England break sixes record set by West Indies in series opener
ESPNcricinfo staff27-Feb-2019A week after West Indies posted a new world record of 23 sixes in the first ODI against England, the two sides combined for an incredible onslaught in Grenada – a match record 46 sixes were hit, all told, with England edging the difference with a new innings mark of 24. Here’s how ESPNcricinfo’s ball-by-ball commentary covered an extraordinary onslaught…England: 418 for 6, 24 sixes
4.6 Cottrell to Hales, SIX, ping! Too short, Hales’ bat-speed does the rest, a ferocious pick-up over deep midwicket5.5 Nurse to Bairstow, SIX, tossed up on a wide line, and dumped over extra cover! The boundaries have been brought right in due to the rain, and that just plops invitingly over the rope6.4Bishoo to Bairstow, SIX, leaning back, and banjaxed into the crowd! Across the line, swatting against the spin. Have some of that!6.5Bishoo to Bairstow, SIX, the same, with knobs on! Bishoo’s lost his length here, and Jonny’s in a mood! Over the leg side again6.6Bishoo to Bairstow, SIX, much fuller length but the same result! Right underneath the ball, and times the pants off his elevated flog over midwicket9.5 Nurse to Hales, SIX, voluminous wallop! That’s just raw thwacking from Hales, swinging through the line on a full length, against the wind, and over long-on30.5Bishoo to Buttler, SIX, drops short, and Buttler dumps it over wide long-on! A heavy-metal thrash off the back foot, sails well beyond the rope32.2Thomas to Morgan, SIX, down the track, battered on the up over the covers! Right to the pitch of the ball, a big wallop at a wide one, nailed it34.4 Thomas to Morgan, SIX, back of a length, and crashed over deep midwicket! Morgan sits so deep in his crease, and is waiting on the back foot to slam this onto the grass and bring up his half-century37.3Nurse to Buttler, SIX, plonks the foot front, swings through the line! Fetch that! Clean over long-onJonny Bairstow whacks another six over midwicket•AFP
39.2Holder to Morgan, SIX, round the wicket, outside off, Morgan drops to one knee, and utterly smokes this on the up over deep midwicket! Reaching for the wide one, and pounding it40.4Brathwaite to Buttler, SIX, too short, off line, picked up off the pads, and Buttler becomes the fourth man to pass fifty in this innings! And at least the third to get there with a six …41.1Holder to Morgan, SIX, flashed on the up over the leg side, it’s raining sixes!41.5Holder to Morgan, SIX, another full toss, another dismissive six! Morgan walks across his crease, drops to one knee, pounds a slog-sweep over the leg side. This is carnage!42.4Brathwaite to Buttler, SIX, that is a nonsensical blow! Straight and full, with men back on the rope, and just banjaxed over the bowler’s head!43.1Thomas to Buttler, SIX, into the toes, into the stands! Absolutely monstered over the midwicket boundary, there’s that bottom hand again, just lifting it up, up and away, and it’s a race to the century now!43.2Thomas to Buttler, SIX, bazooka-ed over long-on! Christmas cactus, that is massive! Full length, looking for the blockhole, and just getting brutalised for missing his length!45.1Holder to Buttler, SIX, back of a length, too easy for Buttler! A golf swing back over the bowler’s head, and into the wall of the stand!45.3Holder to Morgan, SIX, there’s the hundred! Yet another full toss outside off, yet another monstering over the leg side! Down on one knee, middled over long-on, and England are charging for 400 here!45.5Holder to Buttler, SIX, another full toss, another slam over the bowler’s head! It has to be said, this bowling has been diabolical … but where would you bowl to two batsmen in this mood?46.5Cottrell to Buttler, SIX, jeepers, that’s vast! He didn’t even middle that one, just a filthy slap on the up over the bowler’s head! And it’s gone miles!48.2Cottrell to Buttler, SIX, spanked into the stands yet again! And Buttler gives Cottrell a salute as he trudges back to his mark! Another low full toss. The umpteenth of the innings, and it vanishes over cow corner again!48.6Cottrell to Buttler, SIX, England equal the sixes world record! Buttler clears his front foot, biffs through the line, and that’s 23 and counting for the innings, matching West Indies in Barbados last week!49.3Brathwaite to Buttler, SIX, into the stands yet again, Buttler brings up his 150 with the world-record 24th six of the innings! Over deep midwicket!Chris Gayle muscles through the leg side•Getty Images
