A six used to mean more. It just did. Cricket matches now have so many that they have much less significance.
When you look at some of the mediocre batters who are able to clear the rope with their souped-up bats these days, you can only imagine how someone like Viv Richards would have gone if he had access to the same technology.
Modern cricket bats are like the fastsuit era in swimming – the technology became so good that you almost need two sets of records to explain how batters now can peel off sixes at such a rapid rate.
The “Master Blaster” hit 126 sixes in his ODI career which spanned 187 matches from the first World Cup in 1975 to 1991, retiring with the world record tally.
Windies teammate Gordon Greenidge was Richards’ closest rival with 81.
Sir Vivian Richards. (S&G/PA Images via Getty Images)
And now Richards has 30 players ahead of him on the all-time ODI sixes list and at the rate batters are sending spectators scattering at this World Cup, he will soon have many more much-lesser players overtaking him.
The ICC tried to curtail the massive growth in bat sizes six years ago by capping their edges to be no thicker than 40mm while the depth (the distance between the point on the back of the blade and the face) has been limited to 67mm.
Australian opener David Warner was one of many international batters who had to go back to a slimmer bat with his Kaboom exceeding the ICC limitations.
He is coincidentally tied with Richards on 126 sixes and on current form, the 37-year-old left-hander will launch past him against Afghanistan on Tuesday.
Warner and Rohit Sharma were joint leaders at the top of the six-hitting tally at this World Cup but the Indian skipper edged ahead of him to 22 with two more in his 24-ball cameo against the Proteas overnight.
Prior to Sunday night’s India vs South Africa clash, there had been 457 sixes with a dozen matches still to be played.
The World Cup record of 463 set in the Australia-New Zealand tournament in 2015 is being obliterated.
It’s a double-edged sword for cricket’s administrators – high scoring generates excitement and fans, particularly in the stadium, love to see the white ball flying into orbit.
The distance is tracked by the host broadcaster and it becomes a badge of honour for whichever batter launches the biggest hit.
But a six is now becoming blase.
Bowlers used to get riled up and view getting hit for a six as a crushing blow to the ego.
David Warner. (Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)
It happens so often nowadays that most of them just shrug and return to the top of their mark.
And this is not to say that modern batters aren’t extremely skilled at power hitting. It’s an aspect of the game that they now spend many hours practising and some of the reverses and ramps are very impressive.
But we also now see players with limited skill and timing being able to belt fast bowlers back over their head for six.
Or the stronger power hitters get six runs for a mis-hit which still manages to careen over the outfielders even though the distance achieved is more to do with the bulk of the bat rather than the precision of their execution.
Modern bats are pressed more tightly by manufacturers and the greater density creates a larger sweet spot.
There is a great photo, taken in 2015, of another legendary batter named Richards – South African Barry Richards is holding the bat he used to score a triple century in 1970 during a Sheffield Shield game and one of Warner’s Kabooms.
Kaboom: Barry Richards comparing his 1970 bat with David Warner’s Kaboom in 2015. (Photo: Cricket Australia)
If you didn’t know any better you’d think they were pieces of equipment from two distinct sports.
The toothpaste is out of the tube now, there’s not much the ICC can do to make batters work harder for sixes.
Even as stadiums get bigger, the playing arenas are shrinking. The rope is a necessary player safety measure so the old days of having to clear the fence will never be reinstated.
And it’s doubtful cricket administrators will be too concerned about too many sixes, particularly in the white-ball arena where bite-sized video highlights provide for so much viral content.
But it would be nice for batters to have to work hard for a six, not just be able to swing the tree trunks that pass for modern bats and watch the ball sail into the stands even if you don’t get your timing right.
Who would want to be a bowler when decent deliveries get treated with disdain by batters up and down the order, flat-batted into the stands at an increasing frequency.
If Viv was in his prime these days with one of these modern bats, no cricket stadium in the world would be big enough … and that includes the grandstands.
Donbich
Roar Rookie
You mean... India... last time I checked they were in the northern hemisphere haha
Curmudgeon1961
Roar Rookie
Like the NBA ODIs as boring as bat excrement aren't they?. When the basketball comes on the sport news my wife runs out the room before she hears me say " look the tall man ran up on his own to put the ball in the basket "
Curmudgeon1961
Roar Rookie
Roy Fredericks was a master. You got that right. I remember Lillee clipping him on the cap with a bouncer (no helmet), Lillee glaring at him and RF giving him the fingers implying get on with it. Greenidge was brutal with the cut shot too. Him, Richards and Lloyd were some of the hardest hitters ever
Curmudgeon1961
Roar Rookie
Good on you Late! It was a play on lil' Donnies Test Average.(& you were too i.e. twice as good)
The Late News
Roar Rookie
I stand corrected!
Curmudgeon1961
Roar Rookie
I think Ben is 99.9 % correct
Curmudgeon1961
Roar Rookie
Didn't a Northern Hemisphere side do this too recently?
