Graham Napier

Essex all-rounder Graham Napier hit 16 sixes to equal the record for the number of sixes in a first-class innings in a county match against Surrey on Thursday. Napier, 31, is playing his first first-class game since June after suffering a back injury last season.

Graham Napier racked up 176 of his 196 runs in boundaries, in total he whacked 16 sixes, equaling Andrew Symonds record for the most ever hit in a first-class innings. He justified his promotion with some spectacular hitting that demoralized most of the visiting bowlers. As Napier warmed to his task he reached his half-century from 24 balls and quickly celebrated with three successive sixes in an over from Dwayne Smith

This day at the cricket has rarely been such a dangerous occupation. While Graham Napier was hitting the ball so cleanly that the crowd had to scatter, duck and cover to avoid his blows and some strokes went on the street outside the ground. He made 196, and 176 of those were scored in boundaries.

He also evoked memories of his 152 not out off 58 balls in the Twenty20 against Sussex in 2008 – an innings in which he also scored a competition record 16 sixes. That innings set a number of records, notably the highest individual score in a T20 innings in England, and in the domestic Twenty20 competition; the highest number of sixes in an individual Twenty20 innings; the most runs scored in boundaries in an individual Twenty20 innings (136 runs, scored as 10 fours, and 16 sixes).

Twelve months ago Graham Napier was wondering if he would ever play four-day cricket again after suffering a double stress fracture of the back. Fast forward and he is disturbing the record books for the second time in his career having crashed 16 sixes in a phenomenal display against a hapless Surrey attack. If required to bat again, Napier would need to clear the ropes five more times to break the record for sixes in a first-class match, which was also set by Symonds at Abergavenny in 1995.

All-rounder Napier, also holds the record for sixes in a Twenty20 innings, was last man out for Essex after also sharing a ninth-wicket stand of 190 with Chris Wright, who contributed 34. He fell short of claiming the outright record when he skied an attempted pull off Stuart Meaker and was caught by home wicketkeeper Steve Davies.

Tags: Essex, Graham Napier, Surrey