Glenn Maxwell 'does something amazing' after making 'freakish' catch for Australia in T20I series opener against South Africa
Published 10/08/2025 at 18:14 GMT+1
The man nicknamed ‘The Big Show’ certainly deserved to take his place at the top of the billing in Darwin with a catch that will be relived plenty of times in the coming years. Glenn Maxwell manoeuvred his body brilliantly with a scarcely believable catch that had TNT Sports commentary trio Mark Howard, Mark Waugh and Kerry O’Keeffe in total disbelief.
Is this catch of the season? 'Maxwell does something amazing down there!'
Video credit: TNT Sports
Glenn Maxwell's stellar career for Australia brought another magical moment with a stunning catch in the opening T20I clash against South Africa.
Maxwell is now focusing on the T20 format ahead of next year's World Cup in India and Sri Lanka, after announcing his retirement from one-day internationals in June.
The all-rounder has a slew of records at both ODI and T20 level, including the fastest century in the history of the ODI World Cup.
However, on this occasion, it was the all-rounder’s fielding prowess which took centre stage in the tropical far north of Australia.
Maxwell lived up to his nickname of ‘The Big Show’, giving fans a huge return on their entrance fee.
The 36-year-old showed he has plenty left in the tank as he came to the fore with a sublime piece of fielding that you could watch over and over again.
It came at a tense time in the match, with The Proteas needing 21 from five deliveries to reach their target of 179 in Darwin.
Ryan Rickelton was on the receiving end of Maxwell's stunning exploits, as he smashed a Ben Dwarshuis ball towards long on.
It looked like a six was beckoning, until Maxwell entered the fray and prompted plenty of adulation from the TNT Sports commentary team of Mark Howard, Mark Waugh and Kerry O’Keeffe.
After seeing Maxwell jump over the boundary to take the ball, throw it up and spring back inside the rope to complete the catch, Howard said: "Hits it well, right on the rope, Maxwell does something amazing down there.
"Only Maxwell can do it, stepped out of the ground, tossed it back. It looks easy, but that is not. Maxwell is a star and Rickelton departs."
Waugh and O’Keeffe joined in with the adulation, as the former added: "How many times has Glenn Maxwell done this?"
O'Keeffe then replied: "And he said 'I stretched the boundary', it might be 67m, but I make it 71m, and he does. This was a six until his hands lurked under it."
Howard and Waugh broke down the complex nature of the catch in more detail, as they both scrutinised the replay.
Waugh continued: "He's jumped quite a long way over the rope here. I'm sure he's got rid of it in time, let's have a look. That is freakish, just got rid of it."
Howard then added: "Just the catch alone is top shelf, before the acrobatics afterwards."
"Just to have the skill-set to lob it the right distance away from yourself that you can get there," continued Waugh.
"I'm just seeing if his foot touched the ground before he let the ball go, but I'm saying it's fine. The ball's gone and then he has to get back into the field of play, with a perfect weight on the throw."
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Australia would end up winning a pulsating encounter by 17 runs.
The two teams will battle it out again in Darwin in the second T20 on Tuesday, before heading to Cairns for the third and final T20I on August 16.
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