Cricket Records Set on 6 January

The single-innings record on 6 January leans heavily towards batsmen. Vinoo Mankad's 231 for India against New Zealand in 1956 tops the list, just ahead of Sir Garry Sobers' 226 for West Indies against England in 1960. That same 1960 Test also produced Frank Worrell's 197, Ted Dexter's 136 and Ken Barrington's 128, making it a rare occasion when five separate centuries or near-centuries surface on the same calendar date. More recent entries, such as Virat Kohli's 147 off 230 balls in 2015 and Kane Williamson's 115 off 117 in 2018, show the format has continued to reward strong batting on this date across eras.

Bowling performances on 6 January are fewer but sharp. Max Walker's 6/15 for Australia against Pakistan in 1973 is the tightest figures on record for the date, taken in just 16 overs. Enamul Haque jnr's 6/45 for Bangladesh against Zimbabwe in 2005 is the only other six-wicket haul listed. Beyond those two, figures such as Saeed Ajmal's 5/24 and Alan Hurst's 5/28 show that while big scores have often stolen the headlines, disciplined bowling spells have still cut through on this date in both Tests and ODIs.

In T20 league cricket, 6 January has produced rapid scoring rather than towering totals. BR Dunk's 79 off 49 for Adelaide Strikers against Hobart Hurricanes in the 2016 BBL and James Vince's 79 off 57 for Melbourne Stars against Sydney Sixers in BBL 2023/24 lead the way, with ML Hayden's 76 off 51 and TR Birt's 74 off 36, both from the 2011 Brisbane Heat versus Hobart Hurricanes match, underlining the format's quicker tempo compared with the long-form innings from Tests and ODIs played on the same date.