These are 2018’s leading six hitters
On the sixth day of Christmas the Sports Gazette gives to you…
The cricketers who have hit the most sixes in 2018 from across the cricketing world.
Men’s International Test matches — Shimron Hetmyer (West Indies)
The 21-year-old Guyanese left-hander has hit seventeen sixes for the West Indies this year from just ten innings in five games. Despite an impressive strike rate of 83.74, he has not registered a test century though his 93 against Bangladesh last week showed his promise.
In 2016 Hetmyer captained the West Indies under-19’s to a famous ICC World Cup Championship. Hetmyer has since established himself as a central figure in the Windies renaissance across both test match cricket and one day internationals.
Men’s One-Day Internationals — Rohit Sharma (India)
Sharma has reached a total of 39 sixes during India’s ODIs this year. He has faced 1029 balls over nineteen innings and nineteen matches for the men in blue.
Sharma’s form in white-ball cricket has led to a place in the test match against Australia but questions remain if he has the qualities to be effective in the longer form of the game.
Men’s Twenty-20 Internationals — Colin Munro (New Zealand)
Munro has tallied 35 sixes in twelve innings from as many matches. The New Zealander has an impressive 45.45 run average off 280 balls this year.
The big hitting left-hander made a name for himself when he recorded a tournament-topping 366 runs at a strike rate of 175 in the 2015-16 Georgie Pie Super Smash.
First-class matches — Najeeb Taraki (Spin Ghar Tigers)
With a total of 41 Spin Ghar Tiger’s Najeeb Tarakai tops the list of first-class club sixes in 2018. He achieved them in just 10 matches – from 18 innings – with 739 balls faced.
The 27-year-old is also the second highest scorer in international T20 cricket for Afghanistan after his 90 against Ireland in March last year.
Twenty-20 clubs — Colin Munro (From four clubs)
Our man Colin Munro makes his second appearance on this list. It’s been a good year for Munro in white-ball cricket.
He has played a total of 47 matches for Balkh Legends, Delhi Daredevils (Now Delhi Capitals), Hampshire and Trinbago Knight Riders in this season’s T-20.
In that time, he’s smashed 82 sixes off 1010 balls and 47 innings.
Women’s One-Day Internationals — Lizelle Lee (South Africa)
Lizelle Lee has hit thirteen sixes from fourteen innings for the Proteas. She’s faced 704 balls in that time.
Lee also shares the highest ever undefeated partnership in Women’s World T20. She hit an unbroken opening-wicket of 163, with all-rounder Dane van Niekerk, against Bangladesh in 2014.
Women’s Twenty-20 Internationals — Harmanpreet Kaur (India)
Harmanpreet Kaur has hit 25 sixes in T20 Internationals. The Indian all-rounder has faced a total of 525 balls from 22 innings, averaging an impressive 41.43.
In November she became the first woman for her country to reach a century in T20 International cricket, hitting eight sixes in the process.
Featured photograph/Marco Verch/Flickr
