By Chris Leitch Joondalup/Wanneroo Weekender
BLAIR Oakley has been hailed as the next Adam Gilchrist after achieving one of cricket’s most elusive milestones – six sixes in an over.
The Ocean Ridge Junior Cricket Club batsman moved from 34 to 70 as he helped his side to a win over Quinns Rock White in an under-14s match at the weekend.
In under-14s, batsmen must compulsorily retire at the end of the over after passing 50, which Oakley did with the third ball of the over.
Spectators became excited about the possible record after he struck his fifth six, back over the bowler’s head.
He completed the milestone with a blow over square leg that cleared the boundary by a comfortable 10 metres.
Walking off with 70 runs to his name, Oakley was greeted with a standing ovation by his team mates and the opposition.
In first-class and international cricket, six sixes from a six-ball over have been done four times, once each by four of the world’s finest batsmen.
West Indian Sir Garfield Sobers (1968) was the first to perform the feat and India’s Ravi Shastri emulated him in the 1984-85 season.
South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs (2007) was the first man to do it in an international, a World Cup match against the Netherlands, while Indian Yuvrij Singh also struck six sixes at the 2007 Twenty20 World Cup.