Cricket: Styris hits century off 37 balls

Former New Zealand cricketer Scott Styris has hit the joint-third fastest century in Twenty20 history, when blasting an unbeaten ton off 37 balls for his Sussex county side.

Styris' remarkable knock, which included 38 runs off one over, helped Sussex beat Gloucestershire at Hove.

"I'm just pleased I got a few in the middle,' 37-year-old Styris said to a television interviewer afterwards. "I'm just a slogger these days, they all seem to go even when I don't want them to.''

Sussex, the 2009 winners, posted a total of 230-4, the highest score from any team in the 2012 competition. In reply, Gloucestershire could reach only 191-8.

Styris hit nine sixes in his century. Gloucestershire's James Fuller conceded 38 runs from one over as he bowled two no balls, one of which was smashed for six by Styris, who also hit three fours and three other sixes in the same over.

Styris also claimed the early wicket of Gloucestershire's Benny Howell to leave the visitors on 16-1 in reply.

Australian Andrew Symonds holds the record for the fastest T20 century when reaching the total off 34 balls when playing for Kent against Middlesex in 2004.

Top five fastest tons:
34 balls - A Symonds, Kent v Middlesex, 2004
35 balls - LP van der Westhuizen, Namibia v Kenya, 2011/12
37 balls - YK Pathan, Jaipur v Mumba, 2009/10
37 balls - SB Styris, Sussex v Gloucestershire, 2012
40 balls - Ahmed Shehzad, Barisal Burners v Duronto, 2011/12