‘Catch of the century’: Freakish Glenn Maxwell moment goes global
Aussie Glenn Maxwell’s silly BBL act is going viral with cricket fans around the world left with their jaws dropped.
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Glenn Maxwell’s freakish BBL catch is going global.
The mercurial allrounder took one of the greatest catches of all time as his Melbourne Stars ended its ugly losing streak in Wednesday night’s match against the Brisbane Heat at the Gabba.
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Maxwell was the talk of the town early when he took a rip snorter of a catch to dismiss Jack Prestwidge in Brisbane’s batting innings.
The catch etches Maxwell into BBL folklore with arguably the greatest catch in the 14-year history of the Aussie T20 league.
Maxwell urged Fox Sports commentator Mark Howard to say it was the greatest catch he had ever witnessed. And for good reason.
Reminiscent of NBA great Lebron James alley-ooping to himself off the backboard before slamming it home, Maxwell propelled himself over the boundary rope off one foot, caught the ball in his right hand, under armed it back in field and made the catch that removed Jack Prestwidge for four runs.
It was simply stunning and No.7 Prestwidge had every right to think he had made enough contact for the ball to sail over the boundary.
Not on Maxwell’s watch.
“Unbelievable. We have seen some incredible stuff this summer but that is the catch of the year,” Howard said.
“Maxwell, like Lebron James, flying through the air, flicks it back and takes something that only Glenn Maxwell could do. I don’t think I have ever seen a better catch than that.”
“That’s genius, it really is,” former England Test captain Michael Vaughan added.
It was in the realm of Jordan Silk’s mid-on screamer taken off Brett Lee’s bowling a decade ago.
Cricket world left in awe of Aussie freak
Even at the age of 36, Glenn Maxwell remains one of the most acrobatic fielders in the sport.
Cricket fans around the world were given a reminder on Wednesday night with vision of the catch spreading to all corners of the international sport.
England’s official Barmy Army page on X posted: “STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING AND WATCH THIS. Glenn Maxwell with an all-timer of a grab.”
UK cricket commentator Scott Taylor posted: “We’re not even a day into 2025 & we’ve already seen the catch of the year. Ridiculous from Maxwell.”
India Today called it “mindboggling”.
The Times of India called it “mindblowing”.
UK sport presenter James Green wrote: “This is ridiculous.”
Aussie sport journalist Adam Hawse posted: “Glenn Maxwell - that is beyond belief!! Best I’ve seen.”
Aussie sport journalist Mark Gotlieb wrote: “This Glenn Maxwell catch will be the most insane sporting highlight of 2025 and the year isn’t even 20 hours old. Oh. My. God.”
Cricket commentator Farid Khan called it the “catch of the decade.”
3AW’s Bruce Eva wrote: “That is somewhere between stupendous and ridiculous … Don’t take a bow, Glenn Maxwell … do a somersault with a twist.”
Sports writer Imran Saddique posted: “Unbelievable catch by Glenn Mawell.”
Indian cricket fan Sharon Solomon posted: “Waah. Just waah. Gosh. So freaking unbelievable from Glenn Maxwell.”
Cricket commentator Vipin Tiwari wrote: “What a catch by Glenn Maxwell, absolutely incredible! He’s a genius at the boundary.”
Another fan posted: “Absolutely insane catch! Glenn Maxwell never fails to amaze! Truly one for the history books.”
Cricket fan Rashid Ali posted: “Catch of the Century! Glenn Maxwell, take a bow. 2025 kicks off with a breathtaking grab.”
Even American fans on the official reddit sport page — which has 22 million members — were blown away.
Maxwell was far from a one-man show and Marcus Stoinis was also on fire.
The Australian T20 stars delivered highlights aplenty as their franchise its first win of the season + snapping an eight-game losing streak dating back to last summer’s BBL.
The five wicket victory was also the Heat’s third consecutive loss.
Chasing 150 to win, captain Stoinis put on his cape and clawed the cellar dwellers back from 3-14 to 3-134 with four overs remaining.
Stoinis (62, 48 balls) led the charge to begin before No.4 Dan Lawrence took the baton and poured on an unbeaten 64 from just 38 deliveries to draw first blood on the Stars season.
Max Bryant (77 not out) and Xavier Bartlett (4-8) starred with bat and ball for the home side but a telling 132-run stand between Lawrence and Stoinis quickly took centre stage as the Heat’s premiership defence took another backward step.
Earlier, former Brisbane Heat fast bowler Mark Steketee had powered the Stars onto the front foot to have the Heat reeling at 4-39 almost ten overs in.
Right arm fast Steketee took two quick wickets, with the white ball causing all sorts of trouble for struggling opener Colin Munro and big Tom Banton who were sent packing for one and 13 respectively.
The swing bowling of left armer Joel Paris and 40-year-old veteran Peter Siddle also yielded wickets as the Heat struggled to get going.
The Stars’ scorching hot start was eclipsed by Siddle’s first ball that speared into the middle stump to remove Brisbane’s most reliable batter so far this season, Nathan McSweeney (nine).
The aggressive field placements of new captain Marcus Stoinis also played its part in mounting pressure.
—with NCA NewsWire
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