Spectators duck for cover as Misbah-ul-Haq hits six of the best

One of the features of the thrilling ICC World Twenty20 in South Africa so far has been the number and quality of sixes that the world's top batsmen have been dispatching to various parts of the Wanderers, Newlands and Kingsmead grounds.

Thanks to technology employed by broadcasters ESPN STAR Sports we now know exactly how far those balls have been travelling.

With three matches still remaining, the biggest six of the tournament so far was hit by Pakistan's Misbah-ul-Haq in his team's six-wicket victory over World Champions Australia in the Super Eight stage. Misbah smashed 66 runs off just 42 deliveries in an innings that included seven fours and that gargantuan 111m six.

It is not just the rarefied atmosphere of the Highveld in Johannesburg that brings the big sixes. Justin Kemp bludgeoned one that travelled 107m at sea-level in Durban as South Africa beat New Zealand by six wickets.

Kemp's team-mate Albie Morkel appears in the top ten of big hitters' list three times with his 106-metre effort in Cape Town against England being the highlight. That ball cleared the stadium, went over the adjoining railway line and into the nearby brewery.

Morkel hit another six of 102m in that same innings and then smacked a 105m effort in South Africa's defeat to India in Durban on Thursday.

The other big hitters in the top ten are India's Yuvraj Singh (105m), who hit six sixes in one over against England, Darren Maddy of England (104m), Pakistan's Yunus Khan (103m), Chris Gayle of the West Indies (101m), Black Cap Craig McMillan (101m) and Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik (101m).

Five of the longest 11 sixes were hit in Durban, four in Johannesburg and two in Cape Town.

"People love to see sixes being hit and the bigger the better as far as spectators are concerned," said tournament director Steve Elworthy.

"No one can say we have not had enough of those over the past couple of weeks. I'm glad we've been handing out all those hard hats because the ball has been flying everywhere. It's great entertainment for the crowds and the skill level of these players is amazing," he said.

In total, during the 23 matches played in the tournament so far the batsmen have hit 219 sixes and 594 fours.