BIG-HITTING Ombersley Taverners skipper Dave Allen has made cricket statisticians scramble for their record books after bludgeoning a half-century from just 11 balls.

He battered 10 sixes and two fours in an astonishing unbeaten 73 from just 18 deliveries in a Worcestershire League Division Seven South match on Saturday.

Worcestershire League administrator Chris Marsh believes Allen could have set a world record for the fastest half-century.

Indian Yuvraj Singh hammered 50 from 12 balls against England at Durban in 2007 and West Indian Chris Gayle equalled the feat for Melbourne Renegades in January.

Allen’s innings certainly left Bromyard's third-team bowlers bewildered as he wielded his 3lb 14oz Duncan Fearnley willow to great effect.

The 50-year-old from Droitwich smashed 34 runs in an over and finished with a flourish, slamming three successive sixes before surrendering the strike by running off a wide.

“It was great fun and I have never seen anything like it before so I was proud to be the person doing it,” said Allen, who is also Taverners’ secretary, league delegate and welfare officer.

“I have scored centuries in the past for Ombersley and I have always had a reputation as a big-hitting and quick-scoring batsman.

“I always knew that I had this in me but to actually do it in a match is a different thing because I had never seen it happen in a club match.

“It was not the biggest of grounds and it was not the smallest but it was just good fun.”

The carnage unfolded after Allen arrived at the artificial crease, at the Queen Elizabeth Humanities College in Bromyard, with Taverners at 170-4 with around eight overs remaining.

He dispatched his first delivery for four and failed to score from the next before laying siege to Bromyard’s bowlers, losing one ball in the process.

Taverners closed on 294-5 from 45 overs and then dismissed Bromyard for 121 to secure an emphatic 173-run triumph.

“The best thing about the match was everyone from the team contributed to the win,” said Allen, who played for Ombersley for 17 years before forming Taverners in 2014.

“It was a team effort. Those who didn’t bat bowled well and there were some cracking catches taken by our side. Bromyard were competitive and took things in good spirits.”

Allen and his team-mates celebrated afterwards with old stories and drinks at the King’s Arms in Ombersley.

Worcestershire League spokesman Marsh said: “We understand Dave has beaten the previous World first-class record for a half-century which was recorded as 12 balls and set by Yuvraj Singh of India.

“Well done to Dave because it’s quite an achievement and presumably a display of very effective big hitting.”

Allen's highest score is 131 not out for Ombersley Seconds against Kington Seconds in the Worcestershire League in 1999.

He paid tribute to the Fearnley bat he has used for the past three seasons and said it was tailor made by the legendary Duncan Fearnley.

“At the time, Duncan actually said it was one of the heaviest bats he had ever made,” said Allen.

“I have always used Fearnley bats – they are great bats and made in Worcestershire.”