Jean-Paul Duminy broke the South African List A record for most runs scored in a single over when he hit leg-spinner Eddie Leie for 37 runs in a domestic one-day cup match between Cape Cobras and Knights on Wednesday.
It happened when the Cape Cobras were comfortably placed at 208 for 2 in the 36th over of a 240 run chase. Duminy hit the first four balls of Leie’s over for maximums. Though on the fifth ball he could only steal a double. Just when it seemed the party was over, the leggie bowled a no-ball which was hit for a boundary.
Then on the final ball of the over Duminy again cleared the ropes as his team recorded victory in style.
“It is not every day you get the opportunity, so of course I was trying to go for the six sixes in an over,” Duminy was quoted as saying by ESPNCricinfo after finishing unbeaten on 70 off just 37 balls.
“I initially thought it was all about the bonus point. I looked up at the scoreboard and we needed 35 with four overs still to go to get the bonus point, so I just decided to take Eddie on. I was striking the ball really cleanly, and when the first two went for six, I figured I might as well give it a full go now because regardless whether I get out we would still have secured the bonus point. It was enjoyable.” he added.
Duminy ensured his place in history books as he smoked the second-most runs in an over of List A cricket.
The List A record is held by Zimbabwe’s Elton Chigumbura (39) off Bangladesh’s Alauddin Babu in a Dhaka Premier Division match in 2013-14.