Tunnicliffe turns on style in sixes

HOW would you celebrate hitting six sixes in an over?

In the case of Taita’s Phil Tunnicliffe, it was in low-key fashion.

‘‘I gave it a sneaky fist pump,’’ Tunnicliffe said.

Johnsonville’s Salman Faizal was the unlucky bowler, also sending down a wide to ensure the over went for 37.

Taita had been chasing 184, in 35 overs, to beat Johnsonville at Te Whiti Park, in the first round of Wellington premier men’s 50-over competition. A damp patch in the bowlers’ run-up area meant the match became a reduced overs affair, which proved no bother to Tunnicliffe, who estimated he was in the 40s when Faizal came on to bowl his left-arm spinners.

‘‘I hit four sixes in a row and then the bowler’s tried to change his line and chucked in a wide and then he put the other two in the slot. I think the first one brought up my 50, but I’m not sure,’’ said Tunnicliffe.

The 27-year-old had only been looking to dispatch the balls to one place and was overjoyed to get six deliveries made to measure.

‘‘Pretty much cow’s corner. I should probably say wide mid-on. That’s my hitting zone,’’ he said.

And continued to be, right up until Tunnicliffe had made it to 98 in just 47 balls. The 48th proved his undoing, holing out while ‘‘trying to hit another 6.’’

‘‘It’s kind of stupid when you think about it. I probably