Representing Rugeley Second XI against Springvale Seconds, the 45-year-old blasted 150 off just 51 balls to help his side to a crushing 156-run victory in Division Three.
Gretton’s astonishing innings included 19 sixes and six fours at a strike-rate of 294, but even he admitted he had little idea of the history he may have been making.
“I’ve heard rumours that no one’s done it before,” Gretton told BBC Sport of the feat of hitting six sixes in an over off consecutive overs.
Coming to the crease with Rugeley in trouble at 7-2, Gretton started cautiously before launching an extraordinary assault on the bowling attack.
After reaching 43 off 21 deliveries, the experienced batter exploded in the 10th and 11th overs, clearing the ropes 12 times across the two overs.
The 10th over started with a first-ball wide, followed by two successive sixes which took him to a 23-ball fifty.
He hit four more sixes and a no-ball allowed him to run a single off the final ball of the over and keep the strike.
Four sixes off the first four deliveries of the 11th over took him to a 36-ball century, before he launched the final two deliveries over the boundary ropes to complete the incredible batting feat.
“It wasn’t an intentional thing,” said Gretton, who has played for Rugeley for more than 30 years.
“They just kept bowling it in the same place, and didn’t learn until I’d probably got about 120, 130 that maybe they should change the length a little bit.”
The carnage included several lost balls and lengthy delays as fielders searched nearby car parks and rooftops.
Sir Garfield Sobers was the first player to achieve the feat in first-class cricket back in 1968.
Only four players have done this in international cricket, namely South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs, Yuvraj Singh of India, Kieron Pollard of the West Indies, and Jaskaran Malhotra of the United States.
Photo: Rugeley Cricket Club/Facebook
