Can Southee be Test cricket's greatest six-hitter?

Tim Southee is fast rising up the sixes charts in Tests; if he maintains his current pace, he is on track to set new records

Bishen Jeswant

11-Jun-2014

Tim Southee has hit 270 of his 876 Test runs from sixes  •  AFP

Tim Southee was handed his Test debut against England in 2008 in Napier and immediately responded with a haul of 5 for 55 before smashing 77 off 40 balls in the second innings. That innings included nine sixes, the most hit by a batsman on Test debut. The next highest in that list is Michael Clarke with four sixes during his dazzling 151 in Bangalore. In terms of six-hitting, there was no looking back for Southee.

While a batsman like Nathan Astle - who holds the record for the fastest double century in Tests, off 153 balls - has hit only 39 sixes during his 81-Test career, Tim Southee has already hit 45 sixes* from his 32 Tests. Even renowned batsmen like David Warner, Allan Border, Shane Watson, Ian Bell, Michael Clarke and Mark Waugh have all hit fewer sixes than Southee in Tests. In fact, no batsman apart from Shahid Afridi has played fewer than 50 Tests and hit more sixes than the New Zealand seamer.

**Most sixes by players who have played 50 or less Tests**
Player	Mat	Inns	Runs	Ave	50+	6s
Shahid Afridi	27	48	1716	36.51	13	52
TG Southee	32	51	876	19.46	2	45
Misbah-ul-Haq	46	80	3218	48.75	30	35
Mohammad Rafique	33	63	1059	18.57	5	34
DJG Sammy	38	63	1323	21.68	6	34

In the list of players who have hit the most number of sixes while batting at No. 8 or below, only Wasim Akram has hit more sixes. However, Akram's 50 sixes came from 110 innings, while Southee has played only 51 innings till date.

**Most sixes hit by players batting at number eight or below in Tests**
Player	Mat	Inns	Runs	Ave	50+	6s
Wasim Akram	87	110	2160	22.26	8	50
TG Southee	32	51	876	19.46	2	45
Harbhajan Singh	101	140	2182	18.49	11	42
MA Holding	59	72	879	14.17	6	36
Sk Warne	141	186	3008	17.79	11	36

Among his countrymen, Southee is already among the top five six-hitters of all time, with all those above him having played a significantly higher number of Tests. Players such as Richard Hadlee, Martin Crowe, Ross Taylor and Jacob Oram have all hit fewer sixes than Southee. At his current rate, it won't be too long before Southee finds himself at the top of this list.

**Most sixes hit by New Zealanders in Tests**
Player	Mat	Inns	Runs	Ave	50+	6s
CL Cairns	62	104	3320	33.53	27	87
BB McCullum	85	146	5226	37.86	37	68
CD McMillan	55	91	3116	38.46	25	54
TG Southee	32	51	876	19.46	2	45
NJ Astle	81	137	4702	37.02	35	39

Southee has faced 994 balls in Test cricket and hit 45 of those for six, which essentially means that he hits a six every 22 balls or so. Post 2000 (consistent balls-faced data is not available prior to that), no player who has faced at least 500 balls in Test cricket hit sixes as frequently as Southee. Shahid Afridi, who hits a six every 32 balls, is the next best.

**Balls-per-six ratio for batsmen since 2000 (min. 500 balls)**
Player	Mat	Inns	Runs	Ave	Balls	50+	6s	Balls/6
TG Southee	32	51	876	19.46	994	2	45	22.09
Shahid Afridi	21	37	1362	37.83	1461	11	45	32.47
CL Cairns	18	30	1265	45.17	1717	8	42	40.88
M Muralitharan	85	102	780	10.98	1029	1	25	41.16
Mohammad Rafique	33	63	1059	18.57	1630	5	34	47.94

Southee has scored a 876 runs in Tests and has hit 45 sixes, which means that around 30% of his career runs have come in sixes. Among players who have scored at least 500 runs in Test cricket, Southee has hit the largest percentage of his runs in sixes.

**Highest % of career Test runs scored in sixes (min. 500 career runs)**
Player	Mat	Inns	Runs	Ave	50+	6s	Percentage of runs in sixes
TG Southee	32	51	876	19.46	2	45	30.82
Shoaib Akhtar	46	67	544	10.07	0	22	24.26
MA Holding	60	76	910	13.78	6	36	23.74
Umar Gul	47	67	577	9.94	1	20	20.80
Mohammad Rafique	33	63	1059	18.57	5	34	19.26

The top five six-hitters of all time are Adam Gilchrist, Jacques Kallis, Virender Sehwag, Chris Gayle and Brian Lara. By the time Lara had hit his 45th six, he had already scored almost 8000 Test runs. Southee on the other hand has scored less than 1000. Below is a table showing what stage of their career the top five six-hitters were at when they hit their 45th six.

**Career records of the top five six hitters when they hit their 45th six (end of game)**
Rank	Career sixes	Player	Inns	Runs	Ave	100	50	6s
1	100	AC Gilchrist	64	3073	60.25	9	16	45
2	97	JH Kallis	145	6689	54.82	19	34	45
3	91	V Sehwag	92	4760	53.48	14	13	49
4	90	CH Gayle	134	5109	39.60	8	30	47
5	88	BC Lara	161	7921	50.45	20	38	47
35	45	TG Southee	51	876	19.46	0	2	45

Adam Gilchrist, who holds the record for the most sixes in Tests, hit 100 sixes from 137 innings. If Tim Southee were to continue hitting sixes at his current rate, he would hit 121 sixes by the time he played 137 Test innings, making him the greatest six-hitter of all time.

* Stats are as at the end of the first innings, West Indies v New Zealand at Kingston, 1st Test, Jun 8-12, 2014

Tim Southee New Zealand West Indies vs New Zealand New Zealand tour of West Indies

Bishen Jeswant is a stats sub editor at ESPNcricinfo. He tweets here.