BASSETERRE, St. Kitts (AP) — Herschelle Gibbs smashed six sixes off one over yesterday to set an international record and help South Africa register the third-highest wining margin at the World Cup.In a Group A match reduced to 40 overs-a-side due to rain, Gibbs hit legspinner Daan van Bunge for 36 runs off the 30th over as South Africa reached 353-3 for the fifth-highest World Cup total. All four totals above it came from 50 overs.

“After the fourth one, I thought it could be on,” Gibbs said. “I thought about using my feet and coming down the pitch, but I changed my mind. I decided to stay in the crease and see what he comes up with.

“The idea was to have another two goes at it (the record), and luckily I didn’t miscue any of them, so it was quite nice. I was lucky the straight boundaries were quite small.”

Tournament sponsor Johnnie Walker now has to donate US$1 million to Habitat for Humanity housing projects to commemorate Gibbs’ feat after launching the Six Sixes challenge earlier in the week.

Jacques Kallis blazed 128 not out from 109 balls and added 134 off 9.1 overs with Mark Boucher (75 off 31 balls), who took just 21 balls to record the fastest World Cup 50.

The Netherlands were held to 132 for nine at Warner Park for South Africa to win by 221 runs.

South Africa’s victory slots between Sri Lanka’s 243-run win over Bermuda on Thursday and Australia’s 203-run victory against Scotland on Wednesday in a run of lopsided matches to start the World Cup.

Australia’s record 256-run win against Namibia in 2003 now looks under serious threat on the small, revamped venues in the Caribbean.

Kallis also shared in a stand of 114 with Graeme Smith (67) and had a 105-run partnership with Gibbs (72), who hit seven sixes overall and faced just 40 balls.

The Proteas hit a limited-overs record 18 sixes in the innings — beating the 16 that New Zealand hit at Zimbabwe in 1995 and the 15 by South Africa against Zimbabwe in Potchefstroom in 2006.

Netherlands captain Luuk van Troost won the toss and sent South Africa in to bat, expecting some help from a pitch that had sweated under covers and from the wet outfield.

Billy Stelling vindicated that decision with a wicket maiden to start the match — A.B. de Villiers (0) slashed at a wide delivery on the second ball and edged it to wicketkeeper Jeroen Smits.

The Netherlands kept it tight, restricting South Africa to 4-1 in the sixth over until Smith hit a straight six off Darron Reekers to signal a new attacking intent.

Peter Borren, who was brought after Tim de Leede’s first two overs cost 26 runs, struck in his second over. Smith skied a ball to be caught by Van Bunge at backward point and leave South Africa on 114-2.

Gibbs then attacked Van Bunge as he flighted his first three balls of his fourth over — the 30th of the innings.

The first three balls flew down the ground and hit halfway up a building that houses broadcast media.

Van Bunge bowled a full toss that went over midwicket, before trying two flatter, faster balls that were dispatched over long-on and then long-off to create cricket history. Only Sir Garfield Sobers and former Indian allrounder Ravi Shastri have hit six sixes in a single over — both in first-class matches.

“Obviously, I’ve got to thank Graeme (Smith) and Jacqiue (Kallis) for building a foundation, that allowed me to have a dip, so I just carried on and unloaded,” Gibbs said.

Gibbs was out the following over when he skied a ball to Van Bunge at long-on, but his dismissal merely allowed Boucher to come in and bludgeon nine fours and four sixes.

“They totally outplayed us,” Van Troost said. “This is world-class batting and the small boundaries were never going to help us.”

The Netherlands lost openers Baz Zuiderent (1) and Reeker (4) by the fifth over, and then lost the next three batsmen for 66 slow runs as they settled for batting practice with South Africa’s total beyond them.

With South Africa the only World Cup team without a specialist spinner in its first-choice line-up, Smith bowled eight overs of occasional offspinners and had Eric Szwarczynski out lbw for 4.

South Africa and Australia have both won their opening games. Australia play the Netherlands on Sunday, while South Africa play on Tuesday against Scotland ahead of their key clash on March 24.