Cricket’s record books hold many jaw-dropping feats, but none quite as surreal as the much-debated world record of 77 runs off a single over—an event so bizarre that it makes even Sachin Tendulkar’s 100 centuries and Don Bradman’s average of 99.94 seem ordinary by comparison.
The Match: Shell Trophy, Christchurch, February 1990
On the final day of the Shell Trophy encounter in Christchurch, Wellington set Canterbury a seemingly impossible target of 291 runs in just 59 overs. By late in the game, Canterbury was all but out of contention, losing 8 wickets for 108 runs and facing defeat. What followed next etched itself into cricket legend.
Wellington’s Strategy Backfires Spectacularly
Determined to force a win and desperate to avoid a draw, Wellington’s coach John Morrison and captain Irving McSweeney cooked up a risky ploy: hand the ball to Bert Vance, who would bowl intentionally loose, run-filled overs. The hope was that Canterbury, with only two wickets left and needing 95 runs off 12 balls, would chase recklessly and lose their last batsmen.
Vance began bowling, deliberately sending down a sequence of no balls. Incredibly, in his first 17 deliveries, only one was legal. Canterbury’s batsmen Lee Germon and Roger Ford took full advantage—and the scoreboards struggled to keep up.
The Historic 77-Run Over
Over the course of 22 balls, Germon smashed 8 sixes, 5 fours, and racked up 70 runs personally; Ford chipped in, and the total for the over was an eye-popping 77 runs. With the confusion caused by the deluge of no balls, even the scorers and umpires lost count at times, and only 5 legitimate balls were counted in the over’s official tally.
The Final Over Drama and Aftermath
In the last over, Canterbury needed 18 runs for victory but, amid scoreboard confusion, only managed 17—leaving the match tied. In fact, as the dust settled, it became clear Canterbury had needed just 1 more for the win, but the match ended in a draw due to inaccurate calculations.
This game remains one of cricket’s most extraordinary stories, with the 77-run over an unbeaten, virtually unbreakable record. It’s a tale illustrating that, in cricket, even the seemingly impossible can unfold on the field.