United Services Portsmouth’s Minhajul Latif smashes six sixes in one over in high-scoring Hampshire League victory over Hambledon

Asked to chase 248 for victory in the Division 5 South East fixture, US were behind the run rate when Wayne Norman ran in to bowl the first ball of the 27th over.

There was little sign of the carnage that was to come - Norman having only conceded 16 runs in his first five overs, including a no ball.

But Latif proceeded to smash a maximum 36 off his sixth over on his way to a second successive six-laden half-century.

Latif, batting at No 5, hit a four and a single off the two balls he faced in the next over from Ollie Sedgwick.

Owain Chapman replaced Norman for the 28th over, only to see Latif bring up his 50 with his seventh six in nine deliveries.

That was where his fun ended, as Latif was caught by James Miller off the next ball.

The previous week Latif had hit six sixes and two fours in scoring 52 in a defeat against Rowner.

US still had a lot of work to do when Latif was dismissed, but opener Raj Das found another willing partner in No 7 Ian Cole, who hit 41 off 34 balls on the all-artificial surface at the Burnaby Road site.

Das looked as if he would bat all the way through, but was run out by Norman for 73 - made off 98 balls - off the last delivery of the 39th over.

Tawfiq Ahmed, though, struck the first ball of the last over - bowled by David Mann - to the boundary to seal a memorable one-wicket victory.

Teenager Oscar Mann had earlier struck five sixes - all off the bowling of Tom Coombs (1-77 off eight overs) - as he raced to 88 off 56 deliveries before being dismissed by Cole (4-55).

Mann, hitting his highest HL score for the club, also struck eight fours.

David Mann - Oscar’s dad - hit 58 off 82 balls as the visitors posted 247-7, but thanks to Latif that wasn’t enough as Hambledon slid to only a second league loss of 2021.