Highest 6th Wicket Partnerships in ODI
Playing at lower middle order isn’t a piece of cake. These guys make sure they steady the ship when the team suffers a top-order collapse, while also shoulders the responsibility of finishing the inning on a great note. A team thus look out extensively for players who could stitch together big partnerships at lower down the order when needed and also have the ability to tonk huge sixes.
Not many have been able to dominate those positions successfully for a long period of time. We haven’t seen a lot of big partnerships lower down the order. But the ones we have witnessed are an absolute treat to watch.
In this article, we look at the highest 6th Wicket Partnerships in ODI:
#5 Shehan Jayasuriya and Dasun Shanaka (177 Runs)
Sri Lanka though lost that game to Pakistan by 67 runs but the match will be remembered for two fighting knocks from Shehan Jayasuriya and Dasun Shanaka. In pursuit of the 305-run total, Sri Lanka had lost five wickets for just 28 runs inside 10.1 overs.
The young lads in Shehan Jayasuriya and Dasun Shanaka then steadied the ship and ensured the team won’t lose any wicket for the next 30 overs. The duo fought hard and stitched together a 171-run partnership for the sixth wicket before Usman Shinwari accounted for the wicket of Jayasuriya in the 40th over. Jayasuriya scored 96 runs off109 balls, while Shanaka amassed 68 runs off 80 balls. Sri Lanka, in the end, fell short of 67 runs but the partnership between Jayasuriya and Shanaka went into the record books as the fifth highest for the sixth wicket.
#4 Tatenda Taibu and Stuart Matsikenyeri (188 Runs)
Zimbabwe pair of Tatenda Taibu and Stuart Matsikenyeri holds the record for the fourth-highest 6th-wicket partnership in ODI. South Africa had posted 295-run total in the first innings. Hashim Amla top-scored for them with 96-ball 80.
South African reduced Zimbabwe to 48 for 5 in the second innings. Tatenda Taibu and Stuart Matsikenyeri weren’t willing to give away easily as they put together a brilliant partnership of 188 runs to take their team to as close to the target as possible.
The duo tough couldn’t take their team over the line as they could manage to post 250 runs in the second innings. Taibu scored an unbeaten 103-run knock off 112 balls, while Matsikenyeri played well for his 87-ball 86.
#3 Alex Carey and Glenn Maxwell (212 Runs)
Glenn Maxwell and Alex Carey endured a poor run in the IPL 2020. However, they came into the tournament with a sensational partnership the duo put together in the final ODI of the three-match ODI series between England and Australia.
Batting first, England had posted a formidable 302-run total in the first innings, courtesy a brilliant 112-run knock from Jonny Bairstow. England started off brilliantly with the ball too, having reduced Australia to 73 for 5 in 17 overs.
Glenn Maxwell and Alex Carey then joined hands and produced a mouth-watering 212-run partnership for the sixth over. Alex Carey scored 106 runs off 114 balls, while Maxwell too supported him brilliantly with 108 runs off 90 balls. Both gave away their wickets in the final overs of the innings, but Mitchell Starc hit a six and a four in the final over to win the game for Australia and thereby take the series 2-1.
The partnership between Maxwell and Alex Carey sits at number three position in the list of highest sixth-wicket partnerships in ODIs.
#2 Mahela Jayawardene and MS Dhoni (218 Runs)
The third game between Asia XI and Africa XI in the 2007 Afro-Asia Cup saw Mahela Jayawardene and MS Dhoni put on a crucial 218 runs partnership for the sixth wicket to guide their team to a 331-run total in the first innings.
Owing to a sensational opening spell from Morne Morkel and Ongondo, Asia XI lost their first five wickets in the form of Virender Sehwag, Sanath Jayasuriya, Upul Tharanga, Yuvraj Singh, and Mohammad Yousuf for just 72 runs. Skipper Mahela Jayawardene and MS Dhoni then joined hands to begin the rescue act.
The duo piled on 218 runs for the sixth wicket before Jayawardene lost his wicket in the 47th over. He scored 107 runs off 106 balls, while MS Dhoni played a sensational knock of 139 runs off just 97 balls. Asia XI won that game by 13 runs.
#1 Grant Elliott and Luke Ronchi (267 Runs)
After dismissing five New Zealand batsmen for just 93 runs, Sri Lankans never had thought that the former would end up scoring 360 runs in the first innings. Coming in at number seven, Luke Ronchi wreaked havoc in the fifth ODI against Sri Lanka in 2015. The New Zealand batsman made a mockery of Sri Lankan bowlers as he played a sensational knock of 170 runs off just 99 balls, a knock which was laced with 14 fours and 9 sixes.
Grant Elliott too supported him brilliantly with a blistering knock of 104 runs off 96 balls, including 7 fours and 2 sixes. The duo added 267 runs for the sixth wicket and helped New Zealand post a 36-run total in the first innings. Sri Lanka tried hard to get as close to the total as possible but fell short of 108 runs in the end. The 267-run partnership between Ronchi and Elliot is ranked the highest 6th wicket partnership in ODIs.
