Aussie cricketer Mark Cosgrove uses his head to negotiate a bouncer

One of Australian cricket’s favourite sons had a novel approach to playing a bouncer during a defiant century in England overnight.

We’re going to say straight up this is not how the Aussie batsmen should attempt to play Jofra Archer in the Third Test starting Thursday night (AEST).

Playing for Leicestershire against Durham in English county cricket’s division two overnight, former Australian batsman Mark Cosgrove took a novel approach to negotiating a short ball from Ben Raine.

Without a fifty in his previous 10 innings dating back to last month, Cosgrove rediscovered the magic in a defiant unbeaten century that secured a draw in a match Leicestershire looked destined to lose after it trailed by more than 300 runs after the first innings.

Such was his confidence, the South Australian — who played three one-dayers for Australia in 2006 in a short-lived international career — bravely marched down the pitch as Raine ran in.

When the quick saw him coming and dug the ball in short, Cosgrove used his head. Literally.

A novel approach to a @BenRaine88 bouncer.#ForTheNorth pic.twitter.com/ZPXU2HqhSM

— Durham Cricket 🏏 (@DurhamCricket) August 21, 2019

The clip went viral on Twitter and was shared on Instagram by former English batsmen Kevin Pietersen who suggested it was the way forward for David Warner and Co at Leeds.

While some made light of the move, writing “Mark Cosgrove channelling his inner Virgil van Dijk” and “Cosgrove heads it away, because ducking or evading is so mainstream” others lashed the 35-year-old.

“Mark Cosgrove remains a completely nonsensical cricketer,” wrote one.

“After everything that has played out over the past week, I’d suggest this is f***ing stupid from Mark Cosgrove,” added another.