A century of sixes
Adam Gilchrist became the first batsman to hit 100 sixes in Test cricket
Cricinfo staff
17-Nov-2007
Adam Gilchrist became the first batsman to hit 100 sixes in Test cricket. Here are a few highlights of his big-hitting prowess.
New Zealand have suffered the most number the sixes from Gilchrist's bat , with 21 hits clearing the boundary. India have been fairly successful in keeping the left-hander quiet, with only 10 sixes in 24 innings.
| Team | Innings | Sixes |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 15 | 21 |
| England | 28 | 16 |
| South Africa | 19 | 12 |
| Sri Lanka | 11 | 10 |
| India | 24 | 10 |
| Pakistan | 12 | 8 |
| West Indies | 14 | 8 |
| Bangladesh | 3 | 6 |
| Zimbabwe | 2 | 5 |
| ICC World XI | 2 | 4 |
New Zealand's suffering is not surprising considering Daniel Vettori has been whacked for 17 sixes. Three left-arm spinners - Vettori, Enamul Haque and Nicky Boje - top the list. That Gilchrist favours them is indicated by the fact that 42 of his 100 have come against them.
| Player | Sixes |
|---|---|
| Daniel Vettori | 17 |
| Enamul Haque | 5 |
| Nicky Boje | 4 |
| Mark Butcher | 4 |
| Anil Kumble | 4 |
Gilchrist's maximum of eight sixes falls well short of Wasim Akram's record of 12 in an innings.
| Runs scored | Sixes | Innings strike-rate | Opposition | Venue | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 204* | 8 | 95.77 | South Africa | Johannesburg | 22 February 2002 |
| 121 | 6 | 96.03 | New Zealand | Christchurch | 10 March 2005 |
| 144 | 6 | 67.92 | Bangladesh | Fatullah | 9 April 2006 |
| 152 | 5 | 106.29 | England | Birmingham | 5 July 2001 |
| 113 | 5 | 94.16 | Pakistan | Sydney | 2 January 2005 |
| 162 | 5 | 110.95 | New Zealand | Wellington | 18 March 2005 |
Apart from Chris Cairns, Gilchrist has the best percentage of sixes every innings compared to the rest of the batsmen in the top six six-hitters in Tests.
| Player | Matches | Innings | Sixes | Sixes per innings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Gilchrist | 92* | 130 | 100 | 0.77 |
| Brian Lara | 131 | 232 | 88 | 0.38 |
| Chris Cairns | 62 | 104 | 87 | 0.84 |
| Viv Richards | 121 | 182 | 84 | 0.46 |
| Matthew Hayden | 91* | 182 | 79 | 0.43 |
| Andrew Flintoff | 67 | 110 | 77 | 0.70 |
*Includes the ongoing Test between Australia and Sri Lanka.