Sydney Thunder’s Shane Watson rivals Big Bash king Chris Lynn in hitting the game’s longest sixes

Just who is the biggest hitter in the BBL? Shane Watson’s enormous bomb against the Brisbane Heat threw down the gauntlet to the king, Chris Lynn, and a rising challenger. WATCH INSIDE.

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In the battle of the Big Bash powerhitters, veteran Shane Watson has thrown down the gauntlet to young challenger Sean Abbott — but Brisbane Heat superstar Chris Lynn is still King.

Abbott finished 2018 in spectacular fashion by blasting the biggest bomb of the first half of the BBL when he smashed the Sydney Thunder’s Fawad Ahmed onto the roof of Spotless Stadium on Christmas Eve in the Sydney Derby.

But Watson showed that new tricks — and monster hits — are still on the table for this old dog.

His 110m effort sailed out of Spotless Stadium on Tuesday night to shatter the mystery spin of Brisbane’s Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

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Abbott is no stranger to hitting the long ball, having muscled a 101m effort over the top of the Ladies Pavilion at the SCG while playing for the Thunder against the Sixers in the second year of the tournament.

Nearing the halfway point of the season, the marker has been laid for the BBL’s sluggers — including the undisputed King, Lynn, who still owns the longest hit in tournament history.

Chris Lynn is the undisputed King of the long ball in the BBL. Picture: Getty

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Lynn launched his mighty six a staggering 121 metres when he used the express pace of Shaun Tait against the then-Hobart Hurricanes slinger to effortlessly lift one out of the Gabba and onto the streets of Brisbane.

It’s one of the biggest sixes ever seen in Australia, and a genuine challenger to Mark Waugh’s explosive straight drive which sent an offering from New Zealand’s Daniel Vettori onto the WACA roof in 1997.

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Originally published as Sydney Thunder’s Shane Watson rivals Big Bash king Chris Lynn in hitting the game’s longest sixes