Run rates are climbing, but this was something else. Welcome to the world of Joe Carter and Brett Hampton, the Northern Districts pair, who smashed the List A record books in Hamilton on Wednesday. The pair took 43 off an over bowled by Central Districts' Willem Ludick in a Ford Trophy fixture, the most conceded in an over in List A cricket.
This toppled the 39 conceded by Alauddin Babu, a Bangladesh first-class cricketer, in a Dhaka Premier League match in 2013. At the other end of the record then was former Zimbabwe captain Elton Chigumbura, who smashed four sixes and three fours in a seven-ball over courtesy a no-ball.
Back to Hamilton, Hampton started the onslaught with a four followed by two sixes off two waist-high no-balls. He then hit a third six off a legitimate delivery before taking a single to give Carter the strike. Carter, playing in only his fifth List A matches, smashed the last three balls for six to blaze into the record books. The over read: 4,6nb,6nb,6,1,6,6,6. Ludick's bowling figures nosedived from 9-0-42-1 to 10-0-85-1.
In all, the pair added 178 for the sixth wicket after coming together at 95 for 5. Hampton missed his maiden List A century by just five runs, while Carter brought up his. The stand was a Northern Districts record for the sixth wicket, surpassing the 150 set by BJ Watling and Peter McGlashan.