Cricket: Fan takes stunning $50,000 catch at Black Caps Twenty20 match

NZ Herald

16 Feb, 2018 07:45 AM2 mins to read

The lucky - and skilled - fan celebrates his money-making grab.

A lucky fan bagged an impressive one-handed catch – and $50,000 – at Eden Park on Friday night as the Black Caps matched their highest ever T20 total in the Tri-series clash against Australia.

Student Mitch Grimstone grabbed a low left-handed catch after Black Caps batsman Ross Taylor smeared a delivery from Andrew Tye – the penultimate ball in the Kiwis' innings - over the square-leg boundary for six.

Grimstone is the second winner in the Tui Catch a Million promotion, after the first $50k-catch was taken during last month's third ODI between the Black Caps and Pakistan in Dunedin.

Mitch Grimstone celebrates with his $50,000 cheque. Photo / Photosport

Grimstone who is a longtime cricket fan and who also plays club cricket in Wellington said the catch still hadn't sunk in.

"It sort of happened in a blur because it sort of came over and I was like, 'I have a chance here' and then I just put [my hand] down the wall," he said.

"I'm not left handed but somehow I put it there and it stuck. Then everyone was just jumping all over me ... I actually just caught it and I was like, 'Holy!'

"It just went really quickly and I didn't really catch onto it until now. It still hasn't sunk in really it's all a bit of a blur."

Martin Guptill (105), the top-scorer in New Zealand's innings of 243-6, also paid tribute to Grimstone's effort in a post-innings interview.

Guptill smashed nine sixes on route to his second T20 hundred.

Bloke will probably spend that all by the end of the night. Hell of a catch though #NZvsAUS
— Alex Chapman (@AlexChapmanNZ) February 16, 2018

Ross Taylor launches a SIX over the leg-side and we have our 2nd Tui-catch!!! 50k - what a grab!!! CROWD EXPLODING! #TriSeries #NZvAUS pic.twitter.com/ejXqbZ9TTO
— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) February 16, 2018

The orange shirted guy taking a one-handed catch to win $50,000 might seem remarkable at first but when every second ball is hit for six, it ain't that miraculous. #NZvAUS #orangeshirt
— Haris Amin (@hari_curry) February 16, 2018