Ten Longest Sixes In International Cricket: A List

The game of cricket has come a long way since its origin in 18th-century South-East England. Over the years, the sport has seen various elegant cricketers making some of the best records on the field.

However, the last couple of decades have seen a dramatic increase in the scores posted by batsmen on the board. Players like Chris Gayle, Shahid Afridi, and Yuvraj Singh have shown us that with their run-scoring ability.

In cricket, there are only a few players who are blessed with the ability to hit the ball past the boundary line for a memorable maximum. So, here’s a look at 10 such players whose huge hits were enough to get their name registered into the record books.

Jacob Oram, New Zealand vs Australia, 130 meters

Also referred to as the gentle giant owing to his 1.98m height, Jacob Oram has been a decent contributor in the long format of the game. The former Kiwi all-rounder is believed to have hit the longest six in international cricket that traveled the distance of a whopping 130 meters. The distance traveled by the mammoth hit was enough for the crowd to go bonkers at the stadium.

This huge six came during Australia’s tour of New Zealand in 2005. During the 40th over of the final match of the 3-Day ODI match series, Oram took on the Aussie bowler Stuart Clark and smashed a six that went over the roof of Lancaster Park.

In the game, Australia opted to bat first and posted a total of 332 on the board. Chasing it, the responsibility of bringing the team home back successfully was on the shoulders of Jacob Oram and Scott Styris. The kiwis successfully chased the total and won the game by 2 wickets.

Brett Lee, Australia vs West Indies, 130 meters

As one of the fastest bowlers the cricketing world has ever seen, Brett Lee was a prominent part of Australia’s batting lineup during the 2000s. Although being an ace fast bowler, Brett Lee holds the record for smashing the ball past the 130 meters mark.

Interestingly, this huge hit came in the longest format of the game and not in ODI or T20. This time it was West Indies pacer Rowman Powell who was struck for the massive six in a 2005 Test match at The Gabba. It was really huge as the ball traveled a distance of 135 meters.

Brett Lee had created a reputation for himself over the years for having the ability to take some major scalps for his side. But this unusual hit really came as a surprise to everyone at the venue.

Martin Guptill, New Zealand vs South Africa, 127 meters

Martin Guptill has been one of the key assets of New Zealand’s batting lineup in international cricket over the years. As a batsman who is very difficult to stop when in flow, Gutpill demonstrated his mastery over white-ball cricket when he smashed a 127 meter six in 2012.

It was at the Westpac Stadium in Wellington where Guptill dismissed Lonwabo Tsotsobe delivery in such a way that it set the audience in awe. Guptill hit a six on the second ball of the over and it was followed by an even bigger hit which traveled a distance of 127 meters.

Corey Anderson, New Zealand vs India, 122 meters

A hard-hitting left-hander with the ability to bowl medium pace, Corey Anderson has been doing big things right from a young age. Apart from his record of 36-ball century against New Zealand, Corey Anderson is also known for his mammoth hits. In 2014, Anderson was in the limelight for his huge six in an ODI game against India.

During the first match of India’s 2014 tour of New Zealand, Anderson smashed a six that went onto the roof of McLean Park in Napier. It was delivered by ace Indian pacer Mohammed Shami where Corey Anderson hit a six that was recorded to be 122 meters.

It was Anderson’s amazing knock that New Zealand was able to post a total of 292 runs. India failed to chase this target and the Kiwis walked back to the pavilion with a 24 run win. The player of the match in this game was Corey Anderson.

Mark Waugh, Australia vs New Zealand, 120 meters

Along with being a classy stroke man, Mark Waugh is widely known for his consistency that led to Australia’s transition from an average team to a dominant side in the 1990s. Mark Waugh got his name registered in the record books for having smashed a six that traveled a distance of 120 meters.

His highest six came at a time when hitting boundaries in itself was considered a difficult task by many. But it would make total justice to an elegant and stylish hitter like Waugh.

Facing New Zealand at the WACA Ground in a home series in 1997, Mark Waugh hit a Daniel Vettori delivery for a six that ended up breaking many records.

Shahid Afridi, Pakistan vs South Africa, 120 meters

There’s hardly any list in cricketing history that gets completed without the inclusion of Shahid Afridi. Afridi makes his appearance in this list with his 120 metre six that he smashed all the way back in 2013.

This mammoth hit came during the 3rd ODI against South Africa at Johannesburg. It was the 4th delivery of the 34th over by Ryan Mclaren that went over the boundary line and got itself registered in the record books.

Afridi was able to post 88 runs off just 48 balls in the match, all thanks to his seven huge sixes. Along with the huge hit, the former Pakistani all-rounder also holds the record for maximum sixes in ODI cricket.

Yuvraj Singh, India vs Australia, 119 meters

Yuvraj Singh has always been known as one of the greatest match-winners in white-ball cricket. Yuvraj makes his appearance on this list due to a huge six that he smashed during a world T20 match against Australia in the year 2007.

Playing one of his most memorable innings in International cricket, Yuvraj launched an full-blown attack on the Aussie bowlers and no one was left untouched by his wrath.

Interestingly, the bowler of this delivery which travelled a distance of 119 meters was Brett Lee, who himself holds the record for one of the longest sixes in international cricket. During the game, Yuvraj was at his devastating best as he scored 70 runs off just 30 balls.

MS Dhoni, India vs New Zealand, 118 meters

Demonstrating extraordinary merit, perseverance and belief, MS Dhoni has been one of the most successful captains the cricketing world has ever seen. Arguably the best finisher in international cricket, MS also had the ability to smash huge hits effortlessly.

He once hit a huge six that traveled a distance of 118 meters. And this is what brings his name to this list. It was during the 44th over of an ODI against New Zealand that Dhoni smashed a six that went past the boundary line.

Shahid Afridi, Pakistan vs Australia, 117 meters

Shahid Afridi is as mystifying as a player there ever was. In only his second ODI against Sri Lanka in 1996, Afridi scored a 37-ball century, which remained the fastest century in ODI cricket for more than 17 years.

Afridi makes his second entry in this list for his 117 meter six he hit against the Aussie bowlers all the way back in 2005. During that inning of Pakistan, Afridi hit many deliveries that went past the boundary line but only one ball travelled that long-distance and ended up in the record books.

In the game, the most memorable thing was the inning and the six by Afridi that made rounds in the cricketing world for a long time.

Chris Gayle, West Indies vs India, 116 meters

With the record of hitting the most sixes in T20 cricket, it’s no surprise that Chris Gayle’s name appears on this list. Famous for his amazing knocks in franchise cricket, Gayle also holds the record of having the highest score in a World Cup, with 215 runs.

It was during an international T20 game in 2010 at Bridgetown that Gayle decided to set the stadium on fire. On May 9th, Gayle hit a delivery by Yusuf Pathan for a stunning maximum of 116 meters.

Gayle was the standout performer of the clash, as he completely destroyed the Indian bowling lineup. The Jamaican would be keen to break his own record of highest six in the near future.