Mitchell Marsh becomes first Australian cricketer to achieve this sensational milestone
Published - 10 Aug 2025, 04:46 PM | Updated - 10 Aug 2025, 04:47 PM
Table of Contents
Australia’s T20I captain and star all-rounder Mitchell Marsh made history on August 10 in the first match of the three-match T20I series against South Africa at Marrara Cricket Ground in Darwin. Mitchell Marsh is playing as an opener for Australia in T20I cricket.
Facing the first ball as the Australian opener, Marsh hit the South African fast bowler Lungi Ngidi for a six. He didn’t hit the ball perfectly, but it still went over the boundary. The boundary line was brought closer. The ball was full and moving away from the batsman outside the off stump.
Mitchell Marsh becomes the first Australian to hit six off the first ball of a T20I match
Marsh tried to hit it with a lofted shot but only got the edge of the bat. Still, the ball flew all the way over long-off for a six thanks to his strength. With this shot, the star all-rounder became the first Australian cricketer ever to hit a six off the first ball of a T20 International match.
Read Also: Heartbreaking!! Jonny Bairstow officially ends England comeback dreams
However, the former Australian captain Aaron Finch had also hit a six on the first ball of a T20I innings against India in Mohali in 2022, but it was during a run chase off Bhuvneshwar Kumar, which makes Marsh’s feat unique, as he smashed the maximum while facing the first ball of the match in the shorter format of the game as captain.
After his six, Mitchell Marsh kept the momentum going by hitting a four on the next legal delivery after the second ball was declared wide. Lungi Ngidi bowled a back-of-a-length ball with some room to hit. And the Australian captain quickly swings hard, sending the ball flying over the offside fielders.
FIRST BALL IN DARWIN GOES FOR SIX! @BKTtires | #PlayoftheDay | #AUSvSA pic.twitter.com/fJlXiAujTG
— cricket.com.au (@cricketcomau) August 10, 2025
Mitchell Marsh’s explosive start ends with a spectacular catch by Kwena Maphaka
It bounces once before crossing the boundary for a boundary. His aggressive start gave Australia a strong start, but his innings was cut short soon after. On the first ball of the fourth over, Marsh was caught by Kwena Maphaka, who took a fantastic catch to end the Australian skipper’s stay.
Kagiso Rabada delivered a good length ball on the leg side, and Mitchell Marsh tried to play an aggressive pickup shot. However, the ball went higher than he expected, soaring way up in the air. Kwena Maphaka sprinted to his left from deep square leg and kept his eyes fixed on the ball all the time.
He took the catch cleanly with both hands, and Marsh walked back to the pavilion for 13 runs off 7 balls, including one four and one six against South Africa in the ongoing first T20I match. Earlier, Travis Head was dismissed for 2 by Rabada on the last ball of the second over.
Read Also: Shubman Gill snatches T20I vice-captaincy from Axar Patel, replaces Rohit Sharma as ODI skipper
Australia posts second-highest powerplay total against South Africa
Josh Inglis was dismissed for a golden duck by George Linde on the second ball of the third over of Australia’s innings. Notably, Australia scored 71 runs for the loss of 4 wickets in the powerplay in the ongoing match, which is their second-highest powerplay total against South Africa. '
Australia's highest powerplay score was 75 runs without losing any wickets against South Africa, which they achieved in Cape Town in 2020.
About the Author
Rashmi Wasnik is a passionate content writer with over a decade of experience. She started her journ... Read more
