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Martin Guptill, a former New Zealand cricketer, put in a sensational show of rapid batting on Wednesday, scoring 34 runs in an over during the Legends League Cricket 2024. Guptill,
who plays for the Southern Super Stars, hit five sixes and one four off Navin Stewart during a match against Konark Suryas Odisha at Surat’s Lalabhai Contractor Stadium.
During the powerplay’s final over, Guptill started with a six over deep midwicket before smashing the ball over the deep square leg fielder.
Carnage continued as he smashed another six over the sweeper cover. The next ball went for a boundary, but Guptill hit two more sixes with the last two deliveries.
Guptill finished unbeaten on 131 from 54 deliveries as his team won by seven wickets.
Konark Suryas Odisha’s Richard Levi and Jesse Ryder opened the innings after losing the toss and being sent in. Subodh Bhati dismissed Levi for 63 from 21 balls after they accumulated 76 runs for the first wicket.
Jesse Ryder only managed to add 18 from 18 balls. Yusuf Pathan scored 33 runs off 22 balls. Skipper Irfan Pathan scored ten runs off ten balls. Dilshan Munaweera hit 16 from 13 balls toward the end, while Vinay Kumar remained unbeaten on 18* from 13 balls, helping their team achieve 192/9 in 20 overs.34
Subodh Bhati was the Southern Superstars’ standout bowler, taking 3-22 in three overs. Chathuranga de Silva took 2-21 from 4 overs. Abdur Razzak (1-33), Monu Kumar Singh (1/36), and Pawan Negi (1-26) each took one wicket in the innings.
Southern Superstars’ openers were skipper Shreevats Goswami and Martin Guptill, who were chasing a goal of 193. They shared 33 runs for the first wicket before Goswami was out for 19 off 15 balls.
Guptill was then joined by Hamilton Masakadza in the center. The pair shared a partnership of 90 runs for the second wicket. Pawan Negi too went unbeaten, scoring 15 not out from 11 balls.34
Ben Laughlin (1-27) and Pravin Tambe (1-39) were Konark Suryas Odisha’s only bowlers to take wickets in the innings.
