Cricket: Kiwi smashes all-time record for sixes

Auckland batsman Colin Munro in action last year. Photo / Richard Robinson

Is it something in the water? Tuesday, March 24 was a day to remember not just for Grant Elliott and the Black Caps, but a Kiwi cricketer who smashed a world record innings far away from the floodlights and 40 thousand-strong crowd.

In the shadow of the World Cup clash, Auckland Aces batsman Colin Munro set an all-time record for sixes in a first class innings.

Munro, like Elliott, a South Africa-born Kiwi, belted 23 sixes in Napier yesterday against the Central Stags in the Plunket Shield. No test, one-day international, county or provincial player has ever done better.

With all eyes on the semifinal and Elliott's unbeaten Eden Park 83 guiding New Zealand to victory over the Proteas, Munro hammered away to little fanfare.

But when the sun came up again today -- just as a gutted, reflective Proteas captain AB De Villiers last night promised it would -- it was to news of Munro's staggering feat at McLean Park.

The magnitude of the Napier knock was still dawning on the cricket world today.

Munro, 28, didn't just edge his way past the previous record of 16, he destroyed it.

"Colin Munro rapid by nature as he breaks record for sixes in an innings," The Times reported.

"BM Tickner and Doug Bracewell bore the brunt of the damage, going for 229 runs in 37 overs," Cricinfo said.

A left-handed batsman born in Durban, Munro was not selected for the Black Cups world cup squad.

But with the quality of his knock, punters might fancy the Aces star to win selection for the national team later this year.

His age can hardly be a barrier, considering Elliott and Vettori, both 36, guided the Black Caps to triumph last night.

Munro, batting at number 4, came on when the Aces were at 64-2. But he hit 281 off just 167 balls, leaving the Aces sitting pretty on 435-4 when he was finally dismissed. He also hit 17 fours. His century came off just 68 balls, and the next hundred was even faster, taking just 65 balls.

It's now day two of the Plunket Shield match and Munro has spent most of it on the field.

He'll spend the northern summer at English county cricket side Worcestershire.

Four players held the previous record of 16 sixes in an innings - Mukhtar Ali of Bangladesh, Englishman Graham Napier, New Zealand's Jesse Ryder, and Australian Andrew Symonds.