New Zealand vs Pakistan: Spectator grabs one handed stunner to win handsome bounty

Team New Zealand absolutely humiliated the touring Pakistani side in the third ODI of the five-match series. The Men in Green entered the game hoping that nothing could go wrong anymore after two heavy defeats in the first couple of fixtures. Well, little did they know that they were about to endure a worse defeat. Pakistan bundled out for a paltry 74 in response to New Zealand’s total of 257.

The fans at the venue in Dunedin were happy to see the local side register such an emphatic win. While it was a happy hunting day for the New Zealand side and the fans, there was one man in the crowd who arguably had his luckiest day. It is a known news now that there is a competition running in during the matches played in New Zealand.

If a spectator manages to catch the ball in the crowds, then he gets a whopping amount of $50,000. And during the 3rd ODI in Dunedin, a local builder in the crowds, named Craig Dougherty, turned out to be the lucky guy. One mandatory condition for the participants to be eligible for the prize money is that they should wear the promotional t-shirts. Dougherty was wearing one and hence, was eligible for the prize.

The moment arrived early in the match when Martin Guptill clobbered one in to the stands off the bowling of Mohammad Amir. Dougherty, who looked relaxed till the moment, saw the ball coming his way and ended up leaning forward to grab a one-handed stunner in the crowd.

Proud to have grabbed the catch

Speaking about his achievement, the 34-year old mentioned that his friends at the club used to mock him for dropping a sitter during a match played last year. Now, he feels proud to have grabbed the lucky catch.

“My (Albion-Kilda club cricket) teammates were giving me s**t because I dropped an absolute sitter on the boundary with two hands the other week before Christmas. It hasn’t really sunk in yet, I still can’t believe I caught it, but it’s awesome that I did catch it,” quoted Craig Dougherty as per the reports in Fox Sports.

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