TAURANGA – Former South African star batsman Herschelle Gibbs still holds the world record for a number of sixes scored in one ODI over - despite New Zealand's Jimmy Neesham coming within a whisker of matching that amazing feat against Sri Lanka at the Bay Oval in Tauranga on Thursday.
Gibbs smashed the six-sixes over milestone at the 2007 World Cup at St Kitts in the West Indies against the bowling of the Netherlands' Daan van Bunge.
Neesham nearly got there as a 7-ball over owing to the no-ball off the fifth ball and that gave him the chance to equal the six-sixes over milestone as well pass the record ODI mark of 36 runs in an over.
Neesham marked his return to the New Zealand one-day international side with a remarkable 47* off 13 balls, which included 34 runs off one Thisara Perera over.
The over, the 49th of the New Zealand innings in their first ODI against Sri Lanka January, went for 6, 6, 6, 6, 2nb, 6, 1, much to the delight of the crowd.
It was third on the list of most expensive overs ever in the format, behind Gibbs's six sixes against the Netherlands and Perera's 35 runs against South Africa, and tied with AB De Villiers' efforts against the Windies.
VICTORY by 45 runs for the BLACKCAPS and a one nil series lead!
Super century from @Martyguptill and not a bad return for @JimmyNeesh! #NZvSL pic.twitter.com/am5wQjHgXE
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) January 3, 2019
Most runs in an over in ODIs:
(listed under runs, batsman, bowler, over, match details)
36: Herschelle Gibbs - Daan van Bunge 6 6 6 6 6 6 (SA v Ned, St Kitts, 2006-07)
35: Thisara Perera - Robin Peterson 6 0w 6 6 6 4 6 (SL v SA, Pallekele, 2013)
34: AB De Villiers - Jason Holder 4 6nb 2nb 4 4 4 2 6 (SA v WI, Sydney, 2015)
34: James Neesham - Thisara Perera 6 6 6 6 2nb 6 1 (NZ v SL, Mount Maunganui, 2019)
32: Shahid Afridi - Malinga Bandara 4 4 6 6 6 6 (Pak v SL, Abu Dhabi, 2007).