Screen capture via Twitter/@BBL
Welcome back to VICE Sports's infrequently recurring feature "American sports blogger tries to explain something that happened in cricket." Except this is an easy one. This bowler caught a ball that came screaming back at him—like it was nothing. Hell, the camera didn't even have time to process what was going on.I'll spare you the traditional "sticky wicket" joke, and just move on to tell you that Jofra Archer, a 22-year-old Barbadian cricketer who plays for the Hobart Hurricanes, is a stone-cold sniper, as he reacts perfectly to the Brisbane batsman Ben Cutting jamming his bowl right down his throat. What an extension and what a grab. Take a look:
(A side note: it was extremely not helpful that the announcer kept saying, "that is not allowed," even sarcastically, because I would have believed him. The catch is, however, indeed allowed.)Maybe the best part is how Archer handles the whole spectacle. He lobs up the ball like it's no big deal—a bowler's version of a bat flip, perhaps?—and mean mugs everyone. That is, until his teammates swarm him. Then, he can't help crack a smile.