BASSETERRE, March 17: A spark of inspiration from Brian Lara spurred Herschelle Gibbs to create World Cup history when he lofted six sixes in one over against the Netherlands on Friday.

Gibbs blasted the ball back over hapless leg spinner Daan van Bunge's head four times and over the ropes on the on-side twice to become the first player to rack up 36 runs in a single over at a one-day international and a World Cup.

“I'd seen Brian Lara hit a few (sixes) in Test match cricket and thought I could do something similar. Today happened to be that day,” Gibbs told a news conference following his team's 221-run Group A victory.“The last two balls landed in the right areas for me to have a go and luckily I didn't miscue either of them. If the ball's in the right place I'll try anything.”

Gibbs's heroics allowed him to became only the third member of an exclusive club of players who have hit six sixes in an elite match.

He joined India's Ravi Shastri and West Indian Garfield Sobers, who both achieved the feat in first class cricket in respectively 1985 and 1968.

The 33-year-old launched van Bunge's first delivery of the 30th over high over long-on, and followed that blow with strikes over long-off, twice, a six over mid-wicket, and another pair of sixes over long-off.

Gibbs's whirlwind innings was ended five balls later when he holed out to a catch on the long-on boundary – by van Bunge – off a ball from Dutch captain Luuk van Troost. He faced just 40 balls for his 72, which included four fours and seven sixes.

Despite the remarkable performance, Gibbs refused to get carried away.

“The World Cup only happens every four years and it was good to get some runs in the manner that I did,” he said.

“The six sixes were an added bonus. It was just good to spend some time out in the middle again.”

Gibbs's fireworks were worth $1million to charity after a World Cup sponsor promised to donate the sum if a player hit six sixes in an over during the tournament.

The sponsor said it would pay the money to Habitat for Humanity charity which campaigns against poverty around the world.—Reuters