CRICKETING history was made at the Riverside Stadium yesterday when the first player to hit six sixes in a first-class over came face to face with the youngest person to emulate his six-ball feat.

West Indian legend Sir Garfield Sobers was in Chester-le-Street ahead of his appearance at a charity dinner this evening in aid of cerebral palsy charity CP Sport and Durham's Cricket Academy.

And he was joined by Anthony McMahon, the winner of last year's Northern Echo Cricketer of the Year competition.

Sobers' legendary feat was achieved at Cardiff's Sophia Gardens in 1968 when he smashed Malcolm Nash for six consecutive maximums.

And the all-rounder was followed into the Guiness Book of Records by 14-year-old McMahon when he became the youngest person to achieve the perfect over while playing for Chester-le-Street against Eppleton last year.

"It was great to meet a real sporting legend," said McMahon, after chatting with Sobers about his place in cricketing history.

"I haven't been able to play much cricket so far this year because I've been concentrating on football and athletics.

"But I'll be back in action later this week and, hopefully, this will inspire me to do as well this season."

Sobers was getting his first proper look at the Riverside and, after hosting its inaugural Test match when England played Zimbabwe last year, the ground will play host to international cricket again when New Zealand visit for a one-day game on June 29.

"I don't think that the future can be confined to the original Test areas," said Sobers, who was named as one of Wisden's five Cricketers of the Century in 2000.

"It's nice to look at areas like this - particularly now that facilities like the Riverside exist.

"Bringing cricket out to regions like this will help a great deal because people from as far away as Scotland and the Lake District can get easy access to a Test match.

"It will help the development of cricket tremendously if games are brought outside the Test grounds. It will also give encouragement to youngsters in areas like this to take up the game."