West Indies defeated Sri Lanka by four wickets in the first T20I of the three-match series at Coolidge, Antigua, on Wednesday. The star turn was done by Kieron Pollard, who became the third batsman to smash six sixes in an over in international cricket. The hapless bowler was Lankan spinner Akila Dananjaya, who had taken a hat-trick in the innings’ fourth over, one of his victims being Chris Gayle who was out for a first-ball duck in his comeback game. Chasing Sri Lanka’s 131/9 in 20 overs, WI reached 134/6 with 41 balls to spare. The Telegraph revisits Pollard’s amazing hitting, which came in the sixth over of the Windies innings.
Ball 1
Length ball, Pollard uses all his muscles to slog it over long-on, clearing the boundary comfortably
Ball 2
Fuller delivery and Pollard makes it look simple, standing up and thumping it over the sightscreen
Ball 3
This time it’s fuller outside the off-stump, big man’s mighty swing of the bat launches the ball over wide long-off
Ball 4
Length ball again, Pollard goes down on one knee and hoicks it over deep midwicket
Ball 5
Length ball outside the off and Pollard goes on the backfoot to slap it with everything he has for a straight six
Ball 6
Akila goes round the wicket but in vain as Pollard picks it off his legs for smooth chip over deep midwicket
Fact check
⚫ Yuvraj is the only one to have hit a pacer for sixes, the others have done it against spinners
⚫ Akila Dananjaya was also hit for a six, by Jason Holder, off the first ball of his next over after the one in which his bowling was butchered by Pollard — that means the Lankan conceded seven consecutive sixes.
Others who did it
Herschelle Gibbs (SA), vs Netherlands (2007 ODI World Cup) Bowler — Daan van Bunge
Yuvraj Singh (Ind), vs England (2007 World T20) Bowler — Stuart Broad
6 sixes in domestic cricket
⚫ Garry Sobers, Nottinghamshire vs Glamorgan (1968) Bowler — Malcolm Nash
⚫ Ravi Shastri, Mumbai vs Baroda (1985) Bowler — Tilak Raj
⚫ Hazratullah Zazai, Kabul Zwanan vs Balkh Legends (2018) Bowler — Abdullah Mazari
⚫ Ross Whiteley, Worcestershire vs Yorkshire (2017) Bowler — Karl Carver
⚫ Leo Carter, Canterbury vs Northern Districts (2020) Bowler — Anton Devcich