BASSETERRE, St Kitts - South Africa's Herschelle Gibbs created World Cup history when he smashed six sixes in an over to put the Netherlands to the sword in their Group A match today.
On a record-breaking day for the South Africans, Gibbs hammered hapless leg spinner Daan van Bunge back over his head four times and over the ropes on the on side twice to become the first player to achieve the feat at the World Cup.
He also became the third man ever to achieve the feat in first class cricket, joining India?s Ravi Shastri and West Indian Garfield Sobers.
Gibbs heroics completely overshadowed the fastest half-century scored in the World Cup by Mark Boucher and Jacques Kallis' century as South Africa racked up a mammoth 353 for three in a match reduced to 40 overs-a-side after overnight rain delayed the start of the match.
Kallis scored a measured 128 not out, Gibbs made a whirlwind 72, Graeme Smith added 67, and Mark Boucher was 75 not out after reaching his half-century off a record 21 deliveries.
Gibbs launched Van Bunge's first delivery of the 30th over high over long-on, and followed that blow with strikes over long-off, twice, a six over mid-wicket, and another pair of sixes over long-off.
Gibbs pyrotechnic innings was ended five balls later when he holed out to a catch on the long-on boundary off a ball from Dutch captain Luuk van Troost.
He faced just 40 balls, and hit four fours and seven sixes in all.
The Dutch tasted success with just the second ball of the match when AB de Villiers played a flatfooted cut to a delivery from medium pacer Billy Stelling and was caught behind by wicketkeeper Jeroen Smits without a run on the board.
But South Africa's heavyweight batting line-up soon clicked into gear.
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