Who Was The First Player To Hit Six Sixes In The 2007 World Cup? He is Herschelle Gibbs – the South African batting giant who made cricket history on 16th March 2007 in a group-stage game between South Africa and the Netherlands at Warner Park, St. Kitts.
This record-making achievement not only placed Gibbs’ name in the record books but also broke the record for the first time in World Cup history when a batsman hit six sixes in one over.
The Historic Over: Ball-by-Ball Breakdown
Bowled by Dutch leg-spinner Daan van Bunge, Herschelle Gibbs shifted gears in over 30 of South Africa’s innings. This is how the six successive deliveries played out:
1st Ball – Lofted over long-on
2nd Ball – Crunched beautifully over long-off
3rd Ball – Smashed forcefully over mid-wicket
4th Ball – Hammered a full toss over long-on
5th Ball – Shut the shops by dispatching over the wide long-off
6th Ball – Played straight down the ground
This over fetched the highest 36 runs and propelled South Africa to 353/3 in 40 overs. The Netherlands were bowled out for only 132 runs, and the Proteas won in a comprehensive 221-run manner.
Why This Achievement Was So Unique
World Cup History’s First-Ever, Gibbs was the first-ever player in World Cup history to achieve the feat of hitting six sixes in an over. No one had ever done this on such a high international level before.
International Cricket Record- Though cricket greats Sir Garfield Sobers and Ravi Shastri had performed the feat during domestic matches, Gibbs was the first to achieve it in international cricket.
$1 Million Prize- Part of a promotion competition by sponsor Johnnie Walker, Herschelle Gibbs was awarded a $1 million prize, further cementing the legend of this special moment.
Herschelle Gibbs: Career Stats Overview
| Format | Matches | Runs | Average | Strike Rate | 100s/50s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tests | 90 | 6,167 | 41.95 | 55.24 | 14/26 |
| ODIs | 248 | 8,094 | 36.13 | 83.26 | 21/37 |
| T20Is | 23 | 400 | 18.18 | 125.00 | 0/1 |
Gibbs was a legendary batter known for his aggressive batting style and fearless attitude. He was an important figure in South African cricket in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Read More
Legacy of the Six Sixes Moment
Herschelle Gibbs’ six sixes in an over will undoubtedly go down as one of the most exhilarating moments in the history of the ICC World Cup. It defined the evolution of limited-overs cricket and asked everyone else who would follow him to start thinking about how to redefine power hitting.
Even today, people regard this record-breaking achievement in absolute awe, and even see it as the moment that changed modern-day cricket forever. If you are asking, “Who was the first batsman to hit six sixes in the 2007 World Cup?”, that first wicket in history will always and forever be Herschelle Gibbs. A record that has changed the expectations of what is possible in a cricket game.
ALSO READ: Definitely Not? MS Dhoni’s Last IPL Match- GT vs CSK