West Indies: 389, 22 sixes
1.4Wood to Campbell, SIX, full outside off, touching 90mph… coolly ramped for six! Audacious and he got plenty of bat on it, the ball sailing up, up and away towards fine leg, landing several yards beyond the rope!2.5Woakes to Gayle, SIX, Gayle pummels his first six! Short and whumped over deep square leg, into the boundary boards… Knows he needs to start quicker today4.1Woakes to Gayle, SIX, short ball, sits up nicely, Gayle latches on… that’s outta here! Another offcutter from Woakes but no problem for Gayle to time it, smeared for a flat six4.2Woakes to Gayle, SIX, full in the slot, larruped down the ground this time! Gayle clears the ropes again, muscling a chip over long-on6.1Woakes to Gayle, SIX, here he goes again! Brutalised over long-on! Gayle climbs into Woakes’ first ball of the over6.2Woakes to Gayle, SIX, length ball, Gayle makes room and butters his parsnips over extra cover! No value in giving him width, either8.3Plunkett to Bravo, SIX, full and wide, cutter from Plunkett… ker-Plunked over long-off! First six of the day from Bravo, a sweet, flat effort drilled beyond the ropes!11.2Stokes to Gayle, SIX, makes room and belts this one flat over long-off! Gayle tees off and puts Stokes on the fairway!11.3Stokes to Gayle, SIX, pitched up, clears the front leg – hooned high over long-on this time! Shades of Brathwaite in Kolkata, easy pickings and right where Gayle likes it16.5Rashid to Gayle, SIX, plants the front foot and boshes through the line to reach 10,000 ODI runs, with his 500th six! And it’s gone straight and high, into the stands, and he celebrates by raising his helmet high! This. Is. On!Darren Bravo cuts on his way to a fifty•AFP
17.4Stokes to Bravo, SIX, low full toss and pounded into the stands once again! Over long on … my goodness, this is carnage18.2Rashid to Gayle, SIX, pumped up and over the bowler’s head and Gayle marches on to 97! Crumbs …20.6Ali to Gayle, SIX, leans back, gets right under the ball and dumps it … clean over the ropes at long-off! On he marches!21.1Woakes to Bravo, SIX, slammed through the line, and over long-on! That is sumptuous hitting!21.2Woakes to Bravo, SIX, short this time, Bravo swivels, and batters another pull over the ropes at midwicket! 22.3Ali to Gayle, SIX, two steps down the track, and slapped out of sight, over long-on! The 40th six of the match!22.5Ali to Gayle, SIX, in the slot, slotted through the line, over long-on yet again. This is ludicrous!23.2Wood to Hetmyer, SIX, woof! Well, who needs sighters! Short, fast, and smoked clean over midwicket! This is nonsense!30.5Rashid to Gayle, SIX, heave ho! Up comes Gayle’s 150 with a monster mow over midwicket! Was that half-chance earlier in the over as good as it will get for Rashid?30.6Rashid to Gayle, SIX, onto the front foot, and dumped up and over long-off! Rashid tosses it up, but the Kraken has well and truly stirred after that momentary alarm!42.4Rashid to Brathwaite, SIX, hello, it’s Mr Kolkata… Big sweep and he nails that on to the roof at deep backward square leg! Monstrous from Brathwaite, and he’s on to his highest score in ODIs. Lost ball, too42.5Rashid to Brathwaite, SIX, tossed up, goes again, clears the man at deep midwicket! Stokes was the man on the rope, he went for the flying catch, two-handed so it would have probably carried him over, but couldn’t hold on
