Herschelle Gibbs smashed six sixes off one over Friday to set an international record and help South Africa register the third-highest wining margin at the World Cup. In a Group A match reduced to 40 overs-a-side due to rain, Gibbs hit leg spinner Daan van Bunge for 36 runs off the 30th over as South Africa reached 353-3 for the fifth-highest World Cup total. “After the fourth one, I thought it could be on,” Gibbs said. “I thought about using my feet and coming down the pitch, but I changed my mind. I decided to stay in the crease and see what he comes up with. “The idea was to have another two goes at it (the record), and luckily I didn’t miscue any of them, so it was quite nice. I was lucky the straight boundaries were quite small.” Tournament sponsor Johnnie Walker now has to donate US$1 million to Habitat for Humanity housing projects to commemorate Gibbs’ feat after launching the Six Sixes challenge. Jacques Kallis blazed 128 not out from 109 balls and added 134 off 9.1 overs with Mark Boucher (75), who took just 21 balls to record the fastest World Cup 50. The Netherlands were held to 132 for nine for South Africa to win by 221 runs. Kallis also shared in a stand of 114 with Graeme Smith (67) and had a 105-run partnership with Gibbs (72), who hit seven sixes overall and faced just 40 balls. The Proteas hit a limited-overs record 18 sixes in the innings — beating the 16 that New Zealand hit at Zimbabwe in 1995; and the 15 by South Africa against Zimbabwe in 2006. Netherlands captain Luuk van Troost won the toss and sent South Africa in to bat, expecting some help from a pitch that had sweated under covers and from the wet outfield. Billy Stelling vindicated that decision with a wicket maiden to start the match — AB de Villiers (0) slashed at a wide delivery on the second ball and edged it to wicketkeeper Jeroen Smits. The Netherlands kept it tight, restricting South Africa to 4-1 in the sixth over until Smith hit a straight six off Darron Reekers to signal a new attacking intent. Peter Borren, who was brought after Tim de Leede’s first two overs cost 26 runs, struck in his second over. Smith skied a ball to be caught by van Bunge at backward point and leave South Africa on 114-2. Gibbs then attacked van Bunge as he flighted his first three balls of his fourth over — the 30th of the innings. The first three balls flew down the ground and hit halfway up a building that houses broadcast media. van Bunge bowled a full toss that went over midwicket, before trying two flatter, faster balls that were dispatched over long-on and then long-off to create cricket history. Gibbs was out the following over when he skied a ball to van Bunge at long-on, but his dismissal merely allowed Boucher to come in and bludgeon nine fours and four sixes. South Africa: A de Villiers c Smits b Stelling 0, G Smith c van Bunge b Borren 67, J Kallis not out 128, H Gibbs c van Bunge b van Troost 72, M Boucher not out 75 Extras (lb 2, nb 1, w 8)11; Total (for three wkts) 353 Fall of wickets 1-0, 2-114, 3-219 Bowling: W Stelling 8-1-43-1; D Reekers 5-1-35-0; R ten Doeschate 7-0-58-0; T de Leede 4-0-48-0; P Borren 8-0-52-1; D van Bunge 4-0-56-0; L van Troost 4-0-59-1 Netherlands: B Zuiderent b Pollock 1, D Reekers runout Prince 4, A Kervezee c Pollock b Langeveldt 17, R ten Doeschate runout de Villiers 57, D van Bunge lbw b Hall 5, E Szwarczynski lbw b Smith 12, T de Leede b Kemp 21 , P Borren runout Kallis/Smith 2, L van Troost c Smith b Kemp 5, W Stellling not out 1 Extras (lb 4, w 2, nb 1) 7; Total (for nine wickets) 132 Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-6, 3-33, 4-47, 5-72, 6-114, 7-124, 8-131, 9-132. Bowling: S Pollock 6-3-4-1, A Nel 6-1-19-0, C Langeveldt 6-0-22-1, A Hall 6-1-15-1, G Smith 8-0-32-1, J Kallis 4-0-18-1, J Kemp 4-0-18-2. Man-of-the-Match: Herschelle Gibbs
