Is 286 runs off one ball really the baap of all records?

The all time record is in the name of Victoria team, who were fighting it out with Western Australia. One of the batsmen of Victoria hit the ball so hard that it got stuck in the branch of a tree, that overhung the boundary line.

In case the ball was not visible, the Umpire had the right to ask the players to use a new ball. But the situation was such that the ball was clearly visible, but due to its height, the fielding team was struggling to fetch.

Making the best of the situation, the batsmen started running non-stop. However, after nearly 20 minutes, the ball was brought down with the help of an airgun. The fielders still had a chance- that is to catch the ball before it hit the ground. But the Victoria fielders failed there too.

By the time the ball reached the wicket keeper’s hand, the batsmen completed 286 runs off that one ball.

But is it true?

The match report looks unbelievable right? Many sports experts also are of the same opinion. There are some pointers which indicate that this report may not be true. But it has not been declared completely impossible either.

Among the doubts, for example, the match was held in Australia but the report first appeared in a newspaper in England. Another valid point is that the report does not mention the names of the players. Even the teams mentioned are not that famous.

The official record for highest runs in one ball is held by the Garry Chapman in a club match in Australia, where he scored 17 runs. The ball is said to have vanished into a patch of long grass and the fielders struggled to find it. By the time they found the ball, Chapman had scored 17 runs.