West Indies captain Kieron Pollard became only the third player to hit six sixes in an over in international cricket as he powered his team to a four-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the first T20 International, at the Coolidge Cricket Ground in Antigua, on Wednesday.
Pollard strode out to the crease in the fourth over after Sri Lanka spinner Akila Dananjaya had dismissed Evin Lewis, Chris Gayle and Nicholas Pooran off consecutive deliveries to leave West Indies reeling at 52-3 in pursuit of 132.
He hit Dananjaya for six sixes in the sixth over of the West Indies innings.
He slog-swept the first ball over mid-wicket for a six and then lofted the next straight down the ground for another maximum.
He was at his destructive best as he smashed a flighted delivery over long-off for the third six of the over before heaving the next over mid-wicket for the same result.
He was not done yet, as he slammed the fifth ball straight down the ground for another six before slamming the last ball over mid-wicket to complete the feat.
He is the only third batsman after Yuvraj Singh and Herschelle Gibbs to hit six sixes in an over in international cricket.
It was a strange turn of fortunes for Dananjaya, who was celebrating a hat-trick in his previous over, having dismissed Lewis (28), Chris Gayle (0) and Pooran (0).
Pollard was dismissed leg before wicket after an entertaining 38 from 11 balls, trapped leg before wicket to Wanindu Hasaranga, but Jason Holder steered the Windies home with an unbeaten 29 from 24 balls.
Pollard said he thought six sixes was a possibility "after the third one".
"I just had to come out and back myself," he said.
"It was something the team needed. I didn't see the hat -rick; I only heard. But I still had to come out and do what the team required at that point in time."
The other players to achieve the feat include Garry Sobers (1968) and Ravi Shastri (1985) in first-class games, and Ross Whiteley (2017) and Hazratullah Zazai (2018) in domestic T20 games.
Earlier, Sri Lanka struggled to 131 for nine in their 20 overs, Pathum Nissanka top-scoring with 39 from 34 balls, while Niroshan Dickwella stroked 33 from 29 balls.
