VIDEO | Billy Stanlake’s brutal bouncer takes off Mark Chapman’s helmet and wicket
Cricket has witnessed players getting out in unconventional ways, which has ranged from being bizarre to utterly unfortunate. Australia’s Billy Stanlake will surely feel the same way about his wicket of Mark Chapman, who saw a bouncer take off his helmet before it bounced onto his stumps.
New Zealand couldn’t have made a better start to the T20I game in Auckland as Colin Munro and Martin Guptill’s pyrotechnic helped the Kiwis to get a 132-run stand in 11 overs. After Munro and Tim Seifert returned to the pavilion in space of 23 runs, Chapman came to the crease to support Guptill.
However, it was the manner in which Chapman got out that made the biggest highlight from the first innings. The quick 57-run partnership of Guptill and Chapman had just broken with the dangerous opener going back to the pavilion after a lightning century when the incident happened.
On the last delivery of the 18th over, Billy Stanlake’s fierce bouncer crashed on Chapman’s helmet, who was attempting a hook at the 142.2
The unfortunate dismissal was in a way a sign of things to come for the hosts, who lost the game even after posting a mammoth 244 runs in 20 overs. A collective display by Australian batsmen saw the target getting chased with a ball to spare.