Curmudgeon1961
Roar Rookie
You see a decent forward defense by an opener with minimal follow thru rush to the boundary ( and the experience commentator gushes whats worse ) I think ODIs are boring due to the bowler mismatch. Even the MLB batters are going ding ding ding now
andyfnq
Roar Rookie
The current regulation is a start, they just need to build on it. Agree with the basic sentiment of the article.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
I disagree when Jones was there he was always running everything hard and putting pressure on the fielders, while the shot making wasn't there was always drama between the wickets. Saying its risk free is wrong there were more risks taken with the running between the wicket. Now its the era of flat wickets and smaller boundaries. The short boundaries affect the two's in particular Jones and Bevan their trademark was running to the danger end on the two now you either get one or a boundary, so the harder hitter is rewarded not the better runner. If the wicket is flat then hitting the big shots is a lot more rewarding. Running between the wickets is the same risk regardless of wicket conditions, so on a trickier pitch its better to take the runs. It used to be at the end of the innings would risk run outs for the last overs, these days its more the case of try to keep the best hitters there and go for the big shots. The number of run outs has decreased now in one day cricket. So Jones and Bevan are of less use/ Hookes and Simon ODonnel would be the players best suited to the modern era. The other thing about that era is the value of a Jonty Rhodes has nosedived, with batsman looking to play the short singles short point was the key so he was worth 30 runs there. If they hit big they can go anywhere, so selecting a player because they are a great fielder mainly doesn't happen.
Donbich
Roar Rookie
I mean you don't have to wander. India admit to doctoring their pitches, they do it very obviously and very unashamedly.
Donbich
Roar Rookie
Agreed. They aren't even good batsmen. It's destroying bowlers. No one wants to just do throw downs for hit and giggle cricket.
Donbich
Roar Rookie
Great article. Good sample of why as a cricketer I turned away from T20. I cbf arguing with casuals, but T20 is not good cricket. It's not entertaining, it's boring cricket, hit and giggle, that does nothing for the game outside of advertising sales
Insult_2_Injury
Roar Rookie
You're right, he's never been known to make them when it matters against tough opposition, that will be his legacy, but that was easily the best innings I've seen him play, as he started with timed straight drives and then built. Only the 'group' know if he got paid out on for his 'typical Maxi' first ball hoik duck in the previous game, as the mental side of the game has always been his achilles heel. Interestingly the next innings is usually more focused, and Maxwell tragics then claim unfair criticism for everything else. He has a large enough body of work now to show that trend. None of which takes away from the actual innings he played, it was worthy of the praise it got.
Insult_2_Injury
Roar Rookie
Hard to argue that one with tracks and conditions producing batting totals from tough 220's to 420's! As expected, they know their conditions well. If you watch the international guys who've played a fair amount of IPL, they've thrived too. It seems obvious that as teams, most of the rest are playing one speed plams. The ridiculous article a day or so ago saying there's no place for Smith and Marnus with the sloggers fit now, is flawed. Does Marnus or Smith get replaced if the next game is on a road? Might make sense. Do the the sloggers who were out for their own reasons, stay out, if on a tough pitch requiring footwork and graft to build a defendable total if the two cement foot openers go early? Might make sense. Surely the Kohli innings compared to the Saffers wrong line swipes shows the logic of playing the conditions on their merits and using a whole squad to provide a winning campaign!
Pope Paul VII
Roar Rookie
Spot on Dave J. The recall of the happy hookers was from an article in either Cricketer Magazine* or David Lord's World of Cricket*. It highlighted the rareness and glory of 6s but harshly criticised the WI for chucking their wickets in search of glory. By contrast the Aussies only hooked one 6. (My memory is that was a tie with 9 x 6s each). The rest from drives I think. Safety first was the message. Aus did have some unusual 6 hitters. Redpath, I think the only of his career or it could have been 3? Lillee hit one off Gibbs. Although he did have form, smashing 3 against England in his legendary 73 not out. *I miss those mags so much.
Wikipetia
Roar Rookie
Later on the 70s I mean. Maybe 78-9, when Gower was using one in the Ashes
Lukas
Roar Pro
What bothers me most are mishits going for 6. If well timed, middled shots go a bit further than they used to I'm less worried about that. Edges going for four is part of the game, but to me there's an issue if mishits are routinely going for six. It literally means a bowler can essentially win the contest and still be hit for six. Not good. This is especially relevant for spinners. There needs to be immense risk reward in trying to loft them over the fence. It is a similar issue to golf for sure. It encourages a different approach to the game that I personally find less interesting. So if Brysan DeChambeau wants to get himself all jacked up like a driving range champion, good luck to him, but his mishits ought to cost him as a balance.
Paul Suttor
Expert
mishits indeed, no hyphen required ... hope you picked up on the similar clue in the headline
Duncan Smith
Roar Guru
Warner's bat is ridiculous. You can see what Barry Richards thinks of it in that pic.