Cricket Week Recap: From Leo Carter’s Six Sixes to Marnus Labuschagne’s Double Hundred to James Anderson’s Record Fifer, a Look at Finest Individual Performances

A year went by, a decade closed and a New Year with brighter hopes, bigger aspirations entered mother Earth. Celebrations, parties and smiling faces were all around as year 2020 got going and a new decade started. Some of those smiling faces, celebratory teammates were in the cricket field too where Marnus Labuschagne displayed a gritty example of what second chances meant to an athlete. James Anderson showed why age was just another number and Nathan Lyon – Australia’s third-highest Test wicket-taker – made the ball turn and twirl and exhibited why aspirations don’t die. Cricket in the opening week of 2020 was as flavorous as it could get, as entertaining as it has always been and intense enough to draw a packed house. Check out some of the best performances of the week in our latest cricket week recap and first of year 2020. Ben Stokes Becomes First English Cricketer to Take Five Catches in an Innings, Surpasses Joe Root’s Record.

Australia met New Zealand at Sydney with the series already decided while South Africa, having just beaten England in a Boxing Day Test match to open their World Test Championship account, headed to Cape Town hoping to extend their renaissance under the new regime. These, however, wasn’t the only matches cricket dished out in the opening week of 2020.

There was the Big Bash too where D’arcy Short hit a fine century for Hobart Hurricanes. Raman Bishnoi slammed his second first-class ton in his only fourth match. But the biggest story of the week came on Sunday when Leo Carter became only the seventh cricketer to smash six sixes in an over. Take a look at some of those best individual performances below.

Marnus Labuschagne – 215 Against New Zealand in Sydney

He has been in the form of his life ever since Steve Smith was forced to retire hurt after landing a heavy blow on the head off Jofra Archer in an Ashes Test match. Marnus Labuschagne stepped in as a concussion substitute – courtesy the new rules – and hasn’t looked back ever since. The 25-year-old’s Test record read only two half-centuries in nine innings before the substitute appearance at Lord’s.

Since then Labuschagne has hit 4 centuries and 6 fifties and enjoys a Test average only second to Don Bradman. But on January 3, 2020, Labuschagne hit a new milestone – a double century, his maiden double hundred – to add more glamour to what has been a golden summer for the right-handed batsman. His innings of 215 runs comprised of 19 boundaries and a maximum setting Australia on course for another clean sweep over New Zealand.

Leo Carter – Six Sixes Against Northern Knights

Carter’s massive feat helped Canterbury Kings beat Northern Knights by 7 wickets while chasing 220 runs in 20 overs. Carter’s six sixes not only put him the elite list of seven cricketers to have recorded this feat but also made him the first-ever to achieve the feat in the Super Smash – New Zealand’s domestic T20 competition.

Carter, 25, smashed Anton Devcich for six sixes in the 16th over of Canterbury’s chase taking his scores from 11 runs off 12 balls to 47 from 18 deliveries. Carter finished with an unbeaten knock of 70 from 29 balls with 7 sixes and 3 fours to help his side chase down the massive score with 7 deliveries and as many wickets to spare. Devcich after the beating ended with a figure of 61 from 4 overs.

James Anderson – 5/40 Against South Africa in Cape Town

A 37-year-old out with a ligament tear for over a year returns for the 1st Ashes Test against Australia but last just 4 overs before being sidelined for another long spell. He eventually returns four days before the New Year and helps England fight toe on toe against South Africa. England lost but Anderson looked like he has rediscovered his bowling form.

In the next Test, Anderson takes a five-wicket haul to surpass compatriot Ian Botham and Ravi Ashwin in the list of most fifers in Test cricket. Anderson ran through the South African lower order to add to his scalp of skipper Faf du Plessis and achieve a 28th five-wicket haul in Test matches.

Nathan Lyon – 5/68 Against New Zealand in Sydney

Nathan Lyon edged closer to 400 Test wicket with another five-wicket haul. Lyon, who with 385 wickets is already Australia’s third-highest Test wicket-taker, spun New Zealand to take Australia close to another victory and complete what should be a successful summer for the baggy greens. Lyon’s figures of 5/68 in 30.4 over wad his 17th Test fifer and second in the space of a month. He had already taken 15 wickets in five innings in the series and could add more to his feat.

Raman Bishnoi – 100 Against Nagaland in Ranji Trophy

Raman Bishnoi, a 22-year-old right-handed batsman from Punjab, hit his second first-class century in his only fourth appearance for Chandigarh. Bishnoi, who scored his maiden FC hundred against Meghalaya in Chandigarh’s last game followed it with another hundred against Nagaland. His score 100 from 83 deliveries, which comprised of 12 boundaries and 3 maximums, helped Chandigarh post 400 on board.

D’Arcy Short – 103 Not Out in Big Bash League

D'Arcy Short made most of four reprieves to score his second Big Bash century and first in three seasons T20 competition. Short, who was dropped four times, hit a hundred of 70 deliveries with the help of 7 maximums and 3 boundaries to help Hobart Hurricanes post a respectable total on board and eventually defend it to win by 8 runs against Perth Scorchers. The win also helped the Hurricanes record their third win in six games and stay fifth with six points.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 06, 2020 11:11 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).