New Zealander makes incredible cricket history with 36-run over

5 January 2020 at 5:04 pm

Canterbury batsman Leo Carter has emulated the likes of Gary Sobers and Yuvraj Singh by smashing six sixes in an over during a Super Smash Twenty20 match in Christchurch.

The left-hander scored 36 runs against Northern Districts spinner Anton Devcich in the 16th over with some powerful leg-side hitting at Hagley Oval.

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"I basically just stepped across and swung as hard as I could," the 25-year-old told broadcaster Sky Sport.

"I'm not so sure I got many off the middle, but pretty short boundary there, so they just carried over, I was pretty thankful for that."

Leo Carter, pictured here hammering six sixes in one over. — Leo Carter hammered six sixes in one over. Image: Sky Sport NZ

Carter finished with an unbeaten 70 off 29 balls as Canterbury chased down an imposing target of 220 with seven balls to spare.

It is the first time a New Zealander has hit six sixes in an over, and just the seventh time in history at a top domestic level or higher.

The other players to achieve the feat include Sobers (1968) and Ravi Shastri (1985) doing so in first-class games, Herschelle Gibbs (2007) in a one-dayer, Yuvraj Singh (2007) in a T20I, and Ross Whiteley (2017) and Hazratullah Zazai (2018) in domestic T20 games.

Leo Carter, pictured here celebrating his half-century. — Leo Carter celebrates his half-century. (Photo by Kai Schwoerer/Getty Images)

No such joy for Kiwis at SCG

Meanwhile, Nathan Lyon grabbed his maiden SCG five-wicket haul on day three of the third trans-Tasman Test, cleaning up the tail after ending a stubborn opening partnership between Tom Blundell and Tom Latham.

The tweaker has consistently troubled New Zealand this series and four more wickets in this game will make it his most prolific home summer ever, surpassing the 25 wickets he snagged from six Tests in 2018-19.

Lyon, who shifted to Sydney in 2013, took particular delight with Sunday's performance.

It came in the Black Caps' first innings - and at a ground where Lyon's Test bowling average was 47.57 prior to the start of the current series finale.

"I've always enjoyed playing cricket here. It's been a challenge for a few years but it's great to be of some assistance out there," he said.

with AAP