Tenth Six-less ODI in Last Two Years

Mumbai: As the debate rages over whether the 50-over game needs to be confined to history, split into a contest involving four innings or be retained as it is comes an interesting bit of statistics.

During the second ODI between England and Australia at Lord's yesterday, which Australia won to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven rubber, not a single six was hit by either side.

There were 41 boundary hits in the match and all were fours, to make it the ninth occasion, and first in this century, when not a single six was hit in an England-Australia ODI match.

This was also the tenth ODI in the last two years in which there were no sixes, indicating a growing trend, according to Ahmedabad-based statistician Tushar Trivedi.

It was also the first such instance in an ODI involving these two old-time rivals since 1993. On the previous occasion too the tie was held at Lord's, according to Trivedi.