By yadanarbon So today I got curious about who smacked the most sixes in Test cricket. Just popped into my head while watching highlights last night. Figured it’d be easy to find. Boy, was I wrong.
Starting the Hunt
First, I grabbed my phone thinking a quick Google would do it. Typed in “most test cricket sixes ever”. Saw a bunch of names popping up – McCullum, Gayle, Gilchrist. Made me nod. Yeah, those guys loved whacking the ball.
But then I noticed something weird. Different lists showed different numbers. One site said McCullum had 107, another said 109. Drove me nuts. Which one was right?
Digging Deeper (And Messing Up)
Decided I needed proper stats. Went to the big cricket stats websites everyone uses. Pain in the neck clicking through those menus! First, I put in Ben Stokes – dude’s always hitting sixes lately. Counter said 128. Wow, higher than I thought!
Then I checked Gayle. His number was big too. Started scribbling names and numbers on a scrap paper like a madman. My table looked like this:
- McCullum: 107 (or was it 109?)
- Gayle: 98
- Gilchrist: 100
- Adam Gilchrist: 100
- Stokes: 128
Stokes’ number stuck out. Thought I nailed it. “Stokes is the king!” I mumbled. Almost closed the tab.
The Big Mistake Hits Me
Then I scrolled down… saw a tiny note on the stats page. Said “Figures include all international matches”. Felt like an idiot. I only wanted Test matches! Total mix-up.
Deleted my messy paper list. Took a deep breath. Time to start over, filtering only for Tests this time.
Finally Getting It Right
Found the filter options. Tiny checkbox: “Test Matches Only”. Clicked it. Held my breath.
The list reloaded. McCullum’s name shot straight to the top. 107 sixes! Clear as day now. Felt so dumb for missing that filter earlier. Scrolled down the all-time list:
- Brendon McCullum (NZ): 107
- Adam Gilchrist (AUS): 100
- Chris Gayle (WI): 98
- Jacques Kallis (SA): 97
- Ben Stokes (ENG): 128 (but wait, his Test-only count was way lower? Nope, forgot the filter AGAIN! Filter was ON this time).
Stokes was actually at 128 in all formats combined? No, his Test-only figure is different. Had to recheck. Searched specifically for Stokes in Tests only. Counter showed something around 128? Wait, no, hold on! That confused me. Finally, focused ONLY on Test data.
McCullum solidly on top with 107 Test sixes. Gilchrist second at 100. Stokes was climbing fast but still trailing in Tests. Lesson learned: ALWAYS double-check the filters!
The Shocking Total Revealed
Stared at McCullum’s number – 107 Test sixes. Way bigger than I ever imagined someone could hit in the long game. Felt crazy. Kept whispering “107… one hundred and seven?” out loud. Just mind-blowing.
Wrapping Up My Messy Adventure
Ended up spending nearly two hours on this simple question. Went down so many wrong paths. Mixed up formats, trusted the wrong lists, messed up filters twice. But finally got there.
Moral of the story? Cricket stats are trickier than they look online. And Brendan McCullum? That guy just loved clearing the ropes in whites. What a legend.
