It’s the crowd catch competition that’s gripped South African cricket – and fans delivered the best and worst of the art during a chaotic afternoon in Centurion.
The new SA20 league kicked off last week, with seven games already played.
The naming rights sponsor of the tournament, Betway, has an ongoing ‘Catch A Million’ competition throughout the tournament. Any spectator aged over 18 that takes a “clean, one-handed catch” in the crowd – the ball must not have touched anything more than the palm of the spectator who catches the ball – during a game will be awarded a share of one million rand ($AUD85,000).
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There were only two nominations across the first five games. But there were three in three overs come the sixth match between the Pretoria Capitals and Sunrisers Eastern Cape at SuperSport Park.
A massive 90m six from Pretoria’s Will Jacks gave one fan the first catch of the day. The gentleman, remarkably, was sitting on the grass with a beer in his left hand before raising his left hand and plucking the ball cleanly. He celebrated by holding the ball – and beer – aloft, still while sitting.
Jacks helped deliver again an over later, smashing a ball over the long-off rope where it was cleanly taken by a jubilant fan wearing a Proteas 1999 World Cup shirt.
Jacks then gave a third fan an opportunity with a clean strike over the long-on, with the man taking the ball cleanly while holding onto his beer with the other hand.
“You little beauty! And again there’s no spillage,” commentator Mike Haysman said after the catch.
“This is extraordinary. They’ve been practicing flat-out here in this part of the world. My goodness me.”
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However not all attempts went to plan.
One fan in the 12th over of the first innings crashed through a picket fence during an unsuccessful try.
In the next innings, one man attempted a catch among several spectators, only to spill the chance, tumble down a hill and almost take out other fans.
“Another potential catch – oh look out! The big fella’s gone down,” Haysman said.
Jacks, who opened the batting, was named player of the match for his explosive knock of 92 – which came off just 46 balls and included seven fours and eight sixes in – as the Capitals blasted 6-216.
The Sunrisers, in reply, fell well short, finishing 7-179 to hand Pretoria a 37-run win.