43 runs in an over: New Zealand pair create new List A World Record

A List A game (limited overs game) between Northern Districts and Central Districts on Wednesday at Seddon Park in Hamilton, New Zealand, saw history being created as two batsmen combined to smash 43 runs in one over. Joe Carter and Brett Hampton of Northern Districts were the two batsmen as they were helped by a pair of no-balls from Central District’s Willem Ludick to create a new world record. 

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Ludick conceded a boundary off the very first ball thanks to an inside edge and from that point, things went pear-shaped for the South African-born player. The next two balls were waist-high full tosses and was dispatched for two sixes. To make matters worse, both were declared no-balls. 

With the second legitimate delivery, Ludick conceded a six and gave away a single. The last three balls did not end very well for the right-arm pacer as he gave away three more sixes to concede a whopping 43 runs. The onslaught not only ruined Ludick’s figures, but it proved to be a major turning point of the match as Carter (102) and Hampton (95) helped Northern Districts register a 25-run win. 

Massive overs in cricket

The 43-run over broke the previous record of 39 set by Zimbabwe batsman Elton Chigumbura off Alauddin Babu in a game between Sheikh Jamal and Abahani Ltd in a domestic fixture in Dhaka in 2013-14. Chigumbura was aided by a no-ball and six wides as the batsman blasted four sixes in one over. 

Even Twenty20 cricket has seen some massive overs. In a T20 game in Brighton in 2012 between Sussex and Gloucestershire, New Zealand’s Scott Styris, playing for Sussex, blasted 38 runs in one over bowled by James Fuller. The pace bowler began the over disastrously with 10 no-balls. Styris proceeded to blast two sixes and two fours as he blasted a 100 off just 37 balls. 

In the IPL, Chris Gayle cemented his place as T20’s biggest hitter when he blasted 37 runs in one over during the 2011 edition. Playing for Royal Challengers Bangalore, Gayle blasted Kochi Tuskers Kerala’s Prasanth Parameswaran to give his side a nine-wicket win.

In addition to these big overs, there have been some freakish runs scored in one over in First-Class cricket and List A. 

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In 1990, a First-Class game in New Zealand saw Bert Vance, playing for Wellington concede 77 runs in one over against Canterbury in the final. In another instance, a Dhaka Second Division Cricket League game between Axiom and Lalmatia saw Sujon Mahmud of Lalmatia concede a whopping 92 runs in just four balls. He bowled 65 wides and delivered 15 no-balls and in the four legitimate balls, the batsmen hit 12 runs.