120
|
NZ
|
Zim
|
Auckland
|
1995-96
|
8
|
AC Gilchrist
|
204*
|
Aus
|
SA
|
Johannesburg
|
2001-02
|
8
|
NS Sidhu
|
124
|
Ind
|
SL
|
Lucknow
|
1993-94
|
7
|
B Sutcliffe
|
80*
|
NZ
|
SA
|
Johannesburg
|
1953-54
|
7
|
IVA Richards
|
110*
|
WI
|
Eng
|
St Johns
|
1985-86
|
7
|
CG Greenidge
|
213
|
WI
|
NZ
|
Auckland
|
1986-87
|
6
|
JH Sinclair
|
104
|
SA
|
Aus
|
Cape Town
|
1902-03
|
6
|
IVA Richards
|
192*
|
WI
|
Ind
|
Delhi
|
1974-75
|
6
|
Haroon Rashid
|
108
|
Pak
|
Eng
|
Hyderabad
|
1977-78
|
6
|
IT Botham
|
118
|
Eng
|
Aus
|
Manchester
|
1981
|
6
|
RJ Shastri
|
121*
|
Ind
|
Aus
|
Bombay
|
1986-87
|
6
|
WJ Cronje
|
82
|
SA
|
SL
|
Pretoria
|
1997-98
|
6
|
CD McMillan
|
142
|
NZ
|
SL
|
Colombo
|
1997-98
|
6
|
JN Rhodes
|
103*
|
SA
|
WI
|
Centurion
|
1998-99
|
6
|
CL Cairns
|
69
|
NZ
|
Aus
|
Wellington
|
1999-00
|
6
|
Wasim Akram
|
100
|
Pak
|
SL
|
Galle
|
1999-00
|
6
|
ML Hayden
|
203
|
Aus
|
Ind
|
Madras
|
2000-01
|
5
|
J Darling
|
51
|
Aus
|
Eng
|
Manchester
|
1902
|
5
|
J Darling
|
73
|
Aus
|
Eng
|
Manchester
|
1905
|
5
|
SJE Loxton
|
93
|
Aus
|
Eng
|
Leeds
|
1948
|
5
|
ER Dexter
|
172
|
Eng
|
Pak
|
The Oval
|
1962
|
5
|
JH Edrich
|
310*
|
Eng
|
NZ
|
Leeds
|
1965
|
5
|
DT Lindsay
|
182
|
SA
|
Aus
|
Johannesburg
|
1966-67
|
5
|
GT Dowling
|
239
|
NZ
|
Ind
|
Christchurch
|
1967-68
|
5
|
BR
Taylor
|
124
|
NZ
|
WI
|
Auckland
|
1968-69
|
5
|
IT
Botham
|
137
|
Eng
|
Ind
|
Leeds
|
1979
|
5
|
AR Border
|
153
|
Aus
|
Pak
|
Lahore
|
1979-80
|
5
|
IT
Botham
|
66
|
Eng
|
Ind
|
Delhi
|
1981-82
|
5
|
Imran Khan
|
117
|
Pak
|
Ind
|
Faisalabad
|
1982-83
|
5
|
MA
Holding
|
59
|
WI
|
Eng
|
Leeds
|
1984
|
5
|
Imran
Khan
|
135*
|
Pak
|
Ind
|
Madras
|
1986-87
|
5
|
Wasim
Akram
|
62
|
Pak
|
Ind
|
Madras
|
1986-87
|
5
|
CG Greenidge
|
141
|
WI
|
Ind
|
Calcutta
|
1987-88
|
5
|
Javed
Miandad
|
271
|
Pak
|
NZ
|
Auckland
|
1988-89
|
5
|
PA
De Silva
|
123
|
SL
|
NZ
|
Auckland
|
1990-91
|
5
|
MJ
Slater
|
219
|
Aus
|
SL
|
Perth
|
1995-96
|
5
|
AC
Gilchrist
|
152
|
Aus
|
Eng
|
Birmingham
|
2001
|
5
|
JH
Kallis
|
157*
|
SA
|
Zim
|
Harare
|
2001-02
|
-
All data updated to 27.02.2002
- Acknowledgement: Inadvertently omitted from the previous
edition of this article; Mr Ross Smith's excellent website http://au.geocities.com/sportandhistory/cricket/test.html
© CricInfo Limited
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