WATCH, BBL | Will Sutherland distorts into mid-air 360 to take catch of the season

01/22/2023

Adrenaline, athletic abilities and years of elite training can lead to wonders on the cricket field never seen before, worthy of every highlight reel to follow ever after. Will Sutherland pulled off a highly improbable catch on Sunday against Perth Scorchers by executing an around-the-world mid-air.

The Perth Scorchers belted their way to a mammoth total of 212/5 at their home against the Melbourne Renegades, essentially confirming a third straight win on the trot. The league leaders of late have stolen all the headlines with their dominant performances but for once they were not the centre of attraction for a brief moment in the 17th over of their first innings. Scorchers had already stormed to 160/5 when Nick Hobson was up against Tom Rogers on the second ball of the over.

The struggling Hobson attempted to step on the accelerator and made room before the ball was bowled. Rogers read the movements well and fired in a full delivery down the leg side. Hobson lofted the ball aiming to clear mid-off but failed to get a hold of it, skying it straight into the Perth sky. However, the Kookaburra seemed to be sailing past fielder Will Sutherland when the in-form all-rounder pulled off something spectacular.

As he ran half-backwards looking into the sun, Sutherland was left in an awkward position by the time the ball descended on him. However, Sutherland converted a missed opportunity into a moment of genius as he faced the pitch for a moment to raise his hand high up, waiting for the white rock to stick. As soon as it did, Sutherland leapt and twisted into a complete turn mid-air, grabbing the ball had enough to ensure it does not slip out from his hold despite the hard landing. Even though the scalp did not do much to put brakes on the Scorchers bulldozer, the moment provided a moment of spark in an otherwise disappointing day for Melbourne.