Samoa’s Darius Visser breaks Twenty20 record for most runs in an over

AAP

20 Aug, 2024 09:27 PM2 mins to read

Darius Visser scored a world-record 39 runs in one over as Samoa beat Vanuatu. Photo / ICC

When Darius Visser decided to take up his mum’s heritage and enlist as a Samoan cricketer little did he realise it would lead to him becoming a world beater.

The 28-year-old from Sydney wrote his way into the ICC record books on Tuesday when he belted 39 runs in one over for Samoa in a T20 World Cup qualifying win over Vanuatu at Apia’s Garden Oval No.2.

It beat by three runs the previous record held by Indian Yuvraj Singh, who famously thrashed six sixes off Englishman Stuart Broad at Kingsmead in Durban on September 19, 2007.

Darius Visser creates history after smashing most runs in an over in Men’s T20Is 💥

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— ICC (@ICC) August 20, 2024

The unfortunate bowler to relieve Broad of one of the world’s unwanted records is Nalin Nipiko.

It was an over to forget for the right-armer, who also bowled three no balls, with the balling having to be recovered from outside the ground more than once.

Allrounder Visser is a former Penrith junior representative who went on to represent the University of Sydney and St George in Sydney grade cricket.

Visser began his junior days as a fast bowler and No 11 batsman but worked on his repertoire to eventually become a legspinner and middle-order bat.

He has so far starred in the ICC qualifying tournament where Samoa, Vanuatu, the Cooks Islands and Fiji are competing in the Sub Regional East Asia-Pacific Qualifiers.

In Samoa’s opening match against Fiji, Visser claimed 4-11 and made an unbeaten 30 to claim the man-of-the-match award in a nine-wicket win.

On Tuesday, he struck 132 off 62 balls in an innings that included 14 sixes and five fours, and took 1-29 in the 10-run victory.

His mum Lima and dad Gerald were at the venue when he attained the record.

“We are all so proud of him,” said Lima Visser. “The entire family has been following his progress and is pretty excited.