Five times batters hit six off first ball of a match

Chris Gayle and Sohag Gazi (Source: Twitter)

Hitting sixes in cricket is not easy. In the longest format of the game, it is much more difficult. Some have mastered the art of hitting sixes. Today with better willows, it is not a difficult task to hit sixes. But back in time, hitting sixes was considered an achievement. Batters who used to hit sixes for fun were regarded highly.

It is a no-brainer that sixes entertain the crowd. The sheer strength involved in clearing the boundary ropes always amazes the audience. With longer boundaries, hitting sixes can be challenging. That is where the power and the timing of the batter get tested. With different dimensions of the ground, the difficulty of hitting sixes can be different.

For instance, grounds like those in Melbourne and Brisbane have long boundaries in the mid-wicket region. On such grounds, hitting sixes in the region can be often challenging. Hitting a six in the very first ball of the match is rare. Not many batters have accomplished the feat in their career. Here are the batters who have hit sixes in the first ball of a match -

George Ulyett

George Ulyett (Source: Twitter)

The All-rounder from England played a good number of matches for his team. In the game against Australia, Ulyett faced Tom Garrett and hit the six off the first ball. He played 25 Test matches for England from 1877 to 1890. He also played in the first-ever Test match in 1877 against Australia at the MCG.

Frank King

Frank King (Source: Twitter)

The batter from West Indies hit a six against Ronald Archer of Australia in the first ball of the match. Interestingly, Frank King was dismissed on the very next ball by Archer. He played 14 Test matches for West Indies between 1953 to 1956.  He was primarily a fast bowler, picking up 29 wickets.

Aravinda De Silva

Aravinda De Silva (Source: Twitter)

The former World Cup winner from Sri Lanka is well known for his aggressive batting. The 57-year-old hit India’s Kapil Dev for a six in the very first delivery of the match. Aravinda de Silva is regarded as one of the best batters Sri Lanka has ever produced. He famously scored a century in the 1996 World Cup final against Australia.

Graeme Smith

Graeme Smith (Source: Twitter)

The former South African captain had smashed a six off the very first ball of the match against Zaheer Khan of India. Graeme Smith is regarded as one of the best captains in the history of Test cricket, leading South Africa to the number-one ranking for several years. He played 117 Test matches, 197 ODIs and 33 T20Is for the Proteas.

Chris Gayle

Chris Gayle (Source: Twitter)

The superstar from the West Indies hit a six off the first ball of the match against Sohag Gazi of Bangladesh. Interestingly, it was the debut match of the bowler. Chris Gayle, or the "Universe Boss" is one of the most destructive batters the game has ever seen. He was known for his ability to hit big sixes with ease. He hung up his boots in 2021.