BBL 2020-21: Ben Cutting sends Morne Morkel out of the park at the Manuka Oval

Ben Cutting can send the ball a million miles out of the park. Indian fans would remember the cameo he played back in 2016, representing the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) against Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) final. Cutting may not have played in the 2020 IPL, but the fans have gotten his glimpse in the 2020-21 edition of the Big Bash League (BBL).

The veteran is mostly batting in the middle order and giving impetus to an innings. He prefers to throw the kitchen sink at everything and the Sydney Thunder have used him in the Power Surge, a feature brought about by the BBL authorities in the ongoing edition as well. He recently played in the Knockout between the Thunder and the Brisbane Heat at the Manuka Oval in Canberra.

Ben Cutting shows his power

And he played a cameo that helped his team rack up a significant score of 158 runs for the loss of eight wickets in 20 overs. He stayed unbeaten on 34 runs off 18 balls with the help of one four and four sixes. One of those sixes came off the tall and lanky Morne Morkel in the 18th over of the Thunder’s innings. The ball sailed over the ropes and also outside the stadium.

Morkel bowled a delivery outside the off-stump and Cutting opened himself up. The batsman cleared his front leg and used the pace of the ball to send it over the ropes through the deep mid-wicket region. Once the ball hit the middle of the bat, it had a six written all over it. All the fielders could do was look in agony as Cutting saw the ball going outside the stadium.

Here’s the video: –

Cutting came to bat after Mitchell Swepson got rid of Alex Ross in the last ball of the 16th over.  At that point in time, the Thunder were on 110 for six, and in dire need of a finishing kick.

That’s where Cutting showed his brute force. The Thunder were also helped by the fact that Brendan Doggett hit two fours at the fag end of the first innings.