Six appeal bat to be auctioned

The bat with which Sir Garfield Sobers hit a world record six sixes in an over is to be auctioned at Christie's, Melbourne on October 4.

The short-handled Slazenger is expected to fetch up to 45,000 pounds (63,000 dollars).

It helped Sobers make history on August 31, 1968, when the West Indies left-hander was playing for Nottinghamshire against Glamorgan at Swansea. Malcolm Nash was the unfortunate bowler. Normally a left-arm new ball bowler, he was bowling left-arm spin instead. Nash saw his first two deliveries disappear into the stands of the Cricketer's Inn. The third went into the pavilion enclosure and the fourth was sent over the scoreboard. The fifth was driven straight and although Roger Davis caught it he fell over the boundary in the process, causing another six to be signalled. Sobers fiercely pulled the sixth ball out of the ground and into St Helen's Avenue. The ball itself was not found until the following day.

India Test cricketer Ravi Shastri equalled Sobers's record when batting for Bombay against Baroda at Bombay in 1984-85. He also struck six sixes, Tilak Raj was the luckless bowler.

Mail Cricket Editor