Stoinis hits six sixes in an over

Commonwealth Bank Bushrangers allrounder Marcus Stoinis has achieved one of cricket's rarest feats, hitting six sixes in an over during a match in Brisbane on Wednesday.

Playing for the National Performance Squad in a 50-over match against the National Indigenous Squad at Allan Border Field, Stoinis launched part-time medium-pacer Brendan Smith for six sixes in an over on his way to 121 from 73 balls.

Smith, captain of the NSW Under-17s who bowled well in taking 2-17 in a practice match against the Southern Stars on Saturday, also sent down a wide meaning his one over of the match went for 37 runs.

Full scorecard: NPS v National Indigenous Squad

Stoinis launched the assault in the 37th over with the NPS in a spot of bother at 5-165.

The first ball from Smith was a wide before Stoinis smacked six consecutive maximums over the short leg-side boundary at AB Field, with the centre-wicket close to the grandstand side of the ground.

The first three deliveries were short of a length and dispatched over mid-wicket before three fuller deliveries were sent over the rope at long-on.

The NPS won the match by 42 runs, with Smith scoring 39 in the chase and Stoinis taking 1-20 from five overs.

There have been just four recorded instances of a cricketer hitting six sixes in an over at first-class level or higher.

Sir Garfield Sobers was the first batsman to achieve the feat, hitting Glamorgan's Malcolm Nash over the fence six times playing for Nottinghamshire in Swansea in 1968.

It took 17 years before the Sobers's record was matched, with Bombay's Ravi Shastri hitting left-arm spinner Tilak Raj for six sixes in a Ranji Trophy match against Baroda in 1985.

STOINIS TONKS 6x6s IN AN OVER!The National Performance Squad including big names Matthew Wade, Stoinis, Pattinson,... Posted by MyCricket on Tuesday, 7 July 2015

South Africa's Herschelle Gibbs became the first player to achieve the feat in an international match, smashing Netherlands spinner Daan van Bunge for six sixes at the 2007 World Cup, before India's Yuvraj Singh matched Gibbs with 36 off an over bowled by England's Stuart Broad at the 2007 World Twenty20 in Durban.

Stoinis's feat today is unlikely to count towards the official record books, however, as the game is a non-sanctioned practice match.

Adelaide Strikers' West Indian star Kieron Pollard also achieved the feat in a non-sanctioned match late last year.