Hamilton [New Zealand], December 14: New Zealand’s Tim Southee has equalled the record for most sixes in Test cricket, matching West Indies legend Chris Gayle with 98 sixes. Southee, who is playing in his farewell match during the third and final Test against England, is now just two sixes away from reaching the milestone of 100 sixes.
On Day 1 of the match, the 36-year-old Southee played a quickfire knock of 23 runs off just 10 balls, including three sixes and one boundary. This effort saw him tie Gayle’s record for the most sixes in Test cricket.
The players ahead of them on the list include England captain Ben Stokes (133), former New Zealand player Brendon McCullum (107), and ICC Hall of Famer Adam Gilchrist (100).
As for the match itself, England struggled early in the day, with New Zealand’s opening partnership between Tom Latham (63) and Devon Conway (42) putting the hosts in a strong position. However, after the opening stand was broken, England applied consistent pressure, causing New Zealand to slip from a strong 142/2 to 231/7 by the end of the day. Mitchell Santner remained unbeaten on 50*, with William O’Rourke at the other end as the day concluded.