Sixes

In 2013, Greg Routley and Dan Douthwaite jointly topped the Stoke Sixes League with 24 maximums. Thirty-five different players cleard the boundary on the full, (26 in 2012); the new entries to the list taking advantage of more T20 and 3rd XI cricket being played than ever before. Here’s the table: 

Greg Routley – 24
Dan Douthwaite – 24
Will Gudgeon – 18
Stephen Anderson – 13
Jase Earl – 11
Nick Lo – 11
Ed Ashwell – 8
Jono Fowler – 7
Shahil “Paulie” Ramdin – 7
Adrian Taylor – 6
Tom Gudgeon – 5
Marcus Mahne – 5
Stephen Finch – 3
Gary Harkett – 2
Charlie Kerslake – 2
Mark Thomas – 2
John Vaughan-Davies – 2
Rosie Weir – 2
Alex Bond – 1
James Corbishley – 1
Jeremy Dharmasena – 1
Matt Gottschalk – 1
Moumer Khara – 1
James Lander – 1
Baz Medlycott – 1
Lian Meyer – 1
Dom Morley – 1
Billy Newman – 1
Andy Page – 1
Amy Page – 1
Harry Ross – 1
Hugo Solway – 1
Rod Thomson – 1
Will Thomson – 1
Steve Wade – 1

Click Here for the list of all-time six-hitters : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/scoreboard/battingstats.asp?fromForm=1&team=&type=&ruletype=6101&seasonID=&sortBy=35&filter=0

It is probably not a surprise to those who know him that Roy Johns has hit more sixes for the club than anyone else.

The record number of sixes hit by one player in any season is 42 by Tim Handel in 2009, where there were several T20 matches played – plenty at home – en route to our appearance in the Surrey Championship T20 Final.

The 2009 season was also the first played after the removal of the ‘boundary rule’ – to the end of the 2008 season, a local rule was in place that meant any hit clearing the line on the full at the Blundell Lane end would only score 4 runs.

Johnny Lawes holds the record for the most number of sixes hit in one innings innings, when he hit eleven against Chertsey at the Rec in 2011, beating a near 50-year-old record set by Eugene Ford.

Lawes : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/scoreboard/scorecard.asp?id=11138713
Ford : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/scoreboard/scorecard.asp?id=10639604

Lawesie is probably the best example of one to benefit from the removal of the local rule. Contrast the ‘unlucky’ Navid Hussain who cracked an unbeaten 143 against Old Hamptonians in 2006, peppering the fence at the Blundell Lane end repeatedly, yet walking off with an innings boundary count of 24×4, 5×6.

Hussain : http://sdacc.play-cricket.com/scoreboard/scorecard.asp?id=10199768

Only Claire Trafford, (35×4, 3×6 in an innings of 213 not out), has hit more boundaries in an innings than Navid, (and Phil Easton who hit 29 fours – but no sixes – against Oxshott in 1972.)

An easy conclusion to draw from the stats is that the advent of T20 cricket and improved bat technology have contributed to an upturn in six-hitting, although we welcome any other theories you may have!

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