Andrew McCulloch’s $5000 catch at a recent twenty20 game was so good it has been called ‘‘catch-fixing’’.
That is because the Otago Volts batsman who hit the six was his girlfriend’s brother, Michael Bracewell.
McCulloch (29), of Oamaru, cashed in thanks to a promotion at Hamilton’s Seddon Park that offered $5000 for anyone who could snaffle a one-handed six.
Since Bracewell smashed Wellington’s Jeetan Patel over midwicket and McCulloch slid down the embankment and made a stunning grab on Sunday, footage of the catch has gone viral and appeared on numerous websites, including those of the Sydney Morning Herald and the Guardian.
The Cricinfo Facebook page, which has almost four million ''likes'', has also shared the catch.
''It’s just been unbelievable,'' McCulloch said yesterday. ''I’ve had friends from all over the world that have been seeing it on different news channels. It’s just bizarre.''
After making the spectacular catch, McCulloch celebrated only briefly, before casually taking his place on the embankment next to girlfriend Lisa Bracewell.
''I just got a real shock when I looked up on the big screen and saw myself up there dancing around like a pork chop. I just froze and thought, 'I need to get out of here','' he said.
McCulloch, who last played cricket for Waitaki Boys’ High School more than a decade ago, said the easiest part of making the catch was reaching it, thanks to a ''poor'' crowd.
''I thought it was going to drop well short, but I just got the big elbow from [Lisa] and she gave me the look as if to say, 'Are you going to actually catch it?' I just got up and stumbled down the hill and it landed in the mitt.''
Since the video had gone viral, McCulloch said he had heard it being called ''catchfixing'' because of his connection to Bracewell.
''It [a set-up] is all good in theory, but in practice it would be pretty tough to pull off,'' he said, laughing.
McCulloch and his girlfriend, both Volts fans, have recently moved to Ohope Beach, near Whakatane, after six months overseas, making his unexpected payout timely. ''It’s amazing timing, really. We have got so many bills to pay with just moving into a new place. It’s just perfect,'' he said.